81874 - Industrial Design 1

Learning outcomes

The module aims to lead students to develop a process of understanding of the dynamics, actors, themes, processes that characterise the relationship between innovation and advanced design, in order to orientate him/her within the training course undertaken. Through ex-cathedra lectures, seminars, and practice sessions, the main themes characterising contemporary innovation processes, into which the action of design will be grafted, will be addressed.

Course contents

The course explores the dynamic interaction between advanced design methodologies, Responsible Innovation (RI) principles and their impact on contemporary social transitions. Through the analysis of studies and case studies, the importance of a design approach related to extreme and risk contexts will be highlighted. These principles guide the development of products and services geared towards solving current challenges.
A central theme of the course is the shift from functional, user-centred design to value-based design, which places organisational, social and environmental considerations at the centre. This paradigm shift promotes a vision of design as a lever for sustainability, social justice and the construction of collaborative environments.
The course proposes design as a collective practice involving a plurality of actors - not only designers - in a perspective of co-design oriented towards the common good. In this perspective, the fundamental references of the UN 2030 Agenda and the principles of responsible innovation will also be analysed.

Through the integration of advanced design practices and ethical approaches to innovation, the course offers a training pathway aimed at providing critical and design tools to face the complex challenges of contemporary and future society by supporting the development of knowledge on emergency and risk in order to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.

Readings/Bibliography

Gianfrate, V. (2024) Innovare la città dei Servizi. Co-design responsabile, inclusivo, sostenibile. Umberto Allemandi

Gianfrate V. Formia E., Vai E. (2021) Design e mutazioni. Processi per la trasformazione continua della città. pp.7-283 - ISBN:978-88-6923-761-4

Gianfrate, V., & Iñiguez Flores, R. (2022). Geographies of Design innovation: cultural drivers and global-local flows . Diid — Disegno Industriale Industrial Design, (77), 14. https://doi.org/10.30682/diid772022a

Cautela, C., Deserti, A., Rizzo F., Zurlo F. (2014). Design and Innovation: How Many Ways?. Design Issues 2014; 30 (1): 3–6. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/DESI_a_00244

Hernandez, R.J., Goñi, J. (2020) Responsible Design for Sustainable Innovation: Towards an Extended Design Process. Processes, 8, 1574. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8121574

Costanza-Shock, C. (2020). Design Practices: Nothing about Us without Us, Design Justice. https://design-justice.pubpub.org/pub/cfohnud7/release/2

Poli, R. (2019), Handbook of Anticipation: Theoretical and Applied Aspects of the Use of Future in Decision Making (pp. 795-819). Springer International Publishing.

Teaching methods

The course includes: -Frontal lectures -Lectures with experts -External workshops -Design exercises in the classroom (Scenario Building, strategic design, metadesign, communication) -Laboratory activities in groups
The lectures will be aimed at the realisation of a service product project: i.e. a complex system in which physical products are integrated or extended to include the intangible component of the service.
The training course will take place:
-through the activation of a collective creative process in particular in the phase of investigation of the individual-community-environment relationship,
-through an autonomous process, in which each student will delve into the various aspects of relationship design.

Assessment methods

The verification will be carried out in several steps:
A) User analysis and design research: collection and organisation of contents, user analysis, analysis of technological and cultural scenarios, research and analysis of cases and examples
B) Definition of the project concept: development and presentation of basic ideas and concepts of the user experience to be designed, motivations and objectives of the project, initial feasibility assessment and work plan
C) Design and concept development: development of general interaction model and content architecture, user interface design, first prototypes to assess the interaction modalities and usability of the project.
D) Prototype realisation and final presentation: Implementation of a demonstration prototype and realisation of the final project presentation.

Teaching tools

Field experiences
Design Thinking tools
In-depth seminars
Peer to peer learning

Office hours

See the website of Valentina Gianfrate

See the website of Laura Succini