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Week 1 - Metadesign Theory


     Metadesign background

  • Cherry, C. (1978). On human communication: A review, a survey, and a criticism. The MIT Press
  • Kaufmann, W. (1004), One Book/Five Ways: The Publishing Procedures of Five University Presses, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago (first original edition 1978)
  • Knuth, D. E. (1982). The concept of a meta-font. Visible language, 16(1), 3-27
  • Mendini, A. (1969). Metaprogetto, si e no. Editorial. Casabella, (333), 4-15  
  • MVRDV, M. (1999). Datatown megacity, 010 Publishers. Rotterdam
  • Polinoro L., “Metadesign”, in Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Polinoro, L., Alessi, A., & Mendini, A. (1989). L'officina Alessi: Alberto Alessi e Alessandro Mendini: dieci anni di progetto, 1980-1990
  • Van Onck, A. (1964). “Metadesign”, in Edilizia Moderna, n.85
  • Warner M., (2004) “Metamorfosi”, in AAVV, Metamorph. 9. Mostra Internazionale di Architettura. Venezia: Focus, Marsilio


     The origins of Metadesign in the 60's

  • Alexander, C. (1964). Notes on the Synthesis of Form (Vol. 5). Harvard University Press
  • Archer, L.B. (1965). Systematic method for designers. London: Council of Industrial Design
  • Asimow, M. (1968). Principi di progettazione. Padova: Marsilio
  • Bonsiepe G. (1993). Teoria e pratica del disegno industriale. Elementi per una manualistica critica. Milan: Feltrinelli. 1st ed. 1975
  • Gregory, S. A. (1966). Design science. In The design method. Springer, Boston, MA
  • Jones, J.C. (1970). Design method: seeds of human future. New York: Wiley & Sons
  • Los S., (1976). L’organizzazione della complessità. Milan: Il Saggiatore


     The origins of Metadesign, from the 70's to nowadays

  • Alexander, C. (1964). Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Harvard University Press, Vol. 5
  • Broadbent, G., & Ward, A. (Eds.). (1969). Design methods in architecture (No. 6). Lund Humphries, p.146
  • Descartes, R. (1953). Règles pour la direction de l’esprit in Oeuvres et Lettres. Paris: Èditions Gallimard. (1st ed. Orig. 1628)
  • Maldonado, T. (1987). Il futuro della modernità, Feltrinelli, Vol. 69
  • Simon, H. A. (1969). The sciences of the artificial. Cambridge, MA
  • Valéry, P. (2016). Tel quel (Choses tues/Moralités/Ébauches de pensées/Littérature/Cahier B 1910/Rhumbs/Autres Rhumbs/Analecta/Suite). Editions Gallimard


     Metadesign as an implicit practice in Italian design culture

  • Argan, G. C. (2010), Walter Gropius e la Bauhaus, Einaudi, Milano
  • Design Boom (2003), andrea branzi interview [Online], Available at designboom interviews andrea branzi in his milanese studio in 2003 (accessed 21 February 2003)
  • De Fusco, R. (1985), Storia del design, Feltrinelli, Milano
  • Groste, M. (2006), Bauhaus, Tashen, Colonia
  • Heskett, J. (1986), German Design, Taplinger Publishing Company, New York
  • Images and catalogues from Morris, Marshall & Co
  • Munari, B. (1966), Arte come mestiere, Laterza, Bari, P. 28
  • Seassaro, A. (2001), “Onore alla cultura del progetto”, in Ad Honorem, Politecnico di Milano, Milano
  • Vitta, M. (2011), Il progetto della bellezza. Il design fra arte e tecnica, 1851-2001, Einaudi, Milano


