Teaching
Adjunct Professor
School of Design, Politecnico di Milano
Design Research Planning
Academic years 2020/2024
The course is offered to the students of the Master of Sciences in Integrated Product Design, Design and Engineering, Digital and Interaction Design, Product Service System Design, Communication Design, Interior and Spatial Design and Design for the Fashion System.
The course will teach the student how to do design research in academic (Master and PhD) and
advanced professional contexts. The student will:
(a) Acquire the terminology, knowledge, tools and guidelines of design research;
(b) Learn to plan, implement, develop and comunicate a design research; and
(c) Transform a research interest into a research process and related outcome(s).
ABOUT: Design Research Planning focuses on learning-by-doing how to design, implement, develop and communicate a design research.
FORMAT: The class adopts an intensive, collaborative and studio-based model. It will feature lectures, exercises, in-class readings, presentations and discussions.
STRUCTURE: It is structured around five (5) questions. We will tackle one question per day as following: What is research?; What is design research?; What is a research process?; What is scientific communication? and what did I learn through this class?
TOPICS:
1. WHAT IS RESEARCH?
PART 1.1: Definition of research - Characteristics of research - Kinds of research - Qualitative and quantitative research - Background of research in academy - The culture of research in the Sciences and in the Humanities
PART 1.2: Paradigms of research - Strategies of research - Methodologies of research - Methods of research
2. WHAT IS DESIGN RESEARCH?
PART 2.1: Cultural background of design research - Definition of design research - Studies on design research - Nature of design research - Fields of design research - Kinds of design research
PART 2.2: Approaches to design research - Sciences and humanities approach to design research - Practice based approach to design research - Practice centered approach to design research
3. WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROCESS?
Part 3.1: Structure of a research process - Contents of a research process - Objectives of a research process - Roles of the design project into the research process
4. WHAT IS A SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION?
Part 4.1: Background of scientific writing - IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion) standard - Structure and contents of a scientific publication: abstract, paper and thesis.
5. WHAT DID I LEARN THROUGH THIS CLASS?
Part 5.1: Brief summary of the class contents
Showcase: Presentation of students work
The method of examination will be based:
- 50% on the evaluation of the student participation and collaboration during the class and
- 50% on the evaluation of the exercises developed during the class and the final presentation.
Adjunct Professor
Ph.D. School, Politecnico di Milano
Qualitative Research Methodologies in Planning, Design and Engineering
Academic year 2015/2016
The course is offered to the PhD students of the Politecnico di Milano. It introduces the qualitative approach to doctoral research. More specifically, the course deals with the qualitative strategies and methods for the study of innovation processes, and of the social environment of innovation.
Adjunct Professor
Ph.D. Programme in Design, School of Design, Politecnico di Milano
Design Research Tools, 1st year Ph.D.
From 2006 to 2015
The course is offered to the PhD in Design students of the Politecnico di Milano. It is structured in three main parts: Part I introduces doctoral research, doctoral thesis and the abstract; Part II defines the paradigms, methodologies and methods of qualitative research; and Part III describes the different approaches to doctoral research in design and their related methodologies and methods. The course is divided into: lectures, exercises, students presentations and discussions. Course Syllabus
Teaching Fellow
Bachelor of Science in Product Design, School of Design, Politecnico di Milano
Theory and Practice of Product Design, 1st year
Academic year 2005/2006: Products for the elderly and disabled
Academic year 2004/2005: Products for the hand
Teaching Fellow
Bachelor of Science in Product Design, School of Design, Politecnico di Milano
Product Design Studio, 1st year
Academic year 2003/2004: Transformable furniture for the home
Academic year 2002/2003: Products for children mobility
Lectures
Delivered the following lectures:
2008 The best of made in project: a multi-actor web platform to empower micro enterprises, Master in Strategic Design, Poli. Design, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
2007 A social model of design, In: Conscious, Simple - Consciously Simple. The Emergence of an Alternative Product Culture. Lebanese American University, School of Architecture and Design, Beirut, Lebanon
2005 Methodologies and methods of design research, Ph.D. Programme in Industrial Design and Multimedia Communication, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
2004 Comparative study of Ph.D. programmes in design and the methodologies of design research, Ph.D. Programme in Design Sciences, Istituto Universitario di Venezia, Italy
Workshops and Seminars
Collaborated in the organisation of the following Workshops and Seminars:
2008 System Reload Milan 2008 , eco-design workshops and seminars at the Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan, Italy, Milan Design Week, 18-19 April 2008 Link
2005 Conceptual Maps for System Thinking Related to Design, workshop at the 6th International Conference of the European Academy of Design, Design System Evolution, the University of the Arts, Bremen, Germany, 29-31 March 2005
2004 The Question of Social Design, doctoral seminar at the Ph.D. programme in Industrial Design and Multimedia Communication, School of Design, Politecnico di Milano
2003 General Strategic Knowledge Models and their Interaction with Domain-Specific Knowledge in Design, doctoral seminar at the Ph.D. programme in Industrial Design and Multimedia Communication, School of Design, Politecnico di Milano
2001 Design Research and its Challenges, doctoral seminar at the Ph.D. programme in Industrial Design and Multimedia Communication, School of Design, Politecnico di Milano