For Nature/With Nature: New Sustainable Design Scenarios

Nature is “The total system of living beings, animals and plants, and inanimate things that present an order, realize types and are formed according to laws” (Treccani Encyclopedia). Since the second industrial revolution with the product at the center of the design process until the arrival of User Centered Design, designers have only partially considered this definition. The anthropocentric attitude, somewhat selfish and driven by a self-proclamation of the human as the predominant terrestrial species (Harari in Homo deus: Breve storia del future. Bompiani, Milan, 2019), has defined a silent disturbance in the order and laws that dominate the planet (Lovelock in Novacene l’età dell’iperintelligenza. Bollati Boringhieri, Turin, 2020), that is: by acting from a Human Centered Design perspective, the designer, may have undermined the balance of Nature. It is from this that a call for attention accepted by designers as a challenge starts: to consider more agency in the design phase. Specifically, one would like to understand the term Nature more deeply, with the goal of including humans and other-than-humans creatures that have always existed and are often overlooked (Haraway 2020). For these reasons, HCD is being challenged today, evaluating the new More-Than-Human Centered Design paradigm that aims to design by involving multiple actors and thus achieving an ecosystem approach. it is possible, with technology, to interrogate other species, transducing signals from nature and producing data needed by the designer. In conclusion, such an approach could enable the design of solutions that restore a natural balance and respect all agencies involved in the design process, as a result of a broader view of the context in which designers operate.

The Anthropocene refers to the current geological epoch in which our species has become a primary driver of global environmental change and the main geological force on Earth. However, many consider it as reductive, since it hides the real political questions and prefer the term Capitalocene (Moore in Anthropocene or Capitalocene? Nature, history, and the crisis of capitalism, PM Press, Oakland, ON, 2016) or Technocene (Sloterdijk in Art in the Anthropocene: encounters among aesthetics, politics, environments and epistemologies. Open Humanities Press, London, pp 327–339, 2015). Design is at the center of unsustainable production/consumption systems; since its birth as a practice and discipline, it has actively promoted unsustainable ideas of well-being and lifestyles. Half a century after Papanek’s searing criticism of the trajectory Design has taken (1971), the idea of the guiltiness of even the most positively intentioned Design for ecological and social sustainability seems to be becoming a real concern. Even when engaged in critical practice, questions about the depth of Design’s impact and its long-term sustainability remain. A deeper understanding of the political economy of Design is needed. If the question is how Designers could become care providers by transforming themselves into politicized change agents (Fry in Design as politics. Berg, Oxford, 2010), one possible answer is the promotion of a Design-led societal transition to more sustainable long-term futures (Irwin in Transition design: a proposal for a new area of design practice, study, and research, design and culture. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 2015). This means imagining different futures where Design could contribute to prefiguring (DiSalvo in J Des Strat 8:29–35, 2016) the forms of collective action to improve the resilience to the present/near-future climate change issues. What is the role of Design in the construction of post-capitalist, therefore, post-Anthropocene imaginaries? Could Design contribute to shifting paradigms from an extractivist growth economy to a resource one; focusing on actions rather than consumption?

How today does design relate to nature — endless source or necessary condition in which conform to? In the second half of twentieth century, this point animated the international debate with critical reflections about a production system that was already considered hypertrophied and not really geared to the needs of humanity. Papanek, for example, stated — “Creating whole new species of permanent garbage to clutter up the landscape, and by choosing materials and processes that pollute the air we breathe, designers have become a dangerous breed” (1971). After all, the exceeding of The Limits of Growth was evident in 1972, when the Club of Rome stated that the exponential growth of world’s population, the food production, the development of industry, the exploitation of resources and the resulting pollution would have compromised human well-being and threatened our very survival. In this perspective, the most advanced research in the field of design has taken an increasingly environmentally friendly approach (Environmental sustainability). Some methods and areas that are more interesting today, such as Service Design or Design Thinking, have highlighted the need to put the person at the center of the project, not only the user who uses something but the human being in its entirety. From here, the focus of design tends to become the whole of Humanity, in a progression that goes from the ego to the echo. Design is increasingly life-centered, and therefore systemic, drawing inspiration from nature and the way it works.

