At this year’s Salone del Mobile, Milan once again transformed into a playground of ideas, where design met imagination and innovation came to life in the form of (immersive) installations and exhibitions. Centre stage were the human-centred experiences: works that invited us to feel, not just look. While many of those installations leaned heavily into light and visual spectacle, sound was often left trailing behind.
One notable exception stood out: the Lexus installation. Designed with an intricate sonic dimension, it broke the visual monotony and demonstrated how the right audio can elevate an environment and create an experience.
Another important realization emerged in a less high-tech and unexpected exhibition from IKEA. With its joyful chaos of interactive tables, chess boards, pinball machines, and table tennis matches, it celebrated play and connection. It wasn’t just about design — it was about people. It showed how interaction and laughter can turn an exhibition into a living experience.
Our takeaway? Immersive sound is still an underutilized dimension in most public-facing installations, yet it has immense potential to deepen presence and connection. Play, especially collective play, remains one of the most effective ways to create human connection. And VR, while exciting, continues to struggle in public contexts unless it’s paired with intuitive interaction and clear storytelling.
Ultimately, the installations that lingered with us were meaningful. They invited participation, evoked emotion, and therefore became interesting. Because in the end, successful design is something that has a meaning and makes you connect to it in functionality, beauty or experience.
