How Can Design Research serve Industry?
Design visions, tools and knowledge for industry
Deadline for submission: 30 January 2011

In these days a mantra for companies and institutions seems to be, almost mandatorily, the need to become design-oriented, in order to increase their capability to build value, generate innovation and increase market shares as well as profits. This mantra, more often than not, comes with another one: design innovation is putting the user at the center of the project. Research on pleasurable products and interfaces is playing an important role in this debate elaborating and formalizing new knowledge on people (end users, value co-producers, etc.) and their needs, expectations, beliefs, values, desires; and suggesting the possibility to exploit user centered design in sectors and markets that are not commonly thought as being inherent its field of research. This has produced a significant amount of knowledge, mainly through vast experimentation, whereas less has been said on how to integrate this knowledge in industry. Apparently there is a disconnection between research on user centered design and pleasurability, and design practices inside industry, especially in SMEs contexts. Given these premises, it would be very interesting to investigate how this research can be integrated into industry, and to discuss it in relation to other approaches to design innovation.

TRACKS – Participants are encouraged to submit proposals that focus on 1.Innovative ways to explore, 2. Industries engaging users in design, 3.Modes and aesthetics of interaction, 4.Design culture and thinking in industry, 5.Organizing design in industry, 6.Service Design and interactions.

DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM – Invites participants to work through aesthetic issues in their on-going doctoral work. Participants are expected to write a short position paper about their research, and prepare a 15-minute presentation, focusing on explaining their research, how aesthetics figures in their thinking and how they plan to work with aesthetics.

For further information please visit: http://www.dppi11.polimi.it

Contact Details
Local Committee DPPI 11
INDACO Department – Politecnico di Milano
EMAIL : dppi11@polimi.it