Designers in Italy are expressing an almost wholesale rejection of the reputation for the Italian ' genius for design.' What causes such deprecating attitudes? John Donat. architect and photographer, in conversation with architects, designers and teachers, including GAE AULENTI ,PAOLO PORTO-GHESI, TOBIA SCARPA ,MANFREDO TAFURI ; and FRANCO FERRAROTTI , sociologist; and LISA PONTI , editor of Domus.