     Metadesign within design education

  • Branzi, A. (2001), Andrea Branzi per Ettore Sottsass, in ad Honorem, Politecnico di Milano, Milano
  • Brown, T. (2009), Change by design. How design thinking transform organizations and inspires innovation, Harper Collins, New York, p. 4
  • Cross, N. (2011), Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work, Bloomsbory, London, pp. 73-74
  • Giaccardi, F. (2005), Metadesign as an Emergent Design Culture, in Leonardo, Volume 38, Issue 4, August 2005, MIT Press, Boston, p. 347
  • Nonaka, I. and Hirotaka, T. (1995), The knowledge-creating company: how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation, Oxford University Press, New York, p.7
  • Redström, J. (2017), Making Design Theory, The MIT Press, Boston, pp. 87-88
  • Rifkin, J. (1995), The End of Work: The Decline of the Global Labor Force and the Dawn of the Post-Market Era, G.P. Putnam’s Son’s, New York


    The strategic dimension of Metadesign

  • Hadamard, J. (1945), The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field, Dover, New York: Dover, p.12
  • World Design Organization, (formerly the International Council od Societies of Industrial Design)29th General Assembly in Gwangju (South Korea), the Professional Practice Committee unveiled a renewed definition of industrial design (October 17° - 18th 2015)

Week 2 - Metadesign Practice


     Aims of Metadesign research

  • Celi, M. (2011), Design, metadesign and the importance of vision, Proceedings of the 3rd International Forum of Design as a Process. Allemandi, Torino
  • Cunliffe, L. (1999), Learning How to Learn, Art education and the “Background”, NSEAD, pp.115-121
  • Normann, R. and Ramirez, R. (1993), From Value Chain to Value Constellation: Designing Interactive Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 71 (4), pp. 65- 77


     System of needs – part 1

  • Mari, E. (2011), 25 modi per piantare un chiodo: Sessant'anni di idee e progetti per difendere un sogno (Strade blu. Non Fiction), MONDADORI, Milano, Edizione del Kindle
  • Mari, E. (2006), Lezioni di design, RaiScuola video [Online]. Available at Not Found


     System of needs – part 2

  • Heller, A. (1976), Theory and Practice from the Point of View of Human Needs, in The Humanisation of Socialism: Writings of the Budapest School, by Andras Hegedus, Agnes Heller, Maria Markus, Mihaly Vajda, Allison and Busby, London
  • Maslow, A. H. (1970), Motivation and personality (2nd ed), Harper & Row, New York
  • Maslow, A. H. (1970), Religions, values, and peak experiences, Penguin, New York (Original work published 1966)
  • Maslow, A. H. (1943), A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. Available at Classics in the History of Psychology -- A. H. Maslow (1943) A Theory of Human Motivation
  • Simon, H. A. (1996), The sciences of the artificial. MIT press


     Metadesign research tools

  • Bettinelli, E. (2014), La voce del Maestro, Achille Castiglioni, Corraini, Milano
  • Achille Castiglioni - International Design Conference of Aspen (2014) YouTube video, Shop Decor [Online]. Available at  - YouTube
  • Celaschi, F. and Deserti, A. (2007), Design e Innovazione, Carocci, Roma
  • Laurel, B. (2003), Design Research: Methods and Perspectives, The MIT Press. Available at ResearchGate - Temporarily Unavailable
  • Munari, B. (1983), Da cosa nasce cosa, Laterza, Bari
  • Pekka Harni (2010), Tools - object categories, Aalto University, School of Art and Design
  • Museo Ettore Guatelli, Il “Museo del quotidiano”, Parma. http://www.museoguatelli.it/
  • Mollette da bucato. Mostra a cura di Giulio Iacchetti, Triennale di Milano, 12 ottobre – 12 novembre 2017. Triennale Milano
  • No name design, a cura di Franco Clivio e Hans Hansen, Triennale di Milano, 19 giugno – 14 settembre 2014