This contribution is going to provide a dynamic overview of the concept of creative productive thinking, its relationship with design methodologies and possible outcomes. Starting from the nowadays understanding of the concept of creativity, several issues will be tackled in order to reframe the use and the impact that creativity has in sustainable design. In particular, the Systemic Innovation Design Methodology will be highlighted in order to provide the proper tools to the design discipline in the sustainable range of impacts. Moreover, the discipline will be applied to the concept of creativity in order to unpack stereotypes and biases. From the dynamics of collaboration to the processes of problem-setting to the issues of complexity, several elements are going to be shown as strategies, and tools to be integrated into creativity. In a second moment, creativity itself will be defined. Starting from the traditional definition in the field of design, the concept is going to be enlarged—considering other disciplines like sociology and management—in order to provide a more interdisciplinary overview. This will show a better understanding of the role of creative productive thinking in systemic innovative methodology, the educational drive—also in situations of failure—and the impact that can have on social, economic and environmental sustainability. Finally, the contribution will guide towards the understanding of creative productive thinking as a problem-setting—and not just problem-solving—drive, able to shift for sustainable innovation outcomes.

The design culture, for several years, has carried out multi-level strategies to interpret nature in a collaborative perspective with the purpose to preserve environmental balances, re-think multi-species relationships (Tsing in The mushroom at the end of the world: on the possibility of life in capitalist ruins. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2015; Haraway in Staying with the trouble: making Kin in the Chthulucene: making Kin in the Chthulucene. Experimental futures. Duke University Press, Durham, 2016), and direct behaviours of co-existence on the planet. From John Ruskin to Ettore Sottsass and more recent post-anthropocentric theories, there are many design experiments carried out with the aim to explore the multiple relationships with nature (Latour in Facing Gaia: eight lectures on the new climatic regime, trans Catherine Porter. Polity Press, Cambridge, 2017). The fragile balance between the anthropic and plant world has become the object of observation, analysis and interpretation for researchers and designers who recognise—through the definition of products and strategies—new directions and approaches to “a perfect equivalence, not only cognitive, but also and above all moral, between all species” (Coccia in Filosofia della casa. Lo spazio domestico e la felicità. Einaudi Editore, Torino, 2021, p. 111). The paper aims to explore the plural dimension of the human-nature relationship by defining eight categories of analysis useful to select contemporary design experiences. The eight categories—intersections, manipulations, grafts, adaptations, additions, transformations, osmosis and interpretations—allow describing the main directions of design research with the aim to highlight recurring elements, weaknesses and strategies. The critical interpretation outlines new design scenarios in which the complex relationships between humans and non-humans are made explicit (Marchesini in Alterità. L'identità come relazione. Mucchi Editore, Modena, 2016). But it is also meant to go through these antinomies from an interdisciplinary perspective to provide a space for in-depth analysis of contemporary design cultures. A narrative path intent on describing, analyzing and interpreting an ever-changing scenario inhabited by humankind and things, not without environmental conflicts, which focuses on the verification of collective behaviours in order to trace a hypothesis of real change.

The historical, political, and cultural context which currently overwhelms mankind requires an urgent reflection on the protection of the ecosystem and an accurate restoration of the endangered balance between Nature and the artificial environment. In this framework, a reinterpretation of the remarkable research in the field of architecture, design, art and literature carried out by Ettore Sottsass Jr—a forerunner of eco-thought—could be helpful for the implementation of a more conscious and more far-sighted design practice. The aim of this submission is to study the means of expression of the architect-designer’s pioneering point of view; Sottsass was, in fact, a careful observer of the synchronic and symbiotic relationship between man and the Earth, which he explored especially in two groundbreaking writings: Graffi d’Amore sulla Pelle del Pianeta and Il Pianeta come Festival. Published in 1971 and 1972, shortly after the moon landing and shortly before the adoption of austerity policies due to the oil crisis, they both convey a timeless message sent to the younger generations, and inspired by countercultural values, Eastern philosophies, utopian architecture, scientific literature, as well as by science fiction cinema. Sottsass invites young people not to stiffen in tight productive schemes and to open themselves consciously to the knowledge of Nature, thus laying the foundation for an ante litteram sustainable logic, which is the focus of this submission.

