DesignPhilologyEssays. Issue Zero. DESIGN AT POLITECNICO DI MILANO:THE BEGINNING OF A STORY

In October 1993, the first Bachelor’s Degree Program in Industrial Design in Italy was inaugurated at Politecnico di Milano. Since then, a thirty-year journey has marked the growth of this discipline across numerous universities in Italy and the recognition of design as a fundamental feature of Italian culture. This volume – Issue Zero – launches a publishing initiative that, grounded in a reflection on the historical memory and cultural roots of Politecnico di Milano’s Design System, aims to sustain the distinctive forward-looking spirit of Polytechnic design culture. Its goal is to place design at the service of today’s cultural, social, technological, and environmental challenges. Eleven essays here offer a dual perspective. The first section explores the opportunities offered by digital humanities to elevate a history along with its traces and testimonies, while also bringing forth diverse viewpoints and dialectical contributions, all realized within Design Philology research project, inaugurated in 2023. Design Philology is simultaneously a digital archive, an editorial platform, and a medium for temporary exhibitions and hypertextual narratives; based on a sophisticated digital infrastructure and a philological approach, it delves into the narrative potential of digital media. The second section provides an initial collection of pluralistic perspectives on the history that led to the establishment of a true Design System at Politecnico di Milano, marked by the creation of the Faculty of Design (2000), now School of Design, a dedicated Department (2001), and the POLI.design Consortium (1999), integrating teaching, research, continuing education, and innovation.