Course Topics
“The question of what kind of city we want cannot be divorced from the question of what kind of people we want to be, what kind of social relations we seek, what relations to nature we cherish, what style of life we desire, what aesthetic values we hold” (Harvey, 2012: 4). Starting from these considerations, the course takes the form of an "Open City Laboratory" in which to imagine and explore situated proposals for moving towards more ecologically sustainable, solidary and just ways of living, producing and consuming in the city. Towards this end, in the first phase of the course, we engage in listening to and orienting ourselves towards what the city of Bolzano has to tell us, what it has to offer and what it might need. We do this by interacting with local actors from civil servants to citizen-groups, from local experts to NGOs and activists. We immerse ourselves in the context, we traverse the city, explore its socio-material infrastructure and practices, investigate existing data and visions. We always critically reflect on these engagements guided by design and research approaches. In this way we frame possible design spaces for intervention with care and responsibility and in interaction with the local context. We develop and prototype proposals for socio-ecological transformation at a city level which can take different forms, from transformative future scenarios to concrete site-specific interventions, from design tools for transformation to new shared, circular systems and collective services.

Propaedeutic courses
none

Teaching format
Project-work with a balanced mix of lectures, field work, exercises and experiments, workshops, concepts and prototypes development, presentations and reviews (individually and in groups), interventions by external experts and field trips.

Educational objectives
Knowledge and understanding Students will have developed their own individual project practice and will be able to: - design, implement and manage projects - develop creative solutions and processes - involve stakeholders and actors in projects, identify their needs, conflicts and potentials and work productively with them - designing the aesthetic dimension of projects or collaborating in design - developing prototypes or delegating their development - developing interventions and events or delegating their development - test and evaluate prototypes, interventions, events or their individual elements, or delegate their testing/testing and evaluation. Applying knowledge and understanding Students will be able to: - develop projects and practices suitable for addressing complex challenges. - make tangible ideas, reports and projects, such as sketches, visualisations, mock-ups, models, prototypes, interventions and prototype events Research and from courses of the area Observe, Analyse & Apply - be able to co-create original ideas for effective projects, aiming at desirable and viable Eco-Social transitions - be able to develop effective projects in given situations (see above) with the above mentioned aims - setup and organize a project according to its requirements, across all phases: initial research, finding, project development, exploration and experimentation, prototyping, testing and publishing / exhibiting. - be able to design and build mockups, functional models and/or other artifacts, which make the project tangible and testable, integrating methods and skills from courses of the area Make & Intervene - Integrate approaches, knowledges, methods, competences, skills and technologies from multiple fields and (design) disciplines Making judgments Students will be able to: - take responsibility for the development and management of projects and activities - judging independently and critically: concepts and drafts Communication skills Students will be able to: - communicate convincingly in different ways and with different audiences - present projects convincingly - argue creative and strategic decisions - communicate productively within the team - lead creative processes and teams Learning skills Students will be able to: - working independently to learn according to different situations and in a personal way through experimentation and planning - working independently to learn according to different situations and in a personal way through the development of prototypes, models, mock-ups and the feedback they provide - organising learning processes

Assessment
The final exam will consist of a public presentation of the group project(s) developed during the course, that will be required to include all the aspects of the project development process, including initial and contextual research, critical analysis and positioning, participatory and inclusive methodologies, communication and storytelling strategies, prototyping tools. Before taking the exam, the students will be required to produce and file: - A project documentation in the form of a booklet - A project documentation in the form of a faculty portfolio entry - An exhibition during the faculty semester show (GOG) Assessment for NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS will be based on the presentation of the project developed by the students. Along with the project outcome, non-attending students need to be able to thoroughly present the design and research process that lead to it, including understanding of the local context, collaboration with local actors and design decisions taken. Also non attending students need to produce and file the documents and exhibition mentioned above.

Evaluation criteria
Student performance in this course will be evaluated based on a combination of individual and group work, emphasising both process and outcomes. The assessment criteria are as follows: Project Work: Students will develop one or more design projects that reflect their understanding of the course’s central themes, particularly their ability to understand the city as a context for eco-social transformation. The project will be evaluated based on creativity, conceptual depth, and the ability to propose innovative solutions. Regular feedback sessions will track progress, and final submissions will be presented at the end of the course. Research and Critical Analysis: Students will be required to conduct research that critically engages with contemporary socio-ecological challenges at multiple scales, from local to global, and reflects on how design can contribute to viable socio-ecological transformations. This component will be assessed through written reports and presentations. Participation and Collaboration: Active participation in discussions, workshops, and collaborative activities with peers and the Design Research course is essential. Assessment will focus on the student’s contribution to the collective learning process, including teamwork, constructive feedback, and engagement with different perspectives. Reflection and Documentation: Students are expected to maintain a reflective journal or portfolio documenting their design process, challenges encountered, and personal insights. This will be assessed for depth of reflection and engagement with course topics. A final documentation must be submitted (as portfolio web page and booklet) which must communicate the project starting from its development process. The final evaluation of the design projects and research will also take in account the following criteria: 1. Eco-Social agency Impacts and potentials for positive eco-social change 2. Qualities of the designed artefacts Aesthetic and technical qualities, and in how far these qualities foster the eco-social agency. How they build upon the state of the art in your chosen field and (design) disciplines. Boldness and vigour of experimentation and design exploration. 3. Conceptual framing, reflection and future perspectives Understanding of the given situation, relevant actors and the potential for positive change. Critical analysis, synthesis, reflection and evaluation. Understanding of iterative development and future perspectives. 4. Relations, processes and organisation Understanding and managing relations and processes with the project team, collaborators, partners, stakeholders and other actors. Project management. 5. Storytelling Effectiveness and potential in communicating the project to relevant publics. Quality and effectiveness of presentation techniques and narrative. How well the story attracts attention, convinces and touches audiences. Defence of your proposition and your response to critics.