Addressing sustainability challenges requires shifts in consumption patterns and lifestyles. Design for Sustainable Behavior (DfSB) aims to cultivate sustainable attitudes and behaviors through product-based interventions. However, there can be a disconnect between design strategy and its embodiment and sometimes conflicts between designers’ intent and users’ interpretation. This paper explores the role of metaphors in DfSB in terms of using metaphorical thinking during the design process and/or creating product metaphors in the final design. It begins by identifying barriers that prevent people from engaging in sustainable practices, such as human nature and ambiguity in design. It then examines the roles of metaphor in design and its key strengths in DfSB. Furthermore, the paper outlines three methods to generate metaphors in DfSB: (1) The source domain implies the target domain. (2) The source domain serves design goals and strategies. (3) Cross-domain mapping is based on embodied experience. In conclusion, the paper discusses potential issues surrounding its use in DfSB.

In the twenty-first century, accumulating new things generally does not offer new opportunities but instead creates new problems. What moves design today towards its responsibilities? The implications in ecological terms, the weight of this in the disruption of biological cycles and its green footprint condition and sharpen the challenge in rethinking the relationship with nature that design faces in giving new awareness to its work. This exhibition brings together experiences of point elements that take on the character of subtle design. These are studies aimed at recovering all forms of energy from the involvement of artefacts about the environment. In both the scientific and technological fields, some research is already yielding promising results through symbiotic properties with natural phenomena from which energy can be drawn, provided one operates with a soft attitude. It is a matter of activating new sensitivities that, starting from sensory perception, lead to greater attention to detail. An invitation to the wonder of subtle, imperceptible, evanescent, fleeting, invisible and impalpable things that contribute to changing our conceptions and actions, making us more aware and responsible for more human relations among humans and osmotic with nature, respecting it and exchanging new forms of energy with it. A new course can be charted by integrating all human actions with the phenomenologies of nature using a ‘subtle’ contribution. A fulcrum that acts as a flywheel for proposing values and knowledge that penetrates deep inside without intrusiveness, making new knowledge of new behaviour.

Nature is a strong and solid, but fragile and delicate ecosystem too. The relationship between nature and human beings is a system in constant tenses, in which the effects of the actions of both reverberate directly or indirectly on the other. In this complexity, the agri-food system assumes a key role.European directives (Farm to Fork 2020) in the field of economic, environmental, and social sustainability outline the need for a paradigm shift within the agri-food chain, focusing on relationship with Nature. FAO converges in this direction by defining the five ways in which cities can contribute to the strengthening of relationship with nature (ASVIS 2020). The food product, interpreter of anthropological connections and collective and private social acts, is a strategic, transdisciplinary and multifocal space for designing.The contribution aims to investigate the design relationships between the food supply chain and the natural ecosystem to suggest reflections and strategies capable of promoting synergies between human and natural (Böhme 2012) towards collaborative scenarios.The research moves in transdisciplinary areas considering anthropological, socio-economic, political, and environmental conditions in respect of care for the individual and the community.Through in-depth scientific studies and analysis of specific contexts, using an ecological and design-driven approach, the research aims to systematize virtuous practices and by exploring territorial inclusive policies promote interpretive readings that can help trigger processes of change toward a more collaborative system between Nature and Humans. Design becomes a tool for exploration, constructive (Ingold 2019) or restorative (Antonelli and Tannir 2019; Oxman 2020) uses food as a lens through which to observe and open up reflections on contemporaneity by addressing current challenges along with future well-being.

In the evolution of the human being's material endowment, nature has been an important reference, formal, functional, and behavioral.Creative activity is by its very nature always characterized by careful observation of nature world, and the result is the construction of a simplified model of it. The processing path the designer takes to reach his synthesis (whether the goal is physical or digital, a product or a service) is always multilevel and multiscale.From a critical-ethical and social-cultural excursus of the ‘human being-nature’ relationship, this paper is part of the wide-ranging and current debate around the reasons that lead us to look again at Nature as a virtuous example for the development of human products and systems, seeking to explicate, at the same time, the opportunities and challenges that Nature-driven design offers to the culture of Design for Environmental Sustainability, to shape a possible and desirable future.Specifically, the work aims to define different expressive possibilities in design of physical artifacts, emerging from the investigation and understanding of Nature and its phenomena, shift the interest from a Human-Centred Design to a Nature-Centred Design approach.

