The design culture: actions and narratives between archives and exhibitions

The article is focused on the value of design archives as resources to be enhanced through exhibitions, and as heritage for innovation based on process of knowledge re-use, especially for creative industries. Starting from the background of the debate on the new dimension of the archive (especially the one focused on the relation between art and design practices and the archive), the article will focus on a specific context as the one of design archives which have been in recent years particularly vivid realities. Focusing on designer’s archive (in between the broader system of design documentation), and through a case study such as CSAC of University of Parma, we will examine how these archives are not merely repositories of drawings and how they can be connectors for creative industries, through exhibitions and other programs. In the second part of the article, we will focus on three exhibitions devoted to design which are expressions of a huge patrimony organized in structured archives, analysing different curatorial practices and narratives paradigms. In these cases, design exhibitions are ‘active’ representation of design archives.

Human Body Interaction From the Imaginary to Contemporaneity. Anticipation Design Processes

Interfaces and prostheses, whether physical, visual, or virtual, are more and more characterized by an ever-increasing level of complexity. In this designing scenario, the relationship with cognitive sciences, ergonomics, semiotics, and the contribution of enabling technologies is transforming the field of product design into that of the design of complex systems that interface the relationship between human and machine.

Typefaces Are All Almost the Same. Non-systematic Review of Scientific Findings on the Impact of Typographic Features on Reading Performance

"The interest in discovering the limits of legibility has not ceased to interest those who use letters in typography and, to a certain extent, those who study the reading process. Sometimes the debate on the subject is marred by sensationalism. The research does not aim to identify a particular typeface and to promote it as “best for legibility”. The research aims to identify what are the possible reasons that make one typeface better than another and to make this knowledge available to the community, so that the typefaces can guarantee better reading performance, if this is possible."

The 3 C's of the Circular Economy for Food. A conceptual framework for circular design in the food system

Food, the basic connecting unit of all the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, plays a crucial role in the ecological transition towards a circular economic paradigm. This paper takes scientific considerations as a starting point in order to contribute to the definition of a theoretical-operational framework in which to grow the Circular Economy for Food. This is a still-open question in a sector of the circular economy that is emerging as vital to sustainable development. The 3 C's of Capital, Cyclicality and Co-evolution offer a systemic, holistic vision of the food system's role. Within this conceptual framework, the designers can find the main boundaries of the system, within which to express their creativity. The aim must be to avoid damaging relationships with the best supplier of raw material known to humanity (Nature), respecting planetary boundaries and at the same time offering a fair space to civil society.

Humanistic design, and beyond

The pandemic is consequence of our mistaken relationship with nature is correct. It’s crucial to learn from past mistakes and it’s necessary to create a sustainable horizon of meaning for our thought and our action, centred on the health of the planet, with man as an integral part of nature. The design can contribute: a Humanistic design, based on a civil commitment, that works with the territories, in in a cosmopolitan spirit, with an inclusive project; but also a design which, however, goes beyond Humanism, which takes away the central role of man – an anthropocentrism that through the ages has created numerous problems... -, in the name of a new accord, in harmony with nature as a whole. The Francesco Faccini, Maurizio Montalti, Gionata Gatto, Giovanni Innella and Formafantasma’s designs can be a possible example of this new idea.

An Exploration of Digital Fashion in Pandemic Italy: Districts, Designers, and Displays

Change is at the heart of the definition of fashion, as many theorists, designers and cultural analysts have shown. This article takes up this perspective to question the role of fashion design in the 21st century in the relation to cultural, media and technological changes. Adopting a field research approach, the paper analyses the interaction between fashion, designers and digital technologies that are emerging in Italy in order to re-grasp Made in Italy in a futuring perspective. The case studies were selected for their relevance to the digital in terms of design, production, and display. The paper analyses that the pandemic crisis is having on the Made in Italy, stimulating new ways of designing, understanding, producing, and consuming fashion.

"Towards design and creativity in the European work programmes"

"The paper investigates the growing adoption of design approach and its tools and the emergent inclusion of design and creativity in the new funding programs of the European Commission. It is assumed as a progressive process, with specific milestones, that move towards cross-disciplinarity between different sectors, and integrate citizens' inclusion in the innovation pathways at different scales. The contribution presents the turning points in the introduction of participatory methodologies and design as a multidisciplinary and transversal medium to foster a multi-stakeholders dialogue. The rethinking opportunity generated by the COVID-19 emergency has been seized by the European Commission, which put in evidence the relation between design and R&I processes, to foster cross-innovation and multiple knowledge, blurring the boundaries between creation, distribution and reception, with a special eye on culture and creativity. "

Design processes in Cultural and Creative Industries’ oriented development: a regional case.

"The paper investigates the role of design as mediator in between culture, creativity, industry and top down policies. In that respect, it is responsible for enabling the creation of CCI ecosystems, overcoming the traditional antagonism between culture and economy, creativity and industry. After defining the CCI phenomenon on a European scale, the contribution tries to describe how design is part of the CCI phenomenon but its nature does not belong neither to culture or creative nor industry, but at the intersection of the two, thanks to its ability of integrating different knowledge and interests within the production processes, multiplying values. Through the description of various creative ecosystem models, the paper aims to establish the interactive role of design processes, practices and design cultures in the creation of these CCI systems within the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3), to enhance the cultural and creative vibrancy and metabolism in cities. "

Carmelo Di Bartolo, the Design of a New Architecture of Materials Based on Bionics

The approach referring to a new material architecture based on bionics, addresses a systemic component in favor of its efficiency, usability, ergonomics, experiences and function. In this sense, the Italian designer Carmelo Di Bartolo proposes as part of his philosophy, the consideration of design of materials integrating bionics, through a discourse and practice that values nature in the design process. Consider the product integrating a material-based approach as a suggestive and communicative element, or as a constitutive part of an efficient structure. The teachings of Di Bartolo are reflected in experiences developed in undergraduate and graduate education, as well as research in Chile. A reference being exemplified in the WINNER project that proposes the design of a dynamic facade based on the analysis of functional principles of nature, responsive to the solar energy capture.