73452 - Product Design T (L-Z)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, the student, through engagement with real cases of design problems presented in an extensive manner or through full-immersion experiences and starting from the re-brief, is able to articulate the meta-design process, anticipate the design workflow, identify achievable outcome margins, develop an innovative product concept, and achieve a comprehensive and complex design result encompassing all its elements.

Course contents

The Industrial Design T (G-Z) laboratory will explore the potential of industrial product design as a tool for enhancing quality of life and user experience in the interaction with everyday objects. The educational path will focus on the design of solutions that place at their core the relationship between the individual, the artifact, and the context, emphasizing the interplay between form, function, and meaning.

The laboratory activities aim to guide students in the development of projects that respond consciously and innovatively to specific use scenarios, through a thorough analysis of user needs, everyday practices, and the perceptual, cognitive, and emotional dimensions of the user experience.

The teaching approach will adopt an interdisciplinary methodology, aimed at the coherent integration of design culture, technological innovation, materials, and production processes. Particular attention will be given to contemporary design languages, sustainability, and the adoption of tools that support the transition toward more complex and intelligent product-service systems.

The laboratory promotes an evolutionary vision of industrial design, understood as a practice capable of interpreting ongoing societal changes and redefining the role of artifacts in the relationships between people, environments, and technologies.

Readings/Bibliography

The complete list of bibliographic references and supplementary materials required for participation in the laboratory will be provided at the beginning of the course. These resources will be selected in accordance with the topics addressed during the teaching activities and will serve both to support project development and to offer a theoretical and methodological framework aligned with the educational objectives of the laboratory.

Teaching methods

The Industrial Design Laboratory is structured around theoretical lectures, contributions from industry professionals and companies, support for both documentary and field research, and guidance throughout the design process up to the development of models and prototypes.

This approach reflects the structure of the course, which unfolds through interconnected phases: lectures, research activities, project development, prototype fabrication, and final evaluation.

The laboratory includes an in-depth exploration of the theme through the collection, classification, and analysis of case studies related to specific fields of intervention. Following an initial phase of research and understanding, students will proceed to the definition of design concepts, developed through sketches, models, and renderings. In the subsequent stages, the project will be refined across various dimensions—including morphology, mechanics, functionality, ergonomics, and production processes—leading to the realization of a representative prototype.

Assessment methods

Professors will oversee the design process in all its phases, working alongside students during classroom activities and ensuring both group and individual review sessions.

In-class work and feedback sessions are considered essential components of the learning process; therefore, a minimum attendance of 70% is required.

Students will also be encouraged to participate in events organized by the Degree Program, including seminars with national and international experts, exhibitions, competitions, and other initiatives.

The final examination will take place on a single day and will require the presentation of the following outputs:

• Ongoing assessments

• Sketchbook

• A comprehensive design book documenting the process from concept to prototype

• Technical drawings

• Full-scale (1:1) prototype

• Presentation

Each outcome produced within the various teaching modules will be subject to evaluation according to criteria established by the responsible instructors. These evaluations will contribute to the final grade of each student, taking into account both group and individual work.

The final assessment will be based on the following key criteria:

• Active participation in the course

• Quality of the submitted work

• Punctuality in attendance and meeting deadlines

Teaching tools

VIRTUALE: communication between faculty and students; uploading of teaching materials; student submissions; student forum/community.
MIRO: for brainstorming and other forms of collaborative design work.
Presentations/slideshows.
Individual reviews of students’ project progress.
Group reviews of students’ project progress.
Collaboration with external facilities (Model Workshop, Photography Lab, Libraries, etc.).
Final exhibition of the projects.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Gasparotto

See the website of Ludovica Rosato

See the website of Mario Fedriga