The link between design and nature, day by day, is becoming tighter: on one hand, in terms of care and protection, on the other, as a model of formal and process inspiration. Considering the vastness of nature, it is necessary to focus on a more specific context: the ocean. In this paper, the ocean becomes the space to understand if there is a link between service design and nature. Considering that the discipline of service design uses many different tools to design, there is a tendency towards an ecological “mood” to redesign and design the tools. The aim of this article is not to establish new rules, but to demonstrate how the culture of the ocean can give suggestions to the instrumental framework of the service design discipline. The relationships between ocean and service are different: the ocean suggests, through predictability and feedback, ways to manage impact; service and ocean both need to “bring to the surface” submerged elements; the ocean shows how the partnership model can be extended by co-design processes.

In the habits, legends, and traditions of peoples living on the sea, activities have developed that have taken them farther and farther from land, as far as where the sea presents itself in all its immense unpredictability. However, the development of new technologies has allowed us to have a new approach to the marine environment: on the one hand it tests its carrying capacity, and on the other it attempts to propose new solutions of livability. Pleasure boating since its inception has been an opportunity to approach the sea with pleasure and deep interest; however, in its becoming these goals have frequently been lost sight of. With industrial and economic development, many shipyards have allowed yachting to become an opportunity to show off an exclusive and unapproachable lifestyle, leading to an increasing display of status-symbol, often distant from the marine environment. In this regard, the intention of this paper is to emphasize how, in addition to the importance of recent technological developments relating to more efficient propulsion systems and new materials, boating still lacks sensitivity to the authentic spirit of going to sea. The intention is to emphasize the importance of boating as an experience and an opportunity for human reconnection with nature. Therefore, the aim is to highlight that, however useful and innovative they may be, new technologies are not sufficient for an ecological approach to navigation, but that what is lacking is a new spirit towards boating, both for designers and users. This may be the key to new design and organizational ideas for a sector that is increasingly capable of influencing the economy of the area in which it insists.

Under the impact of the contemporary craft technologies, traditional craft processes can effectively achieve sustainable development if they continuously strengthen design innovation and actively meet the needs of the market and customers. This study starts from the assumption that in the traditional product design process, a lot of data information will be generated, that can be actively collect and sort out to conduct in-depth mining and statistical analysis. The relation between traditional craft, design and data has ancient historical roots: in the fifteenth century the Incas used threads, ropes, and knots to convey information. These artefacts were called quipu. Appeared as dense curtains and contained several types of information. They were tight narratives told through a different form of visual language: a data visualization, as we currently know. Valorizing and updating this relation, data could convey the form of the artifact but at the same time is itself a conveyor of the history of a place and a population. Data can be transposed into the artifact through weaving, engraving, painting, and so on, becoming part of artifacts DNA. These are not only numbers but also words, movements, sounds, thus shifted from a purely extractive- statistical view to an ecosystemic-humanistic view. In this data galaxy, a novel filed of exploration is the soundscape that can represents a new frontier still limited explored but that strongly represents the concept of ecosystem.From the perspective of acoustic ecology, the soundscape reflects the relationship between living organisms and their environment. Its graphic representation (sonogram) is the visible manifestation of the sonic data and can reveal to the observer's gaze the acoustic identity of a place as well as the quality of the relationship between the community and its surroundings: if this relationship is well balanced, the sonogram becomes a data visualization of a positive connection among living organisms and inspire sustainable design processes (of crafts, production spaces, settlements, cities).The contribution aims to understand how the soundscape, understood as a set of data (in relation to space and time) in the form of sound, can be the vehicle of new techniques and new forms in the processing of traditional craft in an evolutionary design perspective.

Made-in-Italy companies, capable of producing products of the highest quality and of imposing themselves on markets at the international level, have always strived to transfer into design innovation a non-reproducible cultural and productive heritage.A distinctive feature of a production system based on “know-how” is the strong connection between different companies within the same territory and the presence of excellent workmanship and established production traditions, impossible to reconstitute in contexts other than the original one. Like many Italian regions, Tuscany is characterized by craft excellencies that have contributed significantly to the cultural and economic growth of the region. Many of these, however, fail, due to economic size and cultural background, to keep up to date with the ever-changing demands of a market that wants new products, access to new technologies and attention to sustainability and the life cycle of each product.On this basis, we outline the key role of design as a tool and driver for innovation, capable of guiding the company's strategic choices, including in relation to the sustainability of products and processes.This paper presents the research project “Art, Design and Enterprise for New Young Talents” aimed at proposing and developing new training and production patterns and processes through the placement of young talents, designers and artists, within companies in the Tuscan territory. In fact, putting young creatives in contact with companies can help companies in the path of research and innovation and allows young artists to translate the theoretical framework acquired into a finalized design.

