OVERVIEW

The course provides students with a foundation in product design focused on custom design. Strategies, concepts, services, and products are studied and designed specifically for different age groups and user segments, with a particular focus on vulnerable users, in response to the various needs and requirements identified during the research phase.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

This Laboratory is rooted in the interdisciplinary integration that permeates the field of industrial product design, and encourages students to find user-centred approaches to design when dealing with common issues in the environmental (e.g. waste disposal) and social fields (e.g. Design for All), as well as dealing with the relationship between individuals, artifacts and the environment.
The main goal of this teaching is to encourage students to use data as a project tool and to establish a strong analytical approach, developing a methodology that is applicable to product design as a whole.
The course will focus on the theme of Food Design, intended not merely as the project of the product itself, but also as the project of an innovative consumer experience. The theme of food focuses on studying the product's packaging and life cycle - production, distribution, communication, purchase, experience of consumption, and ultimately disposal. A selected company in the food sector will collaborate with the University, issuing a competition on current topics applied to one specific product.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Regular attendance and active participation in the proposed educational activities (lectures, exercises, and lab work), along with independent study, will enable students to:

-to apply a method for researching and analyzing user issues and needs necessary for project development
-to collect data using the methodologies covered in the course (interviews, questionnaires) as sources for concept development
-to apply design tools for visualizing benchmarking research and analysis of top competitors, such as concept maps and storytelling techniques
-to develop a concept, primarily based on the collected data, striking a coherent balance between form, function, and meaning
-to communicate the project with a focus on technological aspects, materials, and communication
test using feedback methodologies 

PREREQUISITES

The following basic knowledge is required to effectively engage with the course material:

-Basic knowledge of the history of design

-Knowledge on software for two-dimensional and three-dimensional representation and rendering

-Basic knowledge oof graphics software (Adobe suite)

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching will be structured around lectures and laboratory activities over two consecutive days, alternating between lectures and seminars for in-depth theoretical study, and classroom activities and review sessions. Attendance at lectures and laboratory sessions is not mandatory; however, lectures and classroom activities are considered essential learning opportunities for the student’s development and for applying the theoretical knowledge covered during the lectures. Furthermore, as a simulation of future professional activities, students will be required to engage in group activities during the laboratory sessions designed to foster the acquisition of specific skills useful for teamwork.

Lectures will be delivered by the professor, alternating with specialized presentations and seminars led by professionals from various sectors. The laboratory sessions will be led by the professor, assisted by laboratory tutors.

Students will also be required, during the lab activities, to discuss their work both in individual reviews and in group reviews, during which they must publicly present and defend the work they have completed. Interaction with company representatives—who will periodically visit the classroom to simulate a client-designer relationship and assist students in developing their concepts—will be essential.

A company visit will be organized to familiarize the students with a real-world production environment.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The main focus of the laboratory will be the concept of custom design, aimed at defining a design that begins with a careful analysis of current scenarios related to cultural and social changes, which today require design to play a critical role capable of developing new and innovative proposals.

The program is divided into three main phases: Research, Concept Development, and Prototyping.

The first phase of investigation focuses on fully understanding user needs as a prerequisite for an informed design process capable of interpreting new possible scenarios through contemporary methods and tools of product and service design, using tools such as interviews, questionnaires, and observations, along with the interpretation of the collected data. This data will be systematized through the development and creation of design tools (concept maps and storytelling techniques).

The conceptualization phase is aimed at developing a design solution to the various issues that emerged in the previous phase, through the exploration of materials, user interactions, and innovative consumer experiences and product narratives.

The final phase will be dedicated to developing a physical and digital prototype to ensure full control over all aspects of the project, by defining its technological and functional aspects and its graphic presentation.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Maria Benedetta Spadolini, One size design. Un metodo per il progetto, Lettera Ventidue, 2020

Maria Benedetta Spadolini, Design for better life. Longevità, scenari e strategie, Franco Angeli, 2013

Martí Guixé, Food Designing, Corraini Edizioni, 2010

Progetto CIBO curated by Beppe Finessi. La forma del gusto, Mondadori Electa, 2013

Magazines: Abitare, Interni, Elle Decor, Inventario

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/9274/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

During the exam, the interim evaluations of the exercises conducted as part of the lab will be taken into account. These will be combined with a concluding critical discussion of each student’s progress. The final exam will therefore consist of two distinct components: a direct discussion with the student and an evaluation of the work produced.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will assess whether all learning objectives have been met. The evaluation will take into account the implementation of the assignments given throughout the semester.