“Design Should Be a Dialogue”: How Footwear Designer Alex Di Giuseppe Blends Intuition
Journeys
Advisor
Culture
May 28, 2025
“Sometimes you just follow the vibe.” That’s how Alex Giuseppe, footwear designer at ON, sums up his approach to both life and design. It’s not about having a perfectly linear plan. For him, creativity is something that evolves,and if you stay open to people, moments, and ideas, it often leads you exactly where you need to go.
I sat down with Alex to explore his journey into design, the unexpected way he found his niche in footwear, and his collaborative work with Cycle, Adobe, and Creapole. What emerged wasn’t just a career story,it was a philosophy about creativity, connection, and staying true to what excites you.
Unlike many designers who say they were sketching shoes from the age of five, Alex’s start was a little less direct. Growing up in a multilingual, musical household, creativity was always around, but design, specifically, didn’t come into focus until later.
“My brother was really into car design and studying at the time,” he recalls. “I just thought I’d try the entrance test at Politecnico di Milano. I wasn’t expecting much but I got in.”
That small leap set him on the path to product design, and later, a master’s degree that allowed him to start connecting his academic world with personal passions. “My final project was on surfing,” he says. “It’s something I love to do. That’s when I realized I could bring my interests into my work. That’s when design became fun.”
Footwear, however, was never part of the original plan. He stumbled into it while working at Sune, a Milan-based fashion label. Hired initially for graphic design, he was soon pulled into the footwear team. “They just needed someone to help with the shoes, and I said sure. And it stuck. It’s so multidimensional,textiles, molded parts, structure, and softness. I was hooked.”
Looking back, this moment captures a key part of Alex’s mindset: staying open. Instead of following a rigid path, he explored and adapted,something he sees as essential in creative work. “Sometimes the thing you didn’t plan for becomes the thing that changes everything.”
Meeting Cycle: When Collaboration Just Clicks
One of the themes that kept resurfacing during our conversation was Alex’s natural tendency to follow gut feeling and energy,especially when it comes to the people he works with.
That instinct led him to Cycle, the creative network known for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between students, professionals, and major industry players. The introduction came through a workshop organized by ON, Adobe, and design school Creapole. Alex didn’t know much about Cycle at the time but the energy clicked immediately.
“I’m a people person. And I think when there’s the right feeling, the right alignment, you know it. It was one of those situations where you don’t overthink it. You just keep the connection alive.”
The collaboration wasn't just a one-off workshop,it led to lasting impact. “The best outcome? We hired one of the students we met there for a six-month internship at ON. That was a full-circle moment.”
For Alex, working with students wasn’t just about teaching. It was about giving back and reflecting on his own path. “I'm only a few years ahead of them, really. I know what it feels like to be in their position,uncertain, trying to figure things out. I wanted to show that you can be yourself, work with what you know, and still build a great career.”
n the world of footwear design, collaboration isn’t a bonus,it’s a necessity.
“A shoe is never made by one person,” Alex says. “You work with engineers, developers, material scientists, testers, factories. There are so many layers.”
For Alex, success comes from balancing expertise with humility. “You have to know your stuff but also be ready to question yourself, to listen, to adapt. That’s what cross-disciplinary design is really about.”
This way of working is deeply aligned with Cycle’s own philosophy of intentional, cross-disciplinary collaboration. Whether it’s mixing graphic design with engineering, or drawing inspiration from art, books, music, or sport, Alex believes design is strongest when it’s expansive.
“Everything you love ends up informing what you create,” he says. “For me, skiing, surfing, secondhand bookstores, music,these aren’t separate from my design work. They’re part of the process.”
Preventing Burnout, Staying Inspired
With such a multifaceted creative life, how does Alex avoid the trap of burnout?
“I think the trick is to stay curious,” he says. “If you see something,a movie, a color combo, a texture and it makes you think, ‘What if I combine this with that?’ That’s the best feeling. That spark keeps you going.”
Creativity, he says, isn’t something to force. It’s something to follow. Much like the waves he surfs when he’s not at his desk.
Final Reflections
Alex Giuseppe may have landed in footwear by chance, but everything about his journey reflects intention,from how he collaborates, to how he mentors, to how he brings his passions into every phase of the design process.
At the heart of it all is one core belief: design should be a dialogue, not a monologue.
