La Sapienza - Università di Roma

Product Design Studio 4 is a team-based studio focused on the exploration of the contemporary changes hl the structure of markets, as well as of the emerging forms of production-distribution, which require also changes in the design approaches and in the resulting design activities. The didactic aim is to acquire a method, and the related know-how, forme choose, the control and the experimentation of new products which activate a sustainable innovation considering, at the same time, the environmental content the productive possibilities, the economic system and the social aspects. According to this aim the students have to develop a design activity focused on the development of a real innovation based on the approach of the 'systemic design'.  

Didactic Objectives 

As Research Skills, the students have to: acquire an interdisciplinary approach forme analysis of social scenario; develop methods for research and observation of technological production and economic system. M Inquiry Capability, the students have to: understand the connection between technology, innovation and design; develop processes of design able to cause reflections on existing values, mores, and practices in a culture. As Design Experience, the students have to: develop design proposal through their social and economic organization and service connected; build a consumption scenarios around cultural and social behaviours; develop and apply a correct and suitable technological solution to solve specific design aspects.  

Design-Work Topic

The Agro-Food industry has been chosen as the tome of Agr 0MakeR tins year's Design Work_ At the same time, hl order to involve the students in a realistic process of design development, the follow aspects will be taken in account: from social point of view, the phenomenon of self-production and consciousness on (OM makers, critical mass, fobbing, ecc.); from technological point of view, the improvement of Rapid Manufacturing (digital fabrication, advanced manufacturing, crowd-sourcing); from economic point of view, the phenomenon of open-sourcing and the sharing-economy (crowd-sourcing, social networking, bottom-up economy); from environmental point of view, the phenomenon of the zero-impact, zero-waste and zero-resources. Therefore the Design Work is finalized to develop a new product/service which empowers people to be 'self-sufficient farmer' of some of the agricultural food which they consume, especially in the urban context, with a particular attention to the cultural food tradition.