Ermanno
Dosa

Introduction, delivery method and programme for the first year of the Three-Year Design Degree.
Over the course of the three-year programme, students will have the opportunity to explore the various fields of design. The themes, projects, lectures and coverage of the topics will all be tailored to each year of the course. For some topics, the coverage will be theoretical; for others, it will have theoretical and practical implications and relevance (therefore requiring feedback from the student). Naturally, the difficulty and level of detail of the content will increase gradually and in a differentiated manner, tailored to each year of the course. Throughout the three years, however, there will be a common core, namely the type of approach, the methods used to deliver the lectures, the procedures for completing the assigned tasks, and the production of the designs for the chosen project in order to pass the exam.
The main purpose of this programme is to clarify the teaching methods and the procedure for taking the final examination. The course content is outlined in general terms in terms of the main topics covered by this syllabus, but may be subject to some changes, i.e., it may be adapted during the year based on the interaction between the lecturer and the class.
Lectures will be conducted in an interactive and practical manner: very often, traditional frontal explanations will take the form of projected image slides or audio-visual materials, which are intended to initiate, stimulate and develop discussion and debate among and with the class, based on the principle of individual participation but also on exchange and contribution to the group (in the manner of genuine seminars). Individual participation and contributions, as well as questions on the topics covered and discussed in class, constitute a shared foundation that is open to and benefits everyone. Not only will the discussions on the topics in the lectures be collective, but so, of course, will be – in varying ways – what the lecturer says during the individual assessments and in relation to the student’s individual design work as it progresses.
The content of the individual assessments and of the work that is also carried out in class, when undertaken in this way (collaboratively), becomes part of the lecture and constitutes a valuable form of ‘cultural production’ and personal development for all those present. This is an integral, required and constitutive part of the lecture itself. The sessions should thus serve as a foundation for stimulating the growth and creativity of each participant. This applies both to the context that may be created on a case-by-case basis and to the experience that students themselves can derive from the course. A modest exchange of views, characterised by a
circularity of content, and a refinement of skills and objectives. A reinforcement of the student’s own perspective, a contribution to the student’s level of maturity, and a stimulus for the development of their analytical and proactive skills.
This enables all students to create their ‘own project’, and to do so with greater awareness. Without ‘imposed topics’. Students experiment with complete and total freedom, including the freedom to make mistakes, in order to develop stronger analytical skills and enhance their expertise. The aim is to foster a natural acceptance of diverse content and proposals. This also serves to strengthen the student’s ability to ‘dare’, in a meaningful and responsible manner. For students themselves, this can represent
a significant source of stimulation, both in terms of seeing/learning and, consequently, also in terms of doing/proposing.
By engaging in and pursuing a distinct experience within the course and the discipline, in accordance with their own ‘vocation’. In this way, from the very outset, the aim is to foster a foundation of collective interaction, as well as a willingness to take small individual initiatives, which will externally reveal students’ intentions for the work to be carried out within the course. Depending on their interests and skills, each student will identify specific content related to thematic areas, works, projects, or topics covered in lectures, which they will be able to discuss, draw inspiration from, and use as food for thought to develop their own project.
topics covered in lectures, and will be able to discuss them and draw from them elements and ideas for reflection in order to develop their own project. Of course, all these stages will be overseen and supported by the lecturer, and therefore students will be guided in developing their own projects.
There is no formal textbook required to pass the exam, as I believe that no single book (it would take many more than one, just to give you an idea) can explain the multiple layers and complexities of design practice, with all that it has produced over the centuries.
However, there are millions of examples to study and testimonies to reflect on. Many of these, on the other hand, will be presented and analysed directly in the lectures. In the core reading list, students will find useful materials for further study, as well as books and manuals that can provide valuable guidance and likely support in carrying out their own design projects. Students will also be able to view these materials or present them in class, ask the lecturer for further information, and discuss them with their peers, all with a view to developing their own ideas, which start from their individual perspectives and, as they are expressed, ‘flow’ across the collective body of course content, ultimately reaching its individual components. It is strongly recommended that students read at least two of the texts included in the reading list.

Course structure – first year
The lectures in the first year will focus primarily on an introduction to design as a form of design awareness. Specific topics related to Product Design and Industrial Design will be explored, with a particular focus on Italian Design and its key figures. In particular, the focus will be on the phenomenon that developed from the post-war period onwards, known as the ‘golden age of Italian design’, which reached its peak in 1972 with the MOMA exhibition in New York entitled ‘The New Domestic Landscape’; the ‘experimental nature’ that characterised this historical period and its output will also be considered.
The topics will be introduced and explored through a design-focused, aesthetic and technical approach. The ‘theoretical’ topics (among others) will serve as a starting point and/or stimulus for developing/refining the practical/design component of the course. The design work must be developed from an interdisciplinary perspective and must be holistically integrated, ‘building on’ the student’s achievements in the other subject areas, as well as in the core, foundation and related examinations included in the course of study and in the curriculum
of the subject specialisation chosen and pursued by the student.

