Design as a systemic activity: Elements of problem interpretation in the construction of training models in design eductaion

Based on the ongoing reorganisation of design studies at the Design Faculty at Politecnico di Milano, this article explores processes of training for design activities, with particular focus on instances where the design project is a complex system in which the fi nal product (whether physical or immaterial) is considerably less signifi cant than the set of practices and dynamics that exist both upstream and downstream of the process of defi ning that product. The focus is in particular on identifying innovation potential that emerges during the initial phase of the design process – commonly defi ned as The Front End of Innovation – in an attempt to defi ne a profi le of a design graduate with competences that can be applied in this phase of the innovation process.