The paper describes the project “A.C.Q.U.A./Advisible Conscious Quality Use from Assisi,” which focuses on the recovery and regeneration of ancient wash houses in the framework of energy and environmental sustainability and innovation. It also aims to be a way of understanding Cultural Heritage in the broadest sense of Heritage Communities by envisaging the active participation of all the actors involved Universities, Institutions, Bodies, Companies and mainly young people and citizens. The interdisciplinary process put in place between ecodesign, heritage, renewable sources, climatology, experimented in two small municipalities of the inland areas, Ruviano in Campania and Assisi in Umbria, can be declined on a different scale in all places where the pre-existence of public “Washhouses” and the water resource acquires economic, ecological, cultural significance. In a particular way, a change of habits is proposed around a usually domestic and repeated action, namely washing clothes. It is well known that the main household appliances used in our homes are washing machines and refrigerators, which involve a considerable expenditure of energy resources (water, light) as well as time. With A.C.Q.U.A. we envision the migration of this specific function outdoors, next to the places anciently used for this ritual, through the construction of “Washhouses” technologically innovative constructions that use renewable sources favored by special weather conditions. The “Washhouses” trigger a virtuous process towards the environment and people, since they enhance the natural and cultural resources of the places, facilitate the decrease of domestic consumption of water and light, and activate a happy community of people who spend a moment of the day out-doors, sharing, as they once did, the pleasure of this activity.

The objective of this study is the recovery and enhancement of the former residential area of West Guangfu Road situate of the Putuo district in Shanghai, making a reflection on the concept of a city on a human scale. The site envisages as its new use a system of structures characterized by peculiar “leaf” roofs that intersect with each other, creating an architecture that conforms to the natural environment and the intended use of the project. The new bridge breaks the architectural barriers of the previous one by creating a system of ramps connecting the project area and West Guangfu Road itself with the other side of the river where there is an additional urban park. The bridge branches off in two directions on the lot, one leading to the green area, while the other connects to the semi-covered hypogeum level used for the “tea experience”, an experience through the historical and cultural knowledge of Chinese tea with a space for tasting and a commercial area connected to it where there are stores and health services. From the underground level, one passes to the buildings at zero height, which have been given the use of a refreshment area with attached sanitary facilities. The garden in front has smaller pedestrian streets branching off to the right near the platform and to the left towards the currently uninhabited residential buildings, which will be set up as areas for Chinese handicrafts, taking up the various characteristic elements such as the existing fixtures.

Haipai 海派 furniture (also known as Shanghai style Furniture), as a transitional form of Chinese furniture design from tradition to modernity, is an integration of Chinese and Western styles, representing the material culture after the hybrid of Eastern and Western cultures. This paper is based on a serious of Haipai furniture collected by Jin Ze Arts Centre and carries out an imaginative reconstruction of Shanghai-style furniture and social life from 1912 to 1949. Three questions were raised about this cultural imaginary: How to understand the cosmopolitanism in the design and handcraft of Shanghai-style furniture; How historical memory and emotion is reflected in the details of the furniture; And what is the future of nostalgia about Shanghai-style revival. Boym(The future of Nostalgia, Basic Books, 2002) stated “Nostalgia is not always about the past: it can be retrospective or future-oriented. The fantasies of the past are shaped by the needs of the present and directly affect the realities of the future… Unlike melancholy, which is limited to the plane of individual consciousness, nostalgia is Biography of the individual and the biography of the group, the biography of the nation, the relationship between individual and collective memory.” “The city offers an option for a ‘localized cosmopolitanism’ that incorporates both national and international elements.” Haipai furniture, serving as a vessel of collective memory, assumes the profound duty of nurturing the sustainable development of history and culture. Furthermore, this embodiment of ‘Cultural Sustainability’ has expanded the dimensions of ‘Sustainability’ issues. Moreover, within the discourse surrounding nature and artifacts, Haipai furniture, stemming from the fusion of Eastern and Western cultural elements, artfully integrates natural motifs into its intricate craftsmanship, thus conveying a perspective on NATURE that is harmoniously distinct from the purview of Western civilization. This article attempts to establish new connections between Eastern and Western cultures and nature through the study of Haipai furniture, and based on this premise, drive new design innovations.

