60
Industrial Design
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
In order to achieve the expected outcomes of the course program and the proposed experimentation, the course program, structured into various activities, pursues the following learning objectives.
Qualifying learning objectives:
- Developing the ability to understand the main challenges of the ongoing environmental/social crises and the solutions currently being researched and debated, while remaining continuously updated on current proposals and possible future developments.
- Developing competences to address responsible lifestyles and production/consumption models through innovative design solutions, with reference to the four innovation categories of the Oslo Manual.
Specific learning objectives include the acquisition of skills and the achievement of outcomes that can be assessed during the learning assessment:
- Awareness of the designer's role in the value chain through understanding and monitoring production chains and life cycle phases that can be influenced already in the design phase, based on product/service innovation (innovation categories of the Oslo Manual);
-Design management skills, through the development of flowcharts describing the life cycle of products/services and the identification of potential impacts and mitigation/compensation solutions, based on process/organizational innovation (innovation categories from the Oslo Manual);
These skills will be assessed through an exemption test presented to students at the end of the first series of lectures.
- Application of acquired knowledge in the design of products/services with environmental, social, and economic sustainability in mind; specifically, students will analyze real-world case studies during practical exercises and develop a project proposal working in small groups.
- Critical thinking skills for evaluating production systems and processes through a scientifically based understanding of the concept of sustainability, distinguishing rigorous and coherent approaches from widespread, deceptive greenwashing practices;
- information design skills, for communicating information and data and presenting the results of projects focused on sustainability and circularity in a manner that is accurate and understandable to all, with a focus on communication/marketing innovation (innovation categories from the Oslo Manual);
These skills will be assessed through a series of practical exercises led by the instructor and conducted by students in small groups.
Course Prerequisites
The course begins with a general introduction to key topics such as climate change and its causes (greenhouse effect, global warming), the concept of sustainable development, and the main climate policies. The instructor dedicates the first lesson of the course to addressing these basic concepts with students, and provides references for further study on these topics at the beginning of the course.
Teaching Methods
TYPE OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES:
The course combines theoretical lectures with practical activities and exercises.
Theoretical lectures include direct communications and exercises for discussion and interaction with students, to continuously assess the learning progress.
A series of practical exercises, led by the instructor, based on the understanding and analysis of existing design projects will allow students to apply the acquired knowledge operationally and formulate proposals for coherent and innovative circular solutions.
The final exercise involves the development of a project proposal by student groups and its final presentation.
The hours of classroom teaching (10 hours for 1 credit; 1 credit = 25 hours) are scheduled as follows:
Lectures: (hours/year in the classroom): 32
Exercises: (hours/year in the classroom): 4
Practical activities: (hours/year in the classroom): 24
Other: (hours/year in the classroom):
STUDENT INDEPENDENT WORK
Hours of work that the student will be required to complete independently outside of classroom teaching hours, to complete the hours/credit (15 hours for 1 credit; 1 credit = 25 hours):
- In-depth study of the bibliography (theoretical part): 30
- Test preparation (experimentation): 30
- Exam preparation: 30
Assessment Methods
The following is a description of the assessment methods and phases (midterm and final):
1. Midterm assessment of the program, including lectures and seminars: test (exemption from exams) to assess the student's understanding of the theoretical concepts acquired during the lectures. If the test is not passed or the student requests improvement, an oral exam will be scheduled during the exam session.
2. Final assessment: final review/assessment of the exercises (work produced during the course) and the project proposal developed by students individually or in small groups during the exam session, with the following criteria: i) consistency of the project with the objectives of sustainability and circularity, and technical validity; ii. representation of the proposal through flowcharts (product/service life cycle) and Design Management criteria; iii. presentation of the principles of circularity and the innovative characteristics of the proposal.
Exam methods: Theory: midterm exemption or oral exam; Practice: presentation of the exercises carried out and the project proposal.
Evaluation criteria:
30 - 30 cum laude: awareness and full understanding of the topics covered, presented with excellent critical thinking and more than appropriate language;
26 - 29: good knowledge of the topics covered and ability to analyze and synthesize, correct but not entirely
appropriate language;
22-25: fair knowledge of the topics covered with limited ability to analyze and synthesize, not entirely appropriate language;
18-21: barely adequate knowledge of the topics, with gaps in knowledge and inappropriate language;
Insufficient: significant gaps in knowledge; inability to present concepts in a detailed manner; inappropriate language.
Restrictions for admission to the final exam:
Attendance is not mandatory but recommended. Attendance at least 70% of the course is recommended.
To pass the practical exercise interview, at least three reviews with the teacher are required.