How to participate in the course (valid for the three-year period)
Proactive attendance of the course is an essential requirement for admission to the final assessment.
The arrangements for participating in the course are as follows:
– Attendance at the course is compulsory, with a maximum of 1/3 of the total number of hours permitted for absences, in accordance with the academic regulations;
– Students who enter more than 30 minutes after the scheduled start time of a lecture will no longer be able to sign in (i.e., record their attendance), but will still be able to participate in the lecture. Only a limited number of late arrivals will be excused, and only for serious and verifiable reasons;
– Active participation and attendance are required for all tutorials and classroom lectures, as well as for the completion of ongoing assignments: the practical tutorials are intended to prepare students for the final project, but they will also be taken into account in the final assessment, as they form part of the student’s overall learning journey;
– During the course, the lecturer may set interim assessments, with a deadline to be met, which students may be required to prepare partly in class and partly at home: these interim assessments will be determined by the lecturer during the course, depending on the needs of the class, and will be taken into account in the final examination;
– ‘Proactive participation in class’ means not only following, listening to and interacting with the lecturer, but also taking other types of initiative. Taking the initiative means demonstrating an active interest in the subject, showing curiosity about the chosen discipline, participating, making contributions, putting forward proposals and coordinating one’s work with the lecturer.

Assessment and final examination
The final exam for the first year consists of:
– Presentation of an ‘Authors’ notebook’: this involves an in-depth exploration of a theoretical aspect of the work covered during the course. In particular, students focus on the designers, movements and key themes of design covered/explored during the course. It will primarily focus on the works and creators of the projects mentioned. The designers’ notebook is not merely a collection of lecture notes; its purpose is to assess the theoretical knowledge underlying the project, as learned during the course. It could also be seen as a ‘vessel’ for the student’s potential project skills and ‘original ideas’. It may be compiled freely, ‘by hand’ in a more artistic style, and may include visual comments and drawings by the student relating to the theme, work or designer covered on each occasion. Alternatively, it may be developed/laid out using computer graphics. It should be organised into sheets (A3 format) by author/movement and summarise the topics covered in class, along with any additional content or insights discovered by the student.
by the student.
– Presentation of project deliverables: the project theme is freely chosen and developed by the student, but agreed upon and supervised by the lecturer. For the first year, the level of difficulty will be commensurate with what has been covered and required throughout the year. The final work must be produced and presented in the form of project boards, created using either hand-drawn technical drawings or CAD/3D software, at the student’s discretion.
The exam is not an ‘impromptu’ event, nor is it passed ‘automatically’ at the end of the course. Once the topic to be developed has been identified, students work on it, developing it gradually over the course of the module and, step by step, refining it through individual meetings with the lecturer (reviews) during office hours and not only during lectures. This stage is a key part of the student’s journey and a prerequisite for the completion and success of their work for the final examination: the lecturer will assess the student’s progress throughout the year and up to the time of the examination, not just the final piece of work.
Students are free to choose which exam session during the academic year they wish to sit the exam in.
If a student decides to take the exam during the first available session immediately after the semester of lectures, it is essential that they carry out the necessary individual reviews of their work in parallel with attending lectures, and/or in any case until their work has reached a sufficient level of development, as required, to enable them to pass the exam. In particular, once students have identified the project topic on which to work in order to develop it into project drawings, they shall engage with the lecturer on an individual basis, not only in class, but also by developing and ‘revisiting’ the guidance received as their work progresses, thereby adhering to the agreed progression of the work to be undertaken, as determined in consultation with the lecturer. Should students opt to take the exam in a later session, they must still undergo regular reviews with the lecturer during the lecturer’s office hours (appointments to be arranged with the lecturer on a case-by-case basis). In any event, notwithstanding the individual reviews and regardless of the exam session chosen by the student, the work produced must always reach a level of adequacy sufficient to enable the student to pass the exam.
individual assessments and regardless of the examination session chosen by the student, the work produced must always reach a level of adequacy sufficient to enable the student to pass the examination. The work matures and develops thanks to the lecturer’s advice and support. However, above all, it improves through the student’s commitment, attention and attendance in class, as well as through the student’s diligence in revising and producing/developing their work.
Further details and more comprehensive explanations regarding the content of the programme, the reading list, and how to prepare the ‘notebook’ and project documents, as well as additional and relevant guidance on formats and techniques for the overall production of the work, will be provided directly by the lecturer during the course, at the student’s request and based on the progress of each individual piece of work.
Please note that, in order to pass the examination, in addition to the note sheets taken during participation in the theoretical part of the course and completed at home, the completion of the project work, participation in the theoretical part of the course, and the completion of any ongoing assignments set by the lecturer, carried out in class and/or completed at home, a minimum level of attendance is required, with a maximum of 1/3 of the total number of hours permitted for absences.

Andrea Branzi, Introduzione al Design italiano, una modernità incompleta. Dalai, Milan 2008; Baldini Castoldi, Dalai, Milan 2008;
Bruno Munari, Da cosa nasce cosa. Laterza, Bari, 1981;
– Design e comunicazione visiva. Laterza, Bari 1968–72;
– Artista e designer (Artist and Designer). Laterza, Bari 1971;
Tòmas Maldonado, Reale e virtuale (Real and Virtual). Feltrinelli, Milan 1992;
Donald A. Norman, Emotional Design. Apogeo, Milan 2004;
– La caffettiera del masochista. Giunti, Florence 2014;
Alberto Bassi, Design – Progettare gli oggetti quotidiani. Il Mulino, Bologna 2013;
Alberto Bassi, Design contemporaneo – Istruzioni per l’uso. Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017;

Indeed, the relevant reading list for the subsequent years of the course, covering each individual theme or topic addressed/mentioned, whether in terms of history, individual authors, various textbooks and design publications, or even simply to gain a general overview, is vast. Students can focus on the content covered, the activities carried out and the recommendations made during the course. However, although the reading list contains both specific and general recommendations, it should not be considered exhaustive, but rather an introduction to certain topics. However, at the student’s request, the lecturer may recommend further in-depth texts on specific topics and themes, based on the student’s particular interests in specific aspects of the subject or on the individual focus each student develops in terms of what they wish to observe and explore.