The Tuscan territory has been a place of production linked to the theme of recycling-reuse since the Middle Ages: just think of the Prato textile district, which has made regenerated wool its fortune and trademark. This contribution aims to analyse and narrate the current scenario of the Tuscan textile and leather goods industry and its vocation in setting up sustainable production and design models. It aims to introduce the theme of stability—not sustainability—which is the most anthropocentric thing that can exist (Caffo, Velocità di fuga, Einaudi, 2022). The stability of a system that has been going on for centuries and that has made regeneration and recycling its strong point long before these practices became, as we now observe, urgent and indispensable in order to stem climate change. It is this propensity for a “slower pace” and for stabilisation referable to a particular territorial component that leads us to analyse and compare three case studies: the project of ZeroLab, a leather recovery and recycling hub and incubator for emerging designers located in Scandicci; Rifò, brand based in the city of Prato that creates Made in Italy garments from textile waste; Pangaia Grado Zero Group, a venture located in Montelupo Fiorentino, which offers high-tech solutions and materials. This mosaic of experiences testifies to the existence and strength of the innovation engine of a territory, that of Tuscany, where the man-nature relationship has triggered a virtuous mechanism of realities that also interact with the productions of the large international luxury groups present in the area.

Being ecological involves an imposing change, but different from the one followed so far: we must not fear external threats, in fact there is nothing external since we are already part of nature, we are already ecological (Morton in Noi, esseri ecologici, Laterza, Roma, 2020). Design has the task of highlighting objects and strategies to restore the relationship between man and the context in which he lives by restoring the inclusion of social and natural ecosystems. In this context, thanks to the evolution of natural sciences and technologies, it is possible to create fertile ground for the birth of new relationships between design and nature. Designers are called upon to restore and create new connections between people and disciplines. One of the areas of scientific research, which seems to have particular relevance within the debate on environmental sustainability and sustainable design, are those of “Biomimicry” and “Hybrid Design”. Man has always drawn inspiration from nature in the design of his artefacts to find efficient solutions: today, thanks to scientific development and new technologies, we are able to analyze and reproduce processes never seen before: design today is ever closer to understanding how nature designs and builds. The biomimetic approach will be able to provide the design culture with a truly strategic contribution for the development of sustainable, innovative and future-proof design solutions, “ecologically responsible and socially responsive, revolutionary and radical in the truest sense of the terms” (Papanek in Progettare per il mondo reale. Il design: come è e come potrebbe essere, Mondadori, Milano, 1973). As he claimed Richard Buckminister Fuller: “We do not seek to imitate nature, but rather to find the principles she uses”.

In the Anthropocene era, it is essential to establish a collective dialogue on the meaning of design and the new materiality under ecological standings. Coined by Crutzen and Stoermer (2000), the term indicates the geological period where human activities disturb the balance and threaten life on the planet. Inside this context, this article focuses on how the ‘living’ participates in creating objects. The discussion is grounded in examples that draw their reference from organisms linked to particular environmental contexts and territories. This production is based on an awareness of conscious behaviors and the idea of coexistence and universal mixing, where everything is interrelated (Coccia, 2021). The methodology involves transitioning from dialectical to multi-dialectical relationships, moving towards a more complex intratextuality. Two case studies illustrate this approach. One is Cuia Colab from 2022, a project based in the research on cuias, traditional indigenous objects found in the Amazon Forest region. Crafted by women (Carvalho, 2011), cuias are manufactured from the skin of the fruit of the Crescentia cujete tree and since 2015 their process has been acknowledged as a Brazilian immaterial patrimony (Lima, 2015). The other case study presents the objects from Living Jewels 2022, a collection that cocreates with nature, collaborating with lichens and mosses, living beings situated on the margins (Zonca 2023). Both practices demonstrate highly ecological design approaches to objects and enhance the respectful collaboration between humans and plants, offering ideas to reorientate design’s paths. The discussion and conclusion highlight the production of relationships over commodities through design, the necessary collaboration among designers and other-than-human agents on our planet, and the connection of ancestry to the future.