     The contextual research

  • Barney , J.B. (1991), “Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage”, Journal of Management, 17 (1), pp. 99-120
  • Celaschi, F. (2008), Design as Mediation Between Areas of Knowledge. The integration of knowledge in the training of contemporary designers2 in Germak, C. (eds), Man at the Centre of the Project Design for a New Humanism. Turin: Allemandi&C., pp. 19-32
  • Celaschi, F. (2000), “Il design della forma merce”, Milano: IlSole24Ore
  • Development Impact & You, Practical tools to trigger & support social innovation, Personas [Online]. Available at SLOT777: APK Resmi Raja Slot Gacorx500 Mudah Menang
  • Dodgson, M. (2000), The Management of Technological Innovation: An International and Strategic Approach, Oxford University Press, New York
  • Hiam, A. (1992). Closing the Quality Gap, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall
  • Kapferer, J.N. (2008 4th edition) The New, Strategic Brand Management, Kogan Page, London/Philadelphia
  • Nonaka, I.; Takeuchi, H (1995), The Knowledge creating Company, Oxford University Press, New York
  • Porter, M. (1985), Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance
  • Ries, A. and Trout,J. (1981, 2001) Positioning, The battle for your mind, McGraw-Hill Inc, New York
  • Secchi, R. (2012), Supply chain management e made in Italy. Lezioni da nove casi di eccellenza, Egea, Milano
  • Tushman, M. and Anderson, P. (eds) (1997) Managing Strategic Innovation and Change: A Collection of Readings, Oxford University Press, New York
  • Wernefelt, B (1984), “A Resource-Based View of the Firm”, Strategic Management Journal, 5 (2), 171-180

     Introduction to trend research

  • Bertola P., Colombi C., Vacca F. (2018). Fashionabilities, Mandragora
  • Bertola P., Colombi C., Vacca F. (2018). FASHIONabilities. Pianificare e gestire i processi di progettazione del prodotto moda, Mandragora, ISBN: 9788874613878
  • Blumer, H. (1969), Fashion: From Class Differentiation to Collective Selection, in The Sociological Quarterly, vol. 10, n. 3, pp. 275-291
  • Brannon, E. L., & Divita, L. R. (2015). Fashion Forecasting: Studio Instant Access, Bloomsbury Publishing USA
  • Colombi, C. (2013). “La centralità delle narrazioni nel metaprogetto. Digressione teorica” in Penati, A. (a cura di) DESIGN E NARRAZIONI vol II. Il Design costruisce mondi, Mimesis Edizioni, Sesto San Giovanni, pp. 23-33 (Italian Edition Only), ISBN 9788857521053
  • Naisbitt, J. (1982), Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives, Warner Books, New York
  • Higham, W. (2009), The Next Big Thing, Kogan Page Publisher, London/Philadelphia
  • Kim, E., Fiore, A. M., & Kim, H. (2013). Fashion trends: analysis and forecasting, Berg Publishers, Oxford
  • Raymond, M., & Raymond, M. (2010). The trend forecaster's handbook, Laurence King
  • Vejlgaard, H. (2008). Anatomy of a Trend, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, p. 139

     The professionals of trend research

     What is a scenario?

  • Apple Future Vision 1987 (2011) YouTube video, inmoreau [Online]. Available at  - YouTube
  • Celaschi, F., Deserti, A. (2007), Design e innovazione, Carrocci, Roma, p. 59
  • Celi, M. (2013). Gli scenari come narrazioni del possibile. In: (a cura di): Antonella Penati, Il design costruisce mondi. p. 49-61, Mimesis Edizioni, ISBN: 9788857521053
  • Celi, M., Trocchianesi, R. (2014). Design and theatre: crossed paths. The narrative as a design approach. In: (a cura di): Dijon De Moraes Regina Ãlvares Dias RoseMary BoM Conselho Sales, Diversity: design/humanities. Proceedings of fouth International Forum for Design as a Process. p. 527-537, EdUEMG (Editora da Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais), ISBN: 9788562578335, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brasil), 19th a 22nd September 2012
  • Celi, M., Zindato, D. (2014). Narrating distant future: lessons from scenarios and prototype evolution. In: Proceedings of the 5th international conference of design as a process. p. 97-107, ISBN: 9786075151472, Guadalajara, Mexico, 18-20 September 2014
  • Hitchen, N. (2016), Shell commemorates its Scenario Planning [Blog], Conservative Foresight Consulting, Available at: Squarespace - Domain Not Claimed
  • Rasmussen, L.B. (2005), The narrative aspect of scenario building — how story telling may give people a memory of the future, Springer-Verlag, London, p.230
  • Schwartz, P. (1991), The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World,  Currency Doubleday, New York
  • Zindato, D. (2016), Design Scenarios. Approaches and tools for planning innovation within design processes, PhD thesis, Milano, Politecnico di Milano


