Born in Mendrisio in 1985, Simone Viola studied Industrial Design in Milan, where he began his professional journey collaborating with prominent architecture and design studios in Italy and abroad. These formative experiences immersed him in a diverse range of approaches, disciplines, and production cultures, shaping a design sensibility grounded in both conceptual research and a profound understanding of how objects are conceived, developed, and ultimately brought to life.
In 2011, he established his own studio in Switzerland, focusing on industrial design with a particular specialization in furniture and product development. Since then, his practice has evolved around a continuous dialogue between industrial precision and the distinctive character of craftsmanship: a balance in which technology and material intelligence, efficiency and tactility, rationality and emotion are not opposing principles, but complementary dimensions of the same design process.
His work begins with observation and research. Materials, manufacturing techniques, and the habits of contemporary living are investigated with equal attention, allowing each project to emerge from a precise understanding of its context rather than from a purely formal gesture. The result is a body of work characterized by a quiet, enduring elegance, objects in which function is never separated from character, and technical resolution becomes an integral part of their aesthetic expression.
From the earliest stages of conceptual research through prototyping, engineering, and final production, Viola maintains a direct and deeply involved role in the development of his projects. This continuity between idea and execution enables a high degree of control over every detail, while preserving the coherence of the original concept throughout the manufacturing process. It is a hands-on methodology in which technical expertise becomes a means of refining, rather than constraining, the creative vision.
Since 2015, Simone Viola has served as Creative Director of TOOU, contributing to the development of the brand’s creative vision and to the definition of its product language through a close dialogue between design, manufacturing, and contemporary lifestyles. From 2024, he is also Creative Director of the new furniture brand Joivi, extending his direction to a new context and further exploring the relationship between product identity, innovation, and the culture of living.
