Learning design research: outlining a context Critical issues derived from the Politecnico di Milano Ph.D. research curricula in industrial design

Design has a long professional tradition in Italy. In spite of this, national accreditation of the Ph.D. research programmes in design dates back only of 1990, followed by the awards of degrees (Laurea) in industrial design, which were established in 1993. When this essay was internationally published industrial design was still in its infancy as an academic discipline of university level and as a young field of academic enquiry. The essay focuses on formerly in progress design curricula as well as on new perspectives being developed on the form and nature of academic design research. This contribution proposed a reflection on some critical issues stemming from the progressive shift from the concept of “searching in design” to learning “how to make research in design”. To guide and develop this vision some elements were derived from the design research experiences developed within the Ph.D. programme in industrial design at Politecnico di Milano. The reflection assumed that the curriculum described for the concerned Ph.D. programme in industrial design could generate multiple forms of knowledge: it could address the ‘matter of research’, addressing the core questions of the nature of design research itself; it could produce research results as well as research reflection; it could produce research outcomes as well as research cultures.