     Tools for scenario building

  • Celaschi, F., Deserti, A. (2007), Design e innovazione, Carrocci, Roma, p. 118-120
  • Evans, M., Sommerville, S. (2005), Designing Tomorrow: A Methodology for Future Orientated Product Design . Global Chinese Industrial Design Conference, Chang Gung University, Novembre 2005, Taiwan
  • Garner, S., McDonagh-Philip, D. (2001), Problem Interpretation and Resolution via Visual Stimuli: The Use of “Mood Boards” in Design Education, iJADE - International Journal of Art Design Education, 20(1):57-64
  • Manzini E. & Jegou F. (2006), Design degli Scenari In Bertola P. & Manzini E., Design Multiverso, Poli.design, Milano
  • Schwartz P. (1991), The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World,  Currency Doubleday, New York
  • Winters, T. (2011), Facilitating Meta-learning in Art and Design Education, iJADE, 30(1):90-101

Week 1 - Metadesign Applications


     Metadesign application(s) in Product Design: a case study review

  • Ainio, D., Babbo, D., Bernecich, F., Cantù, C., (a.a. 2015-2016), U.Paint project, Laboratorio di Metaprogetto, Politecnico di Milano
  • Arquilla, V., Simonelli, G., Genco, D., Guaricci, F., (2016), New perspectives for an open and peer educational model in design field: the Co.meta project, In INTED2016 Proceedings, ISBN:978-84-608-5617-7: 2157-2167
  • Arquilla, V., Simonelli, G., Genco, D., Guaricci, F., (2014), An ethical approach to design teaching: the “Co.Meta Lab” experience from a Social Innovation perspective, In Transformation of design within the context of Social Innovation: 1-16
  • Norman, D., (2004), Emotional Design: Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things, Basic Books
  • Norman, D., (1988), The design of everyday things, New York, Doubleday


     Metadesign application(s) in Product Design: fields and application examples

  • Bassi, F., Cai, Y., Samson, D., Tricella, G., (a.a. 2017-2018), SEIYU project, Laboratorio di Metaprogetto Prof. Parini and Villari, Politecnico di Milano
  • Bertazzoni, A., Dellepiane, M., Montin, F., Sicari, G., Tagliabue, M., (a.a. 2017-2018), TAAC project, Laboratorio di Metaprogetto Prof. Parini and Villari, Politecnico di Milano
  • Carrera, A., D’Orto, E., Malchiodi, A. (a.a. 2017-2018), MUDEC SOUVENIR project, Laboratorio di Metaprogetto Prof. Celi and Parenti, Politecnico di Milano
  • Ragona, D., Tarantino, C., Taranto, G., (a.a. 2017-2018), HEARTLE project, Laboratorio di Metaprogetto Prof. Arquilla and Simonelli, Politecnico di Milano


