The Discover Together exhibition at Milan Design Week 2025 is a testament to the power of co-creation and the innovative spirit of next-generation designers. Lexus has invited three unique groups of creators - Bascule Inc., Northeastern University Center for Design, and the Lexus Designer Team - to reinterpret the possibilities of the Black Butterfly, Lexus’ next-generation cockpit interface for electric vehicles.
This interactive exhibition showcases their distinct visions, exploring new dimensions of personalized experience with technology and challenging the conventional boundaries of creativity. Each installation represents a collaborative journey, pushing the boundaries of design and offering fresh perspectives on the relationship between individuals, society, and the future of mobility.
Discover Together is a testament to the power of bringing together diverse creative minds. Lexus has fostered collaborations with Bascule Inc., Northeastern University Center for Design, and the Lexus Designer Team, resulting in a rich tapestry of interpretations and innovative solutions. This emphasis on co-creation underscores Lexus' belief in the transformative potential of shared creativity to shape the future of mobility.
The Black Butterfly, Lexus’ next-generation cockpit interface for electric vehicles, serves as a central motif and a source of inspiration for the installations. This interface, designed to offer drivers immersive experiences, becomes a canvas for the creators to explore new possibilities of interaction, personalization, and the seamless integration of technology into the driving experience.
Each participating group - Bascule Inc., Northeastern University Center for Design, and the Lexus Designer Team - brings a unique perspective and approach to the challenge of reimagining the Black Butterfly. This diversity of thought and creative expression results in a multifaceted exploration of mobility’s future, offering visitors a rich and engaging experience.
The Discover Together exhibition features a collection of innovative installations, each offering a unique perspective on the future of mobility and the potential of the Black Butterfly interface.
Bascule Inc. from Japan, presents Earthspective, an exhibit that invites visitors to expand their understanding of our planet. The installation challenges our limited human viewpoints by offering an Earthspective - a shift in perspective that allows us to observe the Earth from the vastness of space. This expanded view fosters a sense of interconnectedness, reminding us that we are all travelers on this planet, and prompts reflection on how our words and actions shape the future.
Northeastern University Center for Design from the USA, addresses the pressing issue of air pollution with their exhibit, Our Energy Nexus. This installation uses real-time interaction to visualize the power of community and collective action in reducing air pollution. Visitors can engage with real-time pollution data from Milan, channeling their warmth through the Black Butterfly as a symbolic release of energy. Each contribution is visually represented as a glowing star, and as the air virtually clears, the stars shine brighter, demonstrating the direct impact of personal action on environmental change.
Lastly, the Lexus Designer Team from Japan, offer Discover Your Butterfly, an installation inspired by the butterfly effect. This exhibit explores the transformative power of small actions, envisioning a world where countless unique butterflies converge to create a dynamic and evolving reality. Through the Black Butterfly, visitors are invited to unleash their own metaphorical butterfly, symbolizing their potential to influence the world and discover new aspects of themselves. Each small "flutter" represents an individual action that contributes to a larger ripple of change, highlighting the profound impact of seemingly insignificant gestures.
Since its inception in 2013, the Lexus Design Award has served as an international platform dedicated to fostering and supporting the next generation of creators through dialogue and co-creation. To deepen its commitment to collaboration and the cultivation of emerging design talent, Lexus has reimagined the program, now known as “Lexus Design Award - Discover Together.” The relaunched award will officially commence with a showcase at Milan Design Week in April 2026, marking an exciting new chapter in Lexus' ongoing dedication to design innovation.
Dates: April 8 - 13, 2025
Venue: Superstudio Più, Daylight Space, Via Tortona, 27, 20144 - Milan, Italy
Exhibition: Discover Together artwork exhibition
Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centered around their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values that everyone can participate in.
Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University's Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualization, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualization, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centered design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.
As a key part of the greater Toyota Motor Corporation design team, Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura bring new expressions and experiences through their reinterpreting of the Black Butterfly.
In additional to being a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept & Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota.
Yuri Tamura began her career as a Color Materials Finish (CMF) designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.