An exhibition at the Archivo gallery in Mexico City is exploring "the most important" part of the design process – the development stage (+ slideshow).

The Design in Process exhibition showcases objects by 36 Mexican designers. Works range from products and textiles to architecture and urban design, but all are in a common state of incompletion.

Curators Isauro Huizar and Mario Ballesteros tasked the designers with presenting their unfinished pieces in an effort to make working processes more transparent to the public.

"In Mexico there is a total lack of culture of presenting and discussing work in progress, let alone displaying it," said Archivo gallery.

"The premise of the exhibition is that the most important, interesting discoveries and learnings occur in the early stages of a project, and that these are usually difficult to distinguish and read in finished, polished objects."

The exhibition also aims to provide a look at the future of Mexican design and to identify trends within the local industry. It features both established and emerging designers.

Among the exhibited designers are Christian Vivanco, who previously created a pendant lamp inspired by seaweed. Another designer, Emiliano Godoy, has had his glass pieces exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum's fifth Design Triennial in New York.

Hector Esrawe, who previously created a collection of lights that are controlled by sliding or pivoting elements, is also presenting his works, as are architects stación-ARquitectura.

The exhibition is on show at the Archivo gallery until 26 August 2016. It precedes a series of events focused on the past, present and future of design in Mexico City, which will be World Design Capital in 2018.

An exhibition with a similar theme took place during this year's Milan design week. For Envisions, a group of graduates from Design Academy Eindhoven decided to exhibit only materials, in response to the vast amount of finished products on show during the event.