Texts
Vezzoli C (2020). Design per la Sostenibilità Ambientale, Bologna, Zanichelli. (riferimento teorico e per la sperimentazione)
Pulselli RM, Tiezzi E. (2008). Città Fuori dal Caos. La sostenibilità dei sistemi urbani, Roma, Donzelli. (riferimento teorico)
Pulselli R M, Paolinelli G, Bastianoni S (2014). Il Giardino Rampante. Diamo vita ai muri degli edifici. Soluzioni per la città sostenibile. Edifir, Firenze. (riferimento per la sperimentazione)
Yvon Chouinard (2018). Let my people go surfing. La filosofia di un imprenditore ribelle. Ediciclo. (riferimento per la sperimentazione)
Pulselli RM. Lifecycle thinking per il co-Design circolare. In Narrare i Gruppi, 20 (2025), pp. 55-71- website: https://www.narrareigruppi.it/index.php?journal=narrareigruppi&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=04.03.2025
Contents
1_DESCRIPTION
The course introduces the knowledge base and tools for understanding and predicting the environmental and social impacts of a design project and addressing the designer's decisions, starting from conception and design, by monitoring the entire life cycle of a product/service, from raw material sourcing to the production of components, transportation, assembly, use, maintenance, disassembly, and end-of-life. Specifically, strategies and techniques for implementing processes according to a circular, rather than linear, logic will be introduced and discussed, where waste is treated as input for new processes.
Students will acquire competences to investigate and understand the various stages of production chains, already in the design phase, and, through a "lifecycle thinking" approach, identify innovative solutions for the design of products/services with low environmental and social impact, for the management of processes and organization of value chains (design management), and for the communication of environmental and social benefits.
Students will acquire the skills to determine, and where necessary quantify, the environmental implications, for example in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, and the social effects, with reference to the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda, of the designed product.
2_COURSE PROGRAM
The course is structured into a series of theoretical lectures alternating with practical exercises.
The theoretical lectures include general scientific notions and more specific technical knowledge. The following is a brief overview of the topics covered:
- Scientific foundations of sustainability: the concept of sustainability with reference to the second law of thermodynamics (entropy) and the theory of dissipative structure to understand the behavior of complex systems. These concepts allow for a critical observation of natural and human systems, understanding their dynamics, and understanding the environmental implications of human activities.
- Life Cycle Thinking applied to design: definition of flowcharts, functional units, and environmental (LCA) and social (social LCA) sustainability indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions (GWP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, possible circular design solutions will be discussed at various life cycle stages and in relation to the four innovation categories of the Oslo Manual.
- Design management: methods and tools for product and process management and innovation aimed at improving the sustainability of designed products and services, starting from the design phase. The goal is to identify models geared towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and circularity as an alternative to linearity.
- Communication of information and data for the green marketing of products/services with strong environmental and social sustainability characteristics.
Practical exercises include analysis of existing case studies and development of design projects (products or services) individually or in small groups.
The module will also be developed in relation to the content and exercises included in the second module, "Life-cycle eco-design," of the interdisciplinary course in Sustainable Design.
3_EXPECTED OUTCOMES
The course objectives are to develop theoretical knowledge and technical skills that students will be expected to independently test through individual study and group exercises.
Knowledge and understanding:
- Students will learn and discuss theoretical and scientific concepts useful for developing knowledge and critical thinking skills to understand and evaluate the environmental and social sustainability characteristics of a design project and the circularity of processes.
Applying knowledge and understanding:
- Students will develop the ability to design a product or service design project, focusing on the production chain, life cycle, and circularity, with the aim of optimizing processes and measuring the results.
Making judgments:
- Students will experience individual or group learning and develop critical thinking skills to evaluate the environmental and social sustainability of a design project.
Communication skills:
- Students will present their content and personal interpretations, including quantitative data, clearly and comprehensively, presenting the environmental and social characteristics of the design project throughout all phases of its life cycle.
Learning skills.
- Students must develop learning skills to undertake their educational journey and develop coherent and innovative sustainability and circularity projects.
More information
The teacher dedicates the first lesson of the course to introducing all theoretical topics, practical exercises, and assessment methods and criteria. The teacher also provides background information needed to best develop the course topics and specific topics that students need to know, for example by reviewing certain topics using recommended textbooks or other provided teaching materials.
A weekly schedule is provided for meetings with students. The teacher is also available on specific occasions, arranged via email with students and with students who are unable to attend. Students unable to attend must contact the professor to discuss appropriate work arrangements or other arrangements necessary to take the exam.