Creating a design department. The bond and influence of italian culture

The tradition of Italian design is certainly an important starting point for the setting up of a new department of design. Quoting Bernard of Chartres, we could say that “we are like dwarfs sitting upon the shoulders of giants”. Though, for the enhancement of such a tradition, we should avoid to turn it into a myth. Thus, without preconceived ideas, we must face the reality, which is always a much more interesting subject than myths. We have to investigate and understand deeply how the protagonists of that extraordinary stage in the history of design could deal with their historical context, make good use of their cultural tools, and give answers to then current problems. First, we have to consider that the most prominent figures of Italian design had an education as architects rather than industrial designers. In facts, Italy experienced a peculiar situation: the education in architecture allowed access to professional activity in all domains concerning design: from land and urban design to architecture, up to product and graphic design. This condition then made such fields strongly interrelated, also due to the multitalented activity of designers/architects. Architecture found its base as a cultural institution in Italy during the Renaissance. This can be the historical reason for the fact that no specific university programme for design was present in the Italian educational offer before fifteen years ago. This highlights the particular attention and the excellence of results of Italian design in those production fields that have strong dealings with architecture, such as furniture, lamps, accessories and household items. The culture of design showed its ability in “integration” also in these domains: design can give concrete shape to the interaction of many other kinds of culture. The protagonists of Italian design were able to integrate a deep and shared humanistic culture; the inputs from a consuetudinary and constant approach to an enormous historical and cultural heritage, concentrated in a limited geographical area; an advanced technological knowledge, i.e. the culture of polymeric materials and their relevant development since the Nobel prize in chemistry to Giulio Natta for his studies on polyethylene; a fruitful relationship with those company owners interested into design and able to cope with their role within the society, such as Adriano Olivetti. This ability of integration recalls the theory on education by Vitruvius. In his well known treatise dating 15 b.c., he writes about the architect: “Let him be educated, skilful with the pencil, instructed in geometry, know much history, have followed the philosophers with attention, understand music, have some knowledge of medicine, know the opinions of the jurists, and be acquainted with astronomy and the theory of the heavens.” Then, setting up in Italy, today, a new department specifically dedicated to design and a whole educational system (bachelors, masters, thematic masters, PhD programmes) meant facing several issues of primary importance, as we did in these years at the University Iuav of Venice. Which is the relationship between a specific design and its contents on one hand, and on the other, tools, methodologies and reasonings shared by all kinds of design? Teaching and research must refer to a whole, all-including conception of design, or to an articulated and plural system of disciplines of design? Which are today the issues able to favour the gathering of the variety of kinds of design on new bases? Which is the role of the project in teaching and research, and which is that of technical, scientifical, hystorical, critical, social, and economical disciplines? How can the experience of professional designers be enhanced within an academic institution? Which is the relationship between teaching and research within the field of design? How can the design experimentation developed within university contribute to the envisioning of applications scenarios for emerging technologies, such as ICT, sensing, micro- and nanotechnologies? Shall we still talk about local and national cultures in a period of intercultural and global phenomena, that tend to homogenise at a global scale production processes and personal and social habits in the use of products of our material culture? Nobody on one’s own can find fulfilling and ultimate answers to all these questions. Thus, as is clear, neither did we. Nevertheless, their relevance requires we still research some answer. This is the only way to create a design department starting from a valuable tradition and looking forward to a new Italian design.