Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) was an Italian architect and designer whose profound impact on design practice and thinking spanned half a century. Sottsass' design prowess moved effortlessly between designing complex information systems, such as Italy's first mainframe computer (Elea 9000) in the late 1950s, to modern ceramics. Sottsass thought deeply about design and its role within society and industry; he was profoundly influenced by travels to India and the United States, and he published and spoke widely on the topic of design.