When I come across particularly visionary designers and architects, I’m never surprised when the talk turns to their favorite philosophers.

I had a seriously powerful experience along these lines during a conversation with the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi. While we were speaking, I was reminded of how Plato likened thought to “a conversation of the soul with itself—a philosophical communication.” The former design director for Olivetti and leading figure in the Memphis design movement has since created a thriving conglomerate melding architecture and product development.

He has envisioned everything from lighting fixtures inspired by Sufi poets to power plants during his esteemed career so far, and his client list is a who’s who of commercial heavyweights. The impetus for my interview was to learn about the architect’s design for La Passeggiata for iSaloni 2015, an artfully rendered cloverleaf to encourage people to stroll through his perceptions. “There is a philosophy of walking in the most antique writings, like those of Plato,” he added. “Every step you take when you are walking, you have a different perspective of space.” I find it interesting that there are layers here: a philosopher citing a philosopher. This makes me love what I do!