Esbrinar entre l'(in)visible. Una investigació sobre els límits del disseny

En un mundo sobrecargado de carteles, productos, imágenes y experiencias, ¿puede existir todavía el umbral de lo invisible? Y, sobre todo, ¿qué sucede cuando el diseño se topa con lo imperceptible, lo complejo, lo infinitamente grande/pequeño, lo opuesto a la intuición? A partir de una práctica de comisariado y no académica, los dos autores presentan y analizan su trabajo y su visión en función de los antecedentes de la investigación de su exposición "(In)visible Design. 100 Stories from the Future and Beyond".In a world overloaded with posters, products, images and experiences, does the threshold of the invisible still exist? And, above all, what happens when design comes up against the imperceptible, the complex, the infintely large/small, the contary to intuition? Starting from an independent and non-academic curatorial practice, both authors present and examine their work and their vision according to the precedents in the research for their exhibition (in)visible Design. 100 Stories from the Future and Beyond.En un món sobrecarregat de cartells, productes, imatges i experiències, pot existir encara el llindar de l'nvisible? I, sobretot: què passa quan el disseny topa amb allò imperceptible, complex, infinitament gran o petit, oposat a la intuïció? A partir d'una pràctica de comissariat i no acadèmica, els dos autors presenten i analitzen la seva tasca i la seva visió en funció dels antecedents d'investigació de la seva exposició "(In)visible Design. 100 Stories from the Future and Beyond"

Facing the Fourth Industrial Revolution: empowering (human) design agency and capabilities through experimental learning

This article identifies and describes the transformation of designer skills within the Great Transformation (Brynjolfsson and McAfee, 2014) as defined by many economists and sociologists. The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab, 2014) is a paradigm shift enabled by the convergence of technological changes - biotech, nanotech, 3D printing, robotics, big data and AI - that significantly influence the nature of work, the design and materialization of products and services, as well as their market, their structure, and their relations with human agents. This systemic process also changes the design field, its cultural and socio-economic structures, its traditional domains, and its consolidated practices. We witness both new opportunities for, but threats to, the conventional system of human imaginative and operational capacities that are changing how they can be learned. The re-discussion of the design(er) role affects the structure and meaning of the discipline, as well as the processes, places, and capacities that can generate learning. Design education is a core component of this change. It is so for those who will be shortly become designers and for retrofitting the knowledge and skills of practitioners and educators. This article reviews the principal studies and theories on the transformation of the production system and the market. Its focus is on the structural factors which enable identification of the leading transformational drivers of the experimental-experiential learning which will become the basis upon which changes in design education and design/designer skills will be defined considering the growth of open and distributed socio-technical systems in our contemporary society

Facing the Fourth Industrial Revolution: empowering (human) design agency and capabilities through experimental learning

This article identifies and describes the transformation of designer skills within the Great Transformation (Brynjolfsson and McAfee, 2014) as defined by many economists and sociologists. The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab, 2014) is a paradigm shift enabled by the convergence of technological changes - biotech, nanotech, 3D printing, robotics, big data and AI - that significantly influence the nature of work, the design and materialization of products and services, as well as their market, their structure, and their relations with human agents. This systemic process also changes the design field, its cultural and socio-economic structures, its traditional domains, and its consolidated practices. We witness both new opportunities for, but threats to, the conventional system of human imaginative and operational capacities that are changing how they can be learned. The re-discussion of the design(er) role affects the structure and meaning of the discipline, as well as the processes, places, and capacities that can generate learning. Design education is a core component of this change. It is so for those who will be shortly become designers and for retrofitting the knowledge and skills of practitioners and educators. This article reviews the principal studies and theories on the transformation of the production system and the market. Its focus is on the structural factors which enable identification of the leading transformational drivers of the experimental-experiential learning which will become the basis upon which changes in design education and design/designer skills will be defined considering the growth of open and distributed socio-technical systems in our contemporary society

Exploring Circularity Toolkits for SMEs Learning Ecosystems

This research explores the role of Circular Design and education in facilitating the transition to a Circular Economy for SMEs and start-ups. Despite accessible resources in Circular Design, the extent of their adoption by businesses—and e specially SMEs, who face resource limitations and lack scientific access—remains uncertain. Circular Design operates at a systemic level, requiring consideration of economic, social, and environmental aspects in innovation processes. This study analyzes existing tools and their alignment with SME needs, identifying critical areas for Circular Design adoption. The analysis reveals an emerging and diverse set of resources supporting circular transitions. Learning Ecosystems for the Circular Economy are characterized by multi-sectoral partnerships, flexible learning approaches, and digital advancements. Three key directions emerge for developing Learning Ecosystems: assessing companies’ circular maturity, integrating circular design into company culture, and fostering collaboration with innovation ecosystems. In conclusion, this research lays the groundwork for implementing targeted Learning Ecosystems to advance circularity within SMEs, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovative approaches in circular innovation

Designing Design Education. An articulated programme of collective open design activities

Design Education is changing. Setting out from the awareness that “the profile of design professions need not – and should not – remain what it is today” (Findeli, 2001, p.17) and from insight suggesting that the “experimental approach will become the “normal” approach in our future” (Manzini, 2015, p.54), the authors worked on an articulated programme of collective open design activities reflecting these changes. The activities focus on concrete experimentation on the paradigm of distributed production, which modifies the articulation of known roles and the traditional design education approaches. Therefore, the initiative aims at involving important international design schools in a concrete design exploration of this key issue for society and the design discipline itself. Manzini (2015) urged to “look at the whole of society as a huge laboratory of sociotechnical experimentation”: this practice is a remarkable example which may be used as a model in the future on a larger scale