Context: The editorial platform
Design Philology is structured around open, incremental, and transformative curatorial and editorial models, reflecting both the impact and potential of the digital revolution as codified within the domain of the so-called digital humanities (J. Schnapp, 2023). At its
core, the platform relies on a digital infrastructure centered around a documentary Archive, which enables the systematic organization of a wide range of heterogeneous materials (photographs, images, videos, audio recordings, and documents). Anchored to this archive is an editorial system that automatically organizes and displays all archived elements within Timelines. Complementing this first automated editorial layer is a second authored editorial system, referred to as Narratives, which can be designed and managed by curators. Through a dedicated interface, curators are able to select and/or integrate documentary materials from the archive, structure them into thematic sections, and enrich them with explanatory apparatuses and critical commentaries—creating in-depth thematic explorations. Finally, the Essays accompany the Narratives in a hybrid editorial format, hyperlinked to both the Narratives and the Design Philology digital archive. They are published on the platform within a dedicated section.

Call Launch: March 21, 2025
Deadline for Content Structure Submission: May 5, 2025
Proposal Acceptance Notification: May 16, 2025
Final Text and Associated Documents Submission: September 5, 2025
Publication: Spring 2026

The Call aims to develop the Narratives and Essays sections of Design Philology, with the objective of annually publishing digital exhibitions in the form of hypertextual narratives, accompanied by critical essays.

The essays are also compiled into a bilingual (Italian/English) digital book/catalog, published in the Franco Angeli International series as an open-access format, subject to double-blind peer review.

The Narratives section of Design Philology collects thematic accounts curated by scholars and researchers, based on key documents and experiences that have shaped the historical evolution of design research and education at the Politecnico di Milano, as well as within the broader network of institutions and actors that have supported it.

The disciplinary evolution of design has both accompanied and often anticipated shifts in socio-cultural, technological, and economic-industrial contexts. In this regard, academic research has progressively assumed a role in experimenting with and codifying early signals of future transformations, producing and consolidating knowledge derived from these shifts, and serving as an amplifier for the transformative nature of design across both established and emerging domains of application and inquiry.

In this perspective, Design Philology is a project dedicated to exploring the relationship between the evolution of the discipline and the evolution of knowledge produced and taught within universities. To this end, the initiative—promoted by the Design System of the Politecnico di Milano—is structured to welcome contributions from both internal and external curators. While it originates from the historical account of design at the Politecnico, its ultimate goal is to progressively interconnect this foundational history with the broader history of the design system as a whole, capturing the richness of events, protagonists, and relationships that have contributed to the development and multiple expressions of the discipline at both national and international levels.

The curatorial Narratives are therefore composed of visual pathways accompanied by explanatory commentary, structured into thematic sections, and complemented by critical essays published in the Franco Angeli volume. Specifically, proposals for Narratives may be submitted—individually or collaboratively—within three thematic areas:

1. Themes: In-depth explorations dedicated to the multiple thematic areas developed at the Politecnico di Milano in research, teaching, cultural initiatives, and projects with civic impact (e.g., service design, fashion design, interior design, etc.), as well as the interdisciplinary connections that have shaped the evolution of the discipline (e.g., design and materials engineering; design and mathematics, etc.). These topics may be approached from a historical perspective or through an evolutionary lens, aimed at narrating contemporary and future visions.
2. Protagonists: Analyses focused on key figures from the Politecnico di Milano—professors and students, researchers and designers—who have actively contributed to the institutionalization of design within the university and helped consolidate the discipline’s cultural and academic identity.
3. Networks and Contexts: Studies dedicated to mapping the connections between the internal history of the Politecnico and the broader development of design as a discipline across national and international academic institutions, as well as within the wider industrial, cultural, and social systems that have both influenced and been enriched by the university’s contributions to design education and research.

To submit a proposal for a Narrative, applicants are required to provide:

• A content structure (between 3,000 and 5,000 characters, including spaces)
  in either Italian or English by May 5, 2025, using the provided format and
  sending it to designphilology@polimi.it.
• Documents for the Archive and the full text by September 5, 2025, following
  the instructions that will be provided. Images must be accompanied by
  release forms for usage rights.