Compasso d'Oro in the context of Olivetti Lettera 22

Marcello Nizzoli (Italian pronunciation: [marˈtʃɛllo nitˈtsɔli]; 1887 – 1969) was an Italian artist, architect, industrial and graphic designer. He was the chief designer for Olivetti for many years and was responsible notably for the iconic Lettera 22 portable typewriters in 1950.

Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and other such business products as calculators and fax machines. Headquartered in Ivrea, in the Metropolitan City of Turin, the company has been owned by TIM S.p.A. since 2003.

The company is known for innovative product design, ranging from the 1950s Lettera 22 portable typewriter, to some of the first commercial programmable desktop calculators, such as the 1964 Programma 101, as well as the pop-art inspired Valentine typewriter of 1969. Between 1954 and 2001, Italy's Association of Industrial Design (ADI) awarded 16 Compasso d'Oro prizes to Olivetti products and designs – more than any other company or designer. At one point in the 1980s, Olivetti was the world's third largest personal computer manufacturer and remained the largest such European manufacturer during the 1990s.

Mario Bellini (born 1 February 1935) is an Italian architect and designer. After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1959, he pursued a career in architecture, exhibition design, product design, and furniture design during the Italian economic boom in the late 20th century. He has worked with companies such as B&B Italia, Brionvega, Cassina, Heller, Flou, Yamaha, Olivetti, Renault, Rosenthal, Tecno, Riva 1920, Vitra, and Kartell.

In a career spanning nearly 70 years, Bellini has received many honours, including eight Compasso d'Oro awards and the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Triennale di Milano. In 2019, the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico, awarded him a career medal in recognition of his contributions to Italian architecture and design.

Associazione per il Disegno Industriale 'Industrial Design Association' (ADI), is an Italian professional organisation of about 1,100 architects, designers, manufacturers, trade journalists, academics, and design universities. Its primary purpose is the promotion of good design in Italy and abroad. The ADI is responsible for the administration of the Compasso d'Oro design awards and an associated museum.

La Rinascente (Italian for '"she who is reborn"'; pronounced [la rinaʃˈʃɛnte]) is a high-end Italian department store chain. Founded in Milan in 1865, it adopted its current name in 1917, coined by the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. In 1954, the company launched the Compasso d'Oro, an Italian industrial design award later managed by the ADI. In 2016, its Milan store at Piazza del Duomo was named "Best Department Store in the World" by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS).

The chain operates nine stores in Italy, including two flagship locations in Milan (Piazza del Duomo) and Rome (Via del Tritone).