73453 - Design Methods T (L-Z)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the student is able to use the basic analytical, critical and expressive tools for understanding and interpreting the design project and industrial products. Through exercises on the founding elements of industrial design, the student gets to know: the components of design research (morphological, technological, historical, etc.); the role of the user through notions of ergonomics, visual and haptic perception; the main contexts of study and dissemination of contemporary design cultures; the characteristics of design methods.

Course contents

The LABORATORIO DI DISEGNO INDUSTRIALE T-I C.I. aims at setting the activity and the tools of design research, exercising the students' ability to realize their identity; helping them to look for masters; to know the artifacts; to set up a continuous personal research; to respond to design questions. In summary, the Course exercises the mouldable qualities of the future designer, returned through a "pentagon" model that constitutes the framework of the teaching activity.

Skills Pentagon:

1) Search for my masters;

2) Know the artifacts;

3) Set up my basic research;

4) Carry out a design research;

5) Build my identity.

Thanks to the activities proposed in the individual teaching modules, the LABORATORIO/DESIGN STUDIO insists on the meaning of meta-design research (observation) and the synthesis of complex and contemporary phenomena by applying "desk" and "field" research methodologies:

• morphological research (observation of nature, basic design, etc.);
• technological research (intuitive use and performance of materials, simple processing, modeling and materialization of ideas, disassembling and assembling capabilities of technical objects);
• historical research and reference literature (study of artifacts, study of the design masters);
• individual and constant research over time (set the need for each student to build personal and continuous research topics to be explored over the long term and in which to accumulate content and experiences that are managed and stored in a usable way).

By sharing these general objectives, the integrated course is divided in two: METODOLOGIE DELLA PROGETTAZIONE and DISEGNO INDUSTRIALE.

The course METODOLOGIE DELLA PROGETTAZIONE will be articulated by a set of lectures and exercises about research components and design methods.

The first part aims to investigate the tools necessary for design research from the point of view of artifact analysis.

The second part aims to deepen the tools necessary for design research from the point of view of contextual analysis and bibliographic sources for the development of critical knowledge.

Readings/Bibliography

In the lectures, in the exercises and in the moments of review, punctual references will be provided to texts, sites, magazines and documents available to deepen the topics presented.

In addition, bibliographic information may be added based on the information needed during the course (in particular for Module 2).

A book presentation seminar read by female students is also planned, organized by the student community itself.

Teaching methods

During the course development students will be offered frontal contributions lasting about 1-2 hours each. Students will also be invited to participate in events promoted by the University Course (seminars with national and international guests, exhibitions, competitions, etc.).

Each of the teaching modules that make up the course framework will include one or more projects and exercises. Students will be asked to carry out work in groups to obtain different outputs, each of which will contribute to the final evaluation.

For the integrated METODOLOGIE DELLA PROGETTAZIONE course, the frontal lessons and seminars are accompained by 2 group assignments (required during the term) focusing respectively on Part 1 and Part 2 (see the Contents section for details).

To do these assignments, at the punctual revisions carried out in the classroom, there will be moments of collective revision in front of the teaching group, in which the students will present the progress of their own works (the seminars will be moderated by the Professor and the other students).

In synthesis, there are:

• Frontal lessons (presentations/slideshows);
• Individual and collective revisions (peer education) of the students' work;
• Monographic and seminar lectures with invited guests (the calendar will be made available at the beginning of the course);
• Collaboration with external structures (model laboratory, photographic laboratory, libraries, etc.).

Attendance is mandatory. It is recognized with a signature and students who are absent for more than 30% of the lessons will not be admitted to the final evaluation.

Assessment methods

The exam will be organized as an exhibition of the final works. Each of the results obtained in the individual teaching modules (Metodologie della Progettazione e Disegno Industriale) will be evaluated. The final grade will be expressed on a scale of thirty points.

During the integrated METODOLOGIE DELLA PROGETTAZIONE course, the practical assignments (Part 1 and Part 2 – see the Contents section) will undergo progressive development and advancement. Part 1 must be completed by the time of the exam. Part 2 includes intermediate assessments throughout the seminars (see the Teaching Methods section); the final summary report, like Part 1, must also be completed and submitted by the exam date. A schedule of intermediate deadlines, revisions, and seminar sessions will be provided on the first day of class.

The various assessments will form the final judgment of each student of the integrated course (in part, the result of collective work and, in part, of individual work).

They contribute to the formulation of the judgment:

- active participation in the course;

- quality of the papers presented;

- punctuality to lessons and deliveries.

Teaching tools

• VIRTUALE: teacher-student communications; loading teaching materials; student material deliveries; forum with students / community
• MS TEAMS: virtual classroom
• MIRO: for brainstorming and other forms of shared planning/work
• Presentations/slideshows
• Collaboration with external structures (labs, libraries, etc.)
• Participation in conferences, talks, exhibitions and/or educational visits.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Maria Formia