Nature is the form and matter of things conceived in their continuous becoming, with the generative power of transformations, disasters, and complex situations in which technology has taken over, imposing its rhythms, and processes. Deformations, aberrations, and synthetic contaminations developed in our ecosystems have been generated by waste, pollution, and the repercussions these have on the environment, living beings, and material culture. The plastiglomerates are an example, formed by the accumulation, melting, and hardening of plastic waste. They suggest how the matter and materials with which the project relates are different but not necessarily ‘less natural’. In order to bring about the ecological and digital transition, which has been much discussed in recent times, technological innovations are not enough: a cultural transition is needed that harnesses the power of narrative and speculation to spread the scenarios of experimentation of possible good practices. The paper proposes two design directions starting from the Nature lesson: re-factory and re-setting. “Re-factory” experiments with the reuse of moulds and old machinery to conceive a different way of producing based on waste materials. “Re-setting” experiments with hyper-contextual design, working with waste materials and product-service systems in fragile environments and circumstances. The hyper-contextual design focuses on strengthening local relationships grafted onto the remains and traces, linking them back to the rituals and traditions that give meaning to existence. As speculative Design practices, these experiences are also tested as educational practices; they are heuristics, reasoning, and time-related, trying out solutions beforehand and going on with iterative processes until a planned result. Through case studies, the paper proposes a challenge about the reuse of materials and moulds in recycling without necessarily separating them (re-factory) and how to design with what you can find in the hyper-contextual system (re-setting).

The shift towards new economic models is rapidly modifying the way we conceive our products in a systemic way. Diverse business strategies have been developed to tempt companies in adopting new visions, while governmental regulations are pushing towards a strong paradigmatic change of the industrial production to valorize raw materials use. To manage the quantity and the quality of resources deployed into artifacts a material selection (MS) activity is necessary. Several MS theories, methodologies and tools have been studied in research since years. However, their implementation in the dynamics of industrial companies’ routine is difficult to pursue, mainly if their introduction needs to fit in well-defined working paths. Direct cooperation with an Italian company’s employees has been crucial to understand that finding a new MS approach supporting new economic models’ visions without neglecting its traditional pillars and the industrial needs is missing. By adopting a mixed methodology, the research has been oriented to participatory action research, to ground MS activity. Hence, a novel MS approach is proposed: considering technical, hedonic and ethic aspects of raw materials, MS has been investigated interdisciplinary, intending it as an organic activity between different company departments. The proposed work represents a starting point for interpreting the MS task as a process enhancing the way materials are deployed into industrial companies, since they need to build core competencies to facilitate product and components cascading, with prompt intervention on product design activity in the daily practice.

The contribution investigates the theme of new materiality through the interference between two approaches: one theoretical and critical, the second one analytical and cartographic. The intertwining of these two perspectives enables us to recognise and comprehend the genesis of a novel approach to shaping matter. Adopting an anti-dualistic and anti-hierarchical approach allows us to expand our vision beyond the human-centric viewpoint by recognising the intrinsic interdependence of humans and non-human entities. Such a paradigm shift leads to considering a different design strategy that benefits humans and the environment. The case studies examined progress towards the complete interpenetration of humanity and nature: the selected artefacts embody a new ecological vision that materialises the total interpenetration between subject and object. The terrestrial scale is the latest design dimension, as each design contribution fits within a global, connected ecological environment marked by multiple agents. Highlighting how all entities are entwined in an interdependent network, design culture moves toward a co-evolutionary perspective, which fosters a renovated coexistence among heterogeneous living species and kingdoms. In terms of technology, the confluence of a wide range of disciplines, such as biotechnology, material science, and digital computation, defines a hybrid territory in which synthetic and biological are being reshuffled. Through illustrated maps, the essay explores a range of philosophical theories, bio-designers, and research centres which reflect on the meaning of the matter to develop new productive metaphors. They serve as a register of knowledge for a new vision of materiality.

