Beyond the object: the power of collaborations
By Cecilia Camacho, Founder of CC/magazine and Strategic Consultant at CC/studio
A few weeks ago, as part of the Madrid Design Festival, I had the opportunity to moderate a conversation at the CUPRA City Garage Madrid under a title that, rather than a premise, felt almost like a statement of intent: “Driven by Design: Beyond the Object. Purpose-Driven Design in the Age of Collaborations”.
The discussion brought together very different yet deeply complementary perspectives: from the world of branding and strategic design through Sergio Vázquez Castiñeira, a member of the CUPRA design team; to the experimental and technological approach of Gianluca Pugliese, founder of LOWPOLY and digital artisan; and the artistic and urban dimension of Antonyo Marest, whose practice moves between public art, design, and collaborations with global brands.
For a long time, design was understood as an exercise confined within its own boundaries. Product, function, form. An object that solved something. Today, however, that framework feels insufficient. Design no longer takes place within a single discipline, but rather in the space that opens up between several. It is within this intersection—between industry, art, technology and visual culture—where it begins to acquire a more complex and, above all, more relevant dimension.
Collaborations are not new, but the way they are articulated today certainly is. They have evolved from being a one-off gesture or a positioning strategy into one of the most important territories for experimentation in contemporary design. These are spaces where languages, methodologies and identities intersect—often without sharing the same starting point. And it is precisely within this convergence, sometimes uncomfortable yet always fertile, that innovation emerges.
Because collaborating means accepting that the initial idea will transform, that control is no longer individual, and that the final outcome does not belong to a single authorship. It is a process in which boundaries are redefined and tensions inevitably arise. Yet it is also where new ways of thinking, producing and connecting disciplines begin to take shape—disciplines that might otherwise never meet.
In this new landscape, the role of brands is also shifting. Beyond producing, many are beginning to act as contemporary patrons: facilitating contexts, driving projects forward and creating platforms where design, art and culture can evolve. It is no longer just about visibility, but about creating real conditions for something meaningful to happen.
And when that relationship is built on respect, the outcome changes. We experienced this recently with The Unusual Barcelona x Lykke, a collaboration that emerged from genuine affinity and a shared way of understanding design, the city and experience. More than a one-off activation, it became a dialogue between two worlds that found common ground without losing their identity.
During the conversation, certain questions inevitably resurfaced: are we still designing objects today, or are we constructing narratives instead? How can a distinct identity be preserved within a shared project? And what conditions must exist for a collaboration to be more than just a sum of names? Rather than definitive answers, what emerged was a shared understanding: the value of a collaboration lies in balance. In recognising that each party contributes something different, and that neither should dominate the other. When that balance is achieved—when a brand does not absorb the creator, and the creator does not dilute the context in which they operate—that is when something truly compelling happens. It may sound simple, but in reality, it is a considerable challenge.
At the same time, the broader context has evolved. Brands are no longer defined solely by what they produce, but by the worlds they build. Designers increasingly work within open systems where technology, sustainability and culture coexist. And artists are expanding their practices into new formats, collaborating with industries that once felt distant.
In this landscape, collaboration is less a trend than a natural consequence. However, not all collaborations manage to transcend. Some remain on the surface—immediate, aesthetic, and fleeting. Others, however, achieve something deeper: they open new interpretations, challenge established processes and expand the scope of design itself.
Strong examples include the collaboration between IKEA and Virgil Abloh with MARKERAD, where the language of streetwear entered the domestic sphere, redefining the value of everyday objects. Similarly, Zara’s work with Vincent Van Duysen offers a quiet and coherent proposal that translates an architectural vision into retail without falling into superficiality. Or the intersection of sport and aesthetic sensitivity in ASICS’ collaboration with Danish fashion brand Cecilie Bahnsen, where functionality and delicacy coexist in balance. In another register, Byredo’s collaboration with musician Travis Scott explores how to translate an artistic universe into a sensory experience, while Apple’s work with Hiroshi Sugimoto shifts the focus from the product to perception, using technology as a cultural tool rather than an end in itself.
In this context, perhaps what truly matters is no longer the object that emerges from a collaboration, but the type of relationship that makes it possible—and the way in which that dialogue is articulated. Because ultimately, what makes the difference is how, and with whom, we design. And that is where purpose-driven design truly begins.
