Applying Lessons from Car Design to Product Development: An Interview with Florean Seidl of Lavazza R&D [ Lorenzo’s perspective Vol.8 ]

Bringing the taste of Turin to space.

During Milan Design Week in April 2025, a striking brown cylindrical pavilion, 18 meters in diameter, appeared in the courtyard of the State Archives. Inside, Lavazza unveiled its revolutionary new espresso coffee system, “Tablì” This groundbreaking product uses 100% coffee-based tablets inserted into a dedicated machine—eliminating the need for traditional aluminum or plastic capsules and significantly reducing environmental impact. Long queues stretching hundreds of meters formed outside the venue each day.

What is Lavazza?

Let’s start with the history of Lavazza. The company began in 1895, when Luigi Lavazza opened a small grocery store in Turin. He thoroughly studied the origins and characteristics of coffee beans and developed techniques for blending them to suit customer preferences. These early blends laid the foundation for today’s Lavazza products.

In 1927, Luigi, together with his family, formally incorporated the business. Around the same time, Lavazza introduced “Pergamin”—a double-layered paper packaging designed to preserve the aroma of coffee—which became highly popular.

Lavazza was also one of the first companies to recognize the importance of corporate identity and advertising. In 1947, the logo designed by Milan’s Aerostudio Borghi was adopted. Featuring a distinctive central “A,” the logo has been subtly modified over the years but remains in use 78 years later.

Lavazza eventually grew to become Italy’s largest coffee company. In 1965, it opened the largest roasting plant in Europe on the outskirts of Turin. In 1971, the company introduced vacuum-sealed packaging.

In 2015, Lavazza became the first to supply an espresso machine to the International Space Station. For reference, Antonio Baravalle, who has served as Group CEO since 2011, previously held the position of CEO at Alfa Romeo. In 2018, Lavazza opened its new headquarters in Turin—Nuvola Lavazza—which includes a corporate museum. As of 2025, the company operates in 140 countries and regions, with annual revenues exceeding €3.3 billion.

“The Fiat of the coffee world”

Florian Seidl, Design Manager at Lavazza’s R&D division, studied industrial design at the University of Art and Industrial Design Linz in Austria and earned his master’s degree in Vehicle Design from the Royal College of Art in the UK. He began his career at Fiat in 2008, where he served as a Senior Exterior Designer, contributing to the development of several popular models, including the third-generation Panda, Panda Cross, 500L, the 2013 and 2015 model year 500, and the 500X. He also spent time in academia before joining Lavazza in his current role in 2015.

When asked what led to the career shift, Seidl explained, “It was a moment when Lavazza was looking to strengthen its in-house design capabilities, and the timing aligned perfectly.”

It’s worth noting that Lavazza has long demonstrated a strong appreciation for product design—releasing the compact “Espresso Point” machine designed by Pininfarina as early as 1995.

Seidl recalls that his first mission at Lavazza was to establish a coherent family feeling across products, based on a consistent design philosophy. One example of this is the ring-shaped button positioned on the top of the machines.

Regarding the design of the “Deséa” home espresso machine, Seidl explains:
“The viewer’s gaze travels upward from the base of the body and comes to rest at the shoulder line.”

In the author’s view, the visual interplay of tension and release seen here mirrors the exterior design language Seidl employed during his time at Fiat—particularly in the 500L.

The current design team at Lavazza R&D, including Seidl, consists of six members: designers, Alias specialists, and modelers. He explains that a typical development cycle—from initial sketches to final product—spans about two years.

When asked what his nearly eight years at Fiat taught him, Seidl answers, “Teamwork, and collaboration with suppliers.” He adds, “Of course, coordination with engineers is equally essential.” The recently unveiled Tablì system in Milan is a direct result of such collaboration—developed in close partnership with Marco Sardi, who leads the engineering division at Lavazza R&D.

Seidl also drew a compelling parallel between his current work at Lavazza and his past at Fiat:
“Our aim at Lavazza is not to build a Bugatti, but a Fiat—that is, products that are accessible to everyone.”
He further adds, “At the same time, the effort we pour into friendliness, anima (soul), sensuality, and the refinement of every detail—those are values we absolutely share with Italian cars.”

The newly unveiled Tablì system in Milan was the result of five years of research—significantly longer than Lavazza’s typical product cycles—and involved the filing of over 15 patents. According to Seidl, the shape of the sliding lid was deliberately designed to evoke the image of a coffee bean in the mind of the user. In contrast, Sardi recalls, “That particular component was actually the most challenging part to develop, both in terms of mechanism and user interaction.”

Tablì will continue to undergo testing and refinement before its market launch. With its debut, there’s no doubt that Seidl and his in-house design team will draw increased attention across various design awards.

Until next time—arrivederci!

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