National accreditation of italian Ph.D. research programmes in design dates back two decades. Although fully consolidated in its vocational character, design research is still in progress as an academic discipline in the Italian culture of design. It is a rather young field of advanced academic enquiry as well: design research curricula are under development, as well as perspectives on the form and nature of academic design research. This contribution proposes a reflection on some critical issues derived from the “search vs. research” transition in design. Assuming that the shift to a disciplined learning on “how to make research in design” has started to produce strategical visions for pitfalls on applied research. To guide and develop this vision some elements are discussed, directly stemming from the design research experiences developed within the two decades of the Ph.D. programme in design at Politecnico di Milano. At present this Ph.D. programme keeps on performing an incubator function, in terms of potential skills to capture key aspects of design research development as well as managing them. An emphasis is proposed by the author on the still convincing idea of Ph.D. programmes as research hubs, whose relevance is not only linked to a particular area of study, but to the skills to foster research “strategies”.
The in-progress status of doctoral research in design. Reflections from two decades of local doctoral research
PIZZOCARO, SILVIA LUISA
2010-01-01
Abstract
National accreditation of italian Ph.D. research programmes in design dates back two decades. Although fully consolidated in its vocational character, design research is still in progress as an academic discipline in the Italian culture of design. It is a rather young field of advanced academic enquiry as well: design research curricula are under development, as well as perspectives on the form and nature of academic design research. This contribution proposes a reflection on some critical issues derived from the “search vs. research” transition in design. Assuming that the shift to a disciplined learning on “how to make research in design” has started to produce strategical visions for pitfalls on applied research. To guide and develop this vision some elements are discussed, directly stemming from the design research experiences developed within the two decades of the Ph.D. programme in design at Politecnico di Milano. At present this Ph.D. programme keeps on performing an incubator function, in terms of potential skills to capture key aspects of design research development as well as managing them. An emphasis is proposed by the author on the still convincing idea of Ph.D. programmes as research hubs, whose relevance is not only linked to a particular area of study, but to the skills to foster research “strategies”.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