     Metadesign and Interiors

  • Branzi, A. (2006), No-stop city Archizoom Associati, Editions HYX, Orleans
  • Collina, L. (2005), Design e Metaprogetto. Teorie, strumenti, pratiche; Milano, POLI.design
  • Guixé, M. (2003), Libre de contexte: context-free, kontext-frei. Basel, Boston, Berlin
  • Magnaghi, I. (1973), L’organizzazione del metaprogetto, Franco Angeli, Milano
  • Marlow, O. (2014), Manifesto for a young practice. A series of upcoming blog posts, Studiotilt, 24 August [Online]. Available at http://studiotilt.com/2014/08/27/manifesto-young-practice-principle-one-engage-end-user-process/
  • Mendini, A. (1969), Metaprogetto yes and no, Casabella, n.333, February
  • Van Onck, A. (1964), Metadesign, Edilizia Moderna, n.85
  • Zanotta: Stories Exhibit Catalog
  • Agricoltura Residenziale (2007), Youtube video, added by Andrea Branzi [Online]. Available at Andrea Branzi --- Agricoltura Residenziale

     Metadesign of a Fashion collection: Reading of a Prada RTW Womenswear collection

  • Bertola, P., C. Colombi, C. and F. Vacca, F. (2018), FASHIONabilities, Mandragora, Firenze
  • Kapferer, J.N. (1992), Strategic Brand Management, Kogan, London
  • Kapferer, J.N., Bastien, V. (2009), The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands, Kogan Page, London and Philadelphia
  • Josephine Baker in La Revue des revues (1927) Directed by Joe Francis [Film]. Distributed by Star Film
  • Carmen Miranda in “The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat” - The Gang's All Here (1943) Directed by Busby Berkeley [Film]. Distributed by 20th Century Fox
  • Prada spring/summer 2011 women's advertising campaign (2011) YouTube video, added by Prada [Online]. Available at Prada spring/summer 2011 women's advertising campaign 
  • Fashion show PRADA SS 2011

     Metadesign and cultural heritage: some tools

  • Guglielmetti, I., Trocchianesi, R. (2014), Designing perspectives for the territory among communities, cultural assets and strategies. Two projects regarding cultural policy for the Lombardy Region and the Italian-Swiss border., In: Proceedings of 5th International Forum for Design as a Process The shapes of the future as the front end of design driven innovation, 18th-20th September 2014, Tecnològico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara, México 2014
  • Guglielmetti, I., Ascari, E., Giunta, E., Pils, G., Spagnoli, A., Trocchianesi, R. (2013), Design al Tombolo: atelier di pratiche estetiche partecipate, in Merletti & Design 2013, catalogo della 11° Biennale Internazionale del Meletto, Comitato per la promozione del merletto, Cantù 2013
  • Guglielmetti, I., Ascari, E., Giunta, E., Pils, G., Spagnoli, A., Trocchianesi, R. (2013), Il colore fra tradizione e sperimentazione nella pratica artigianale design driven. L’esperienza di Design al Tombolo: atelier di pratiche estetiche partecipate, in (eds. by) Rossi M., Siniscalco A. Colore e colorimetria. Contributi multidisciplinari, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 19th-20th September 2013, vol. IX A, Maggioli Editore, Sant’Arcangelo di Romagna 2013
  • Guidi, G., Trocchianesi, R., Pils, G., Morlando, G., Seassaro, A. (2010), A Virtual Museum for Design: New forms of interactive fruition, In: 16th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia (VSMM2010). Seoul, Korea, 20-23 Oct. 2010
  • Lupo, E., Giunta, E., Trocchianesi, R. (2011), Design research and cultural heritage: activating the value of cultural assets as open-ended knowledge system, In: Design Principles and Practices an International Journal, vol. 5, p. 1-22, Champaign, Illinois, USA by Common Ground Publishing 2011
  • Trocchianesi, R., Guglielmetti, I. (2012), Design teaching and cultural companies. Languages, tools and methods toward a profitable involvement, In: E. M. Formia Innovation in design education, Proceedings of the Third International Forum of Design as a Process, Umberto Allemandi & C., (Turin, London, Venice, New York) 2012