Design - 1st Level Master Degree Master - Milan.
Today’s business world, both within Italy and on an international scale, requires professionals who are able to take on design projects, not only from a technical/production standpoint, but also from a strategic and commercial perspective. The Academic Master in Design aims to train a new generation of designers who are ready to question every element of a design, be it through market analysis, analysis of contemporary consumer needs, or the consideration of possible future scenarios in order to deliver innovative design solutions. Design is evolving into a tool capable of changing strategic business objectives. The traditional user-centred approach (UCD) is being transformed from the principle of “designing for” to “designing with” people, adjusting to the evolution of today’s socio-economic and production systems.
The Master is unique in terms of the IED training and offers an extraordinary collaboration with Continuum, one of the most innovative international realities in the world of design consultancy.
Professional opportunities: The Master course moulds students into professionals with vital skills in the fields of design, innovation and design systems who are capable of going on to fulfil roles across a variety of creative design and strategic/managerial settings. These roles may fall within areas of innovation studies, design agencies, commercial companies, institutions or students may even take on independent entrepreneurial or self-production roles.
- Credits: 60
- Start date: January 2017
- Language: English
Description:
Target: The Master in Design serves as a valuable specialization for Italian and international graduates who have completed a degree in one of the following disciplines: Architecture, Engineering, Design, Economics and Humanities subjects.
Methodology and structure: The Master course is based on an interdisciplinary working team approach and applies thought development processes and creative methodologies that are used by the best design agencies and think-tanks. It enables students to think collectively, through the sharing of knowledge and know-how and by taking advantage of all the skills present within the team.
The course philosophy is project- and client-based, meaning that students are able to experience and put into practice the mind-set and methodologies gained throughout the course (design thinking) by tackling real-life projects, applying principles of both teamwork and of learning by doing.
Strong ties with both Italian and international firms mean students have the opportunity to understand and tackle real-life business situations. These connections enable external knowledge and skills in terms of design, case-studies and business strategies to be brought into the institute.
All projects benefit from experts in specific fields who act as “lead advisors”. These experts are chosen for their specific knowledge and skills in the design field. Conferences and seminars give students the opportunity to come face to face with industry professionals and agencies, important figures in the fields of design, entrepreneurship, technology and economics.
The preliminary phases of the Master course will cover themes related to design thinking and to other relevant methodologies, through means of traditional lectures, workshops and laboratory sessions.
Following on from this, students will tackle the different phases of the design process, consisting of experimental and interactive workflows (each with differing aims, complexity and objectives), but based on the principle of learning by doing.
Parallel to this are “nurture courses”, which integrate design strategy, technology and communications with production, and involve stimuli geared towards fostering the personal and professional growth of the entire team.
The Master in Design gives students the opportunity to examine different production systems. Students are continually stimulated and encouraged to develop their own design methodologies, allowing them to produce unique design concepts which respond to market demands through the use of contemporary language and expression.
During the second phase of the Master course students will take on a dissertation project alongside an internship, the results of which are presented to a commission comprising industry professionals and experts.
Subjects:
PRELIMINARY INTENSIVE MODULES
The aim of this module is to cover the vast array of design methodologies that are used throughout the Master course. It will explore the culture of team work as a successful design asset and will then move on to provide greater insight into the methodology of Design Thinking, a powerful tool for innovation, Design Strategy and Design (input and output). The module will also explore the methodology of Double Diamond as a converging and divergent design thinking process. The course will also analyse tools used for the creation and management of innovation processes (e.g. customer journey, prototyping franken models, resonance testings, backcasting, qualitative ethnographic research, storytelling).
This intensive course, which takes place during the first few weeks of the Master course, is designed to align students coming from diverse design backgrounds with current design trends. It starts by covering the Italian design industry, a system characterized by individual designers and agencies, who have told the story of the last century in an indelible manner. The course will also cover the converging influences of different design cultures, from Italian to Scandinavian, showing how they have converged to create a special cultural mix, meaning designs can have be both a local and global perspective.
In terms of new design scenarios, the course will highlight the existence of analogue and digital ecosystems and the importance of both brand service and brand experience.
