An archive on the history of design teaching and research at Politecnico di Milano.
Una nuova narrazione: Alberto Seassaro
Design Philology is at once a digital archive,
a publishing palimpsest, and a platform for temporary exhibitions and hypertextual narratives. A multifaceted and open system that reflects the identity that has always characterized Italian design and its polytechnic nature.
Archive
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Photographs
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Documents
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Press reviews
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Publications
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Video
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Timelines
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Research and Innovation
The steps that marked the disciplinary codification of design at Politecnico di Milano, its epistemological and theoretical exploration, the development of research practices, methods and of application contexts, from well-established ones to emerging themes.
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Education and Training
The key moments in the development of the educational model and teaching offerings for design at Politecnico di Milano, ranging from topics closely related to the historical roots of Italian design culture to the exploration of new disciplinary areas.
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Design System
The institutional milestones that, from the launch of the Industrial Design Course, developed the Design System at Politecnico di Milano, including the establishment of the School of Design, the Department of Design, and Poli.Design consortium.
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Narratives
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Alberto Seassaro. The demiurge
Personal determination, the ability to grasp shared ideas and content, to imbue a unified project with meaning, and to guide a process of legitimization provide the foundation for establishing a Design School of international significance.
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The beginnings
The early years of a development journey that led to the establishment of the School of Design, systematizing the teachings and visions of a "school of thought" already deeply rooted in Politecnico di Milano and Italian design culture.
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30 years in a glance
30 years of "polytechnic history of design" condensed into some key moments. The most significant milestones of a journey that, from the first Italian degree program on design, lead to the creation of a comprehensive system for education, research, and innovation.
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Design Convivio
8 protagonists of design culture, recounted through the traces of their journey at the Polytechnic University, as graduates and then in the role of professors. An imaginary dialogue among eight design masters narrating the formation of a new school.
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Designing design education
The relationship between theory and practice, research and education has been key since the first Degree Program. A synthesis between inductive approach and cultural and scientific foundations that has solidified innovative and multidisciplinary programs.
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Research trajectories
The historical roots of the Ph.D. in Industrial Design at Politecnico di Milano. A privileged context for the genesis and consolidation of new research themes and the development of original methodologies that will enrich the design landscape.
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Beyond the borders
The story of the connections that the Design System has built "beyond its borders", nurturing events, local and international networks, and projects that enhanced the potential of design as a driver of social and cultural innovation.
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Echoes from alumni
The voices of those who have studied Design at Politecnico di Milano. Testimonials of educational journeys, projects, encounters, and mentors. Life experiences that have evolved into professional expertise and also individual and collective memories.
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Essays
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Design Philology Essays. Issue Zero
This volume inaugurates the editorial project Design Philology. The first section explores the opportunities presented by the "digital humanities" to enhance the history of design at the Politecnico di Milano, along with its traces and testimonies, realized in Design Philology and launched in 2023.
The second section provides an initial collection of historical-critical reconstructions of the events that led to the establishment of a Design System at Politecnico di Milano.
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Design Philology Essays. Issue One
Issue One extends Design Philology Essays from origins to an expanded, research-driven atlas of Italian academic design. Anchored in the platform’s digital archive, editorial environment, and hypertextual infrastructure, the volume deepens inquiry into genealogies, platforms, and frontiers that have shaped the Design System at Politecnico di Milano and across Italy. The Essays follow a rhizomatic, open structure, interlinking documents, data, and narratives.
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Alberto Seassaro. The demiurge
This volume is part of an editorial project aimed at enhancing the history of design at Politecnico di Milano and, in particular, inaugurates the series The Masters, dedicated to the figures whose thought has fueled the cultural pluralism that is the hallmark of the entire institutional project. The remembrance of the Masters begins with Alberto Seassaro, the demiurge, a Dean capable of giving Design a home by conceiving and building the first Italian Faculty at Politecnico di Milano.
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About
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An archive on the history of teaching and design research at the Politecnico di Milano
Ruota il dispositivo