The contribution starting point is the two-days “Green Studies” seminar (13 and 14 June 2022), organised by the doctoral students of the XXXVII cycle of Università Iuav di Venezia belonging to the PON Program “Research and Innovation” 2014–2020, dealing with innovation and green issues. Conceived to reflect on the relationship between design and sustainability, it developed from the multidisciplinary interpretation of four research trajectories: #(im)permanenza, #porosità, #neomateria, #(s)vincoli. Specifically, this article investigates the concept underlying the term #neomateria, through a theoretical investigation that addresses the “material turn” within Cultural Studies and Design Studies, supporting the three specific research areas of the authors involved: Clizia Moradei in fashion, Michele De Chirico in design, and Jacopo Baldelli in construction. From this multi-handed exploration it emerges how sustainability does not only concern a productive issue but also a cultural one, as it invites us to review both the way we design and the way we produce, as well as the way we relate and use the products—how we actually make experience of them. In addition, it demonstrates how the need identified for a return to materiality—a materiality imbued with agential capability—turns into varied possibilities offered by a shared experimental paradigm, animated by a multidisciplinary material driven approach.

The current environmental crisis poses unprecedented challenges as systemic mega-risks for any society. To turn limitation of resources into an opportunity, which is an inherent sensibility of the discipline and practice of design, a productive, economic, ecological, and cultural shift in the use of material resources is necessary to enable the transition from a “plunder society” to a “harvest society”. A more holistic and thus systemic sustainable approach is possible if we consider material resources as commons by linking ecological issues to practices of sharing and caring within a limited resource system. Starting from the definition of material driven design, in the multiple interpretations that place material at the starting point of the design process, and through the analysis of case studies referring to bio-materials (bio-based), re-materials (recycled or upcycled), and neo-materials (experimental), which implement a material-based design approach, the aim is to prove how attention to matter becomes a centre of action for a “material activism”, in the sense of rethinking materiality as a collective and cultural practice, and for “becoming environmental”, in the sense of homeostatically regulating ourselves with Nature thanks to the artifacts we have built, without being afraid of them, because they are simply matter and energy.

The application of Nature Inspired Design Strategies, such as Biomimicry, which considers natural systems as a paradigm for sustainability, is generating exciting results in recent years, and it offers designers alternative perspectives for the generation of hybrid artefacts. Therefore, this contribution aims to investigate how Design plays a central role in the diffusion of alternative and sustainable production models. In particular, focusing on the latest experiments related to the production processes of biocompatible materials that utilize the self-assembly properties of living organisms: the use of algae and bacteria, the cultivation of mycelia on substrates for the production of biomaterials. Furthermore, this contribution aims to investigate how knowledge can be shared for the development of alternative models for the manufacture of biocompatible materials. In detail, the contribution aims to provide an overview of the different approaches taken, to investigate the potential of growe material production methods and to analyze the role that designers play in the development of new materials and processes for sustainable production.

For centuries, medicine has been engaged in the fight against bacteria by developing antibiotics and disinfectants that have succeeded in reducing the risks of developing diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria in people, animals, and plants. In recent decades, it has emerged that beneficial bacteria and their metabolites can therefore be proven useful for health, but also for developing new production and processing models for artefacts that are more compatible with delicate ecosystem balances. This is the case of lamps produced with bioluminescent bacteria, of self-repairing materials developed through the interaction between fungi and bacteria, or of bacterial cellulose fabrics as a result of the action of acetic bacteria, of waste disposal systems based on bacterial digestion. The paper intends to propose a state of the art on the applications of bacteria in design by highlighting, through a critical filter, the opportunities and limitations related to this intriguing but difficult to approach scenario. The aim of the paper is to come up with a framework of design experiences and opportunities for the application of critical criteria to offer designers a wealth of critical and operational tools with which to approach these new opportunities.

Within the Anthropocene debate, the process of asserting human dominance over nature begins to give way to a phase of decline. Determining the overcoming of the anthropocentric view is a new interpretation of the concept of nature: a complex system where humans act and interact with it, giving rise to a co-evolutionary process that considers all direct and indirect interdependencies between living and nonliving beings (Petroni, M. Studio Formafantasma: Il design degli iperoggetti. Postmedia books, 2022). With this new definition of the human-nature relationship, the design culture intercepts new fields oriented toward New Materialism (Coole, D., Frost, S. The New Materialisms: Ontology, Agency, and Politics. Duke University Press, 2010), a holistic conception in which there is no longer a split between humans and nature, but both coexist within interconnected relationships. With the aim of interpreting this phenomenon, restorative design is reinterpreting the relationship between humans and the context where they live by investigating new dialogues with nature through objects, strategies, and systems (Antonelli Antonell iP, Tannir A. Broken nature. XXII Triennale di Milano. Electa, 2019) Broken nature. XXII Triennale di Milano. Electa). The paper