Introduction / Emilio Ambasz -- Objects. Objects selected for their formal and technical means ; Objects selected for their sociocultural implications ; Objects selected for their implications of more flexible patterns of use and arrangement -- Environments. Introduction ; Design program ; Design as postulation: Gae Aulenti ; Ettore Sottsass, Jr. ; Joe Colombo ; Alberto Rosselli ; Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper ; Mario Bellini -- Design as commentary: Gaetano Pesce -- Counterdesign as postulation: Ugo la Pietra ; Archizoom ; Superstudio ; Gruppo Strum ; Enzo Mari -- Winners of the competition for young designers: Gianantonio Mari ; Group 9999 -- Historical articles. Introduction ; Art Nouveau in Italy / Paolo Portoghesi ; The Futurist construction of the universe / Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco ; The beginning of modern research, 1930-1940 / Leonardo Benevolo ; Italian design 1945-1971 / Vittorio Gregotti -- Critical articles. Introduction ; Italian design in relation to social and economic planning / Ruggero Cominotti ; Housing policy and the goals of design in Italy / Italo Insolera ; Ideological development in the thought and imagery of Italian design / Giulio Carlo Argan ; The land of good design / Alessandro Mendini ; Radical architecture / Germano Celant ; Design and technological utopia / Manfredo Tafuri ; A design for new behaviors / Filiberto Menna -- Summary / Emilio Ambasz.