DESIGN
The first project will look at the product in terms of the relationships that exist between brand, distribution and design and the Maker and DIY movements. Students will cover the business strategies for product and portfolio, competitive analysis, strategy distribution and online communication. In order to conceptualize the product, a combination of primary and secondary research will be used, to understand the socio-cultural context (trend & lifestyle) and the user need (through an introduction to ethnographic-based research).
The second project will then cover the theme of “brand distribution” through the study of the technological, production and socio-cultural context (habits, behaviour, trends), with the aim of identifying the correct product and design portfolio. Students will gain a deeper understanding of online–offline relationships and, in order to identify distribution and communication strategies, a combination of primary and secondary research and an ethnographic approach of user-research will be used. Students will learn to identify the relationships between brand guidelines and design guidelines, design language and the management of the product portfolio.
The third project focuses on the relationship between brand reputation, communication distribution, product and portfolio. This is achieved through the understanding of entrepreneurship and business strategy, and technological, production and socio-cultural contexts (habits, behaviour, trends). Students will perfect their research skills using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques also using an ethnological approach of (advanced) user research in order to conceptualize, develop and implement a design product.
The final test reflects the client-driven spirit of the Master degree. Students will take on a project brief supplied by the agency board, or an industrial challenge developed internally by a team of students. In the latter case, through the development of the brief, students need to demonstrate the acquisition of analytical and strategic design thought, the ability to work autonomously within a team and to have the necessary skills to communicate designs in both a concrete and effective manner.
NURTURE COURSE
Effective design communication is a fundamental skill needed by design professionals, be it in the sharing of information within a work team, or in terms of communicating designs to clients. This module aims to equip students with the necessary skills to manage and disseminate information of differing natures (make sense out of chaos) and effectively synthesize information (problem solving). The course will cover the strategy of design story-telling through the use of different narration tools such as verbal and digital story-telling and the use of graphic tools.
This module offers a level of cultural enrichment by providing technology scenarios, where those who are at the forefront of research technology serve as examples to help deepen students’ knowledge of themes inherent to design. Students will tackle the issue of identifying the correct production processes for a particular product under development, in order for design as efficient as possible. This module will also cover a new cultural approach to design through the application of Design Life Cycle principles.
The aim of this course in to acquaint students with the physicality of design (expression, proportions, composition, details), through the correct use of skills to judge aspects such as ergonomics, usability and affordability of the product. Students will analyse the relationship between function, form and product architecture, enhancing the relationship between design language and design style and demonstrating the importance of both conveying a personal style and following the design style of a business / agency.
The course also provides an advanced overview of stylistic expressions and their scope (supernormal, minimalism, emotional design etc.)
- DESIGN MANAGEMENT - STRATEGY & BUSINESS
This module aims to cover brand and product strategies, offering valuable assistance by helping design teams define the strategic considerations which help determine the correct competitive product positioning in relation to customer needs. Particular focus is given to the brand experience, considered as a valuable tool in creating a global definition for a product.
RELATED AND INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES
Meetings with professionals from various design, artistic and industrial sectors will expand students’ skills and perspectives, and provide a forum for students to discuss their own designs and consider new stimuli from an innovative perspective, in collaboration with industry stakeholders.
During the Master studies, guided visits will take place. These will include visits to key sites of Italian design, such as international exhibitions, agencies, production sites, museums and showrooms.
Faculty:
Federico Chicco Ferretti - Coordinator
Federico is happiest where intuition, business and technology intersect. He believes that the best design is the one that dis solves into behaviors and that questions are often longerlasting than answers. During his tenure at Continuum, Chicco has played a key role in leading both tactical and strategic innovation programs helping to wrap business scenarios around people's desires and dreams. He had excelled in the creation of innovative and meaningful concept, products and services solutions for different international clients such as Allsteel, BIC, GM, Motorola, NEC, Orange, 3M, Pirelli, Philips, Sennheiser and Samsung. Prior to re-joining Continuum, Federico co-founded uno: uno designers studio, testing a simplified approach to the product design and exploring the boundaries between process and persuasion. Previously he was Associate Creative Director at Frog Design, leading the ID team and focusing at the convergence of design, and interaction. In the early stages of his career he was a toy designer at Mattel and Fischer-Price.
Jacopo Bargellini
Architect specialising in Industrial Design (Politecnico di Milano, 1989), Masters in Design Management. From 1995 to 2001 he was Design coordinator of "Villa Tosca", the European Centre for Advanced Research and Design for the Japanese Matsushita group, where he worked on many international projects for Panasonic, JVC, Seiko Epson, Sharp. From 2001 to 2003 he held the position of Strategic Coordinator of the International Design, Communication and Interior Design Studio Matteo Thun working for major international clients. Since 2004 he has worked with the JFB Design Management studio to provide companies with strategic consulting services in the field of design. He has worked for Samsung, Swarovski, Versace, Guzzini, Tvs, JVC, Philips, Morellato, U-boat watches, Saint Gobain É Journalist admitted to the Order of Milan and writes for numerous trade publications. He is an IED professor since 2006, coordinator of the IED Master in Design Management and a visiting professor at the University of Paris X Nanterre. He is author of the book "Building a design-oriented business: the 12 principles of design management" published by Franco Angeli, 2014.
Pietro Chiera
Raised in Milan, Pietro has been living and studying in Sweden and Spain before coming back and graduate in Industrial design at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. Before joining Continuum in 2011, he has been working for a Japanese design studio in Milan (Setsu & Shinobu Ito) working with renowned companies in the field of furniture, accessories and exhibit design, while working as a freelance with few decoration and tableware companies. He speaks fluently italian ,english ,swedish and spanish .He believes that whitin language and cultural intersections can be found interesting insights for developing powerful projects that enhances the experience of a larger number of people .
Giorgio Grandi
Degree in Architecture at Politecnico of Milan and Master in Design & Bionic Research at CRIED IED. Architect and interior designer, since 1997 he is the owner of GGAStudio, in Milan, dealing with Interior Architecture and Interior Design (Wellness, Hospitality and Food). Contractworld Special Award 2001, the firm is the author of the project TISANA SPA_Arlate (Best Country and Best Medical SPA 2011 SPA in the World 2012): CONDE NAST Johansens' Best Luxury SPA in the world.
Enrico Girotti
Senior Designer Continuum
Chris Miller
“I have worked in design for over 12 years. In that time I have worked in nearly all areas connected to the design environment. A strategic approach to design means that projects follow a holistic process from branding and brand strategy right through to product development and engineering. As markets become increasingly competitive, this approach is fundamental for the creation of a coordinated product portfolio with a recognisable identity, that in turn works to reinforce the client's brand equity. I have been able to apply this approach to a wide range of projects: industrial products (ABB), consumer products (Scotch-Brite), corporate branding (Capacent), furniture design (Neoset), retail design (Blue Lagoon), stand design Italia del Gusto).
Dagmara Siemieniec
She graduated at Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and holds a Master in Industrial Design at Politecnico di Milano. Before co-founding uno:uno designers studio she worked at Continuum, a design consultancy and at Design Group Italia. She was involved in several programs such as kids goods, stationery, consumer goods, electronics, office furniture. She work with: Moleskine, Artsana, Samsung, 3M, Allsteel.
Diletta Toniolo
With a degree in Political Sciences at Universita’ degli Studi di Milano, specialized in English language at Columbia University of New York, she has always developed her passion for design, which today she’s teaching through history courses and research labs on contemporary trends, promoting these fields through her journalist activity. She has collaborated with bOx International Trade, Domus, Bravacasa, Arketipo, il Mattino, Corriere della Sera, Sky Alice, 24 Ore Television, Radio 24 and cured various exhibitions and events
Gabriel Weirich
Graduated in Fashion Design (HAW Hamburg), followed by a Master's degree at the Domus Academy. His studio is specialized in product design, trend research, innovation management and design strategy. Prices/Awards: DAAD, Marlborough Design Award, Red Dot Design Award “Best of the Best”.
Lab:
Activities in the Computer Labs allow the students to acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for the completion of each course. The Computer are equipped with OSX and Windows operating system, projector, printer, scanner and graphic pens. All the necessary software needed to develop projects and prepare for exams are already installed. Common areas located within the premises are equipped with WIFI connection.
