60
Industrial Design
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims to introduce the foundations of knowledge and tools needed to develop a design project and to acquire and utilize creative process techniques and methodologies, from concept development to product design and communication.
Students will acquire skills useful for identifying the general issues surrounding design projects. They will experiment with individual and collective design methods to develop a project starting from an idea or a predefined goal, investigating feasibility and verifying quality and consistency. Finally, they will acquire the technical skills needed to represent their ideas through drawing and produce accurate graphic designs.
The course will aim to develop an aesthetic sense and expressive technical knowledge to create creative solutions that are conceptually coherent and technically sound.
Over the course of the two semesters, students will acquire:
- awareness of the discipline and the role of the designer in the value chain through an understanding of its potential and limitations;
- critical thinking skills for understanding, managing, and evaluating a creative process, from initial planning to actual completion;
- technical skills for drafting a project and its representation and presentation (composition of graphic tables, creation of scale models, presentation of the final work).
Course Prerequisites
Skills of technical drawing and understanding of plants, sections, projections, 3d representations.
Teaching Methods
The course combines theoretical lectures and practical exercises, primarily based on a learning-by-doing approach, integrating practice with theory.
The theoretical component includes lectures as well as opportunities for discussion and interaction with students, allowing for continuous assessment of learning progress.
A series of practical exercises, based on the understanding and analysis of existing design projects, will enable students to apply the knowledge acquired in practice and to develop proposals for the creative reinterpretation of the analysed products.
The final assignment involves the concrete development of a creative process carried out by groups of students, culminating in the preparation of a design proposal and its final presentation.
Contact teaching (10 hours per 1 CFU; 1 CFU equals 25 hours):
Lectures: 30 hours per year (in class);
Practical activities: 30 hours per year (in class).
Assessment Methods
The final assessment evaluates the extent to which the expected learning outcomes of the degree programme have been achieved, structured across the following dimensions: knowledge, application skills, autonomy of judgement, communication skills, and learning ability.
- Assessment of work produced during the practical exercises carried out throughout the course.
- Evaluation of the design proposal developed by students according to the following criteria:
- i) Project concept (clarity, coherence with objectives, technical validity);
- ii) Representation (execution of plans, sections, elevations, 3D models, and layout).
- Assessment of the presentation and discussion of the project:
- i) Communication and ability to present the proposal effectively;
- ii) Capacity to engage in discussion with the assessment panel, making reference to theoretical knowledge acquired during the course.
Assessment criteria:
- 30–30 cum laude: Full understanding and awareness of the topics addressed, with a fully coherent vision of the project idea, presented with excellent critical skills and highly appropriate language.
- 26–29: Good knowledge of the topics covered, with reasonable analytical and synthesis skills; correct, though not entirely appropriate, use of language.
- 22–25: Adequate knowledge of the topics, with limited analytical and synthesis skills; language not entirely appropriate.
- 18–21: Just sufficient knowledge of the subjects, with some gaps in understanding; language is poorly appropriate.
- Fail: Major gaps in knowledge; inability to present concepts in a structured manner; inappropriate use of language.
Access requirements:
Attendance at lectures is not mandatory but strongly recommended. Students are advised to attend at least 70% of the course sessions.
Students must participate in a minimum of three review meetings with the lecturer before being allowed to take the final practical assessment.
Texts
- Armato F. (2018). Disegni e progetti (MYWorld/MY Work), Firenze, FA Editore;
- Armato F., Follessa S. (2023). From Spaces To Places, product#people#city, Firenze, DidaPress Edizioni;
- Neri G. (2017). Umberto Riva, interni e allestimenti, Siracusa, LetteraVentidue edizioni;
- Papanek V. (2020). Design per il mondo reale, Macerata, Quodlibet Edizioni;
- Wihide E (2022), Design, la storia completa. Atlante.
- Lewrick M, Link P, Leifer L (2018), Design thinking playbook. Mindful digital transformation of teams, products, services, businesses and ecosystems. Wiley
Contents
The theoretical lessons include general scientific notions and more specialised technical knowledge.
The course involves the definition of an idea or concept in a tangible form through a creative project, in relation to a product, its stylistic language, and its technical realisation.
A brief outline of the topics covered follows:
Design relationships: through the analysis of emblematic design objects, such as small-scale furnishing elements intended for indoor or outdoor environments, reflections will be encouraged on the relationships established between product and user, space and occupant, needs and functions, with implications for accessibility and well-being.
Design processes: an indicative schematic model of the creative process will be presented and discussed, including research and analysis (emblematic case studies), technical principles, critical issues analysis, the development and evaluation of alternative proposals, and feasibility assessments.
Innovation in design: concepts of radical innovation and incremental innovation; functional innovation, formal innovation, and industrial innovation.
Practical activities include the analysis of existing case studies and the development of exercises and projects, carried out individually or in groups.
Selection of emblematic design products, technical analysis, identification of strengths and limitations, formulation of alternative hypotheses, and proposals for potential adaptations or reinterpretations in relation to new objectives.
Development of a project from concept through to detailed design, addressing conceptual, compositional, and technical aspects, and verifying technical solutions through both qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Presentation of the design proposal through graphical representations (plans, sections, elevations, and 3D models) and scale models, to support and guide decision-making throughout the creative process.
More information
The Concept Design course will provide theoretical design knowledge to face a technical-creative process with full autonomy in subsequent years.
Students will develop their Skills (Hard - Soft - Life) in the field of Industrial Design to develop their ability to conceive and control the technical, aesthetic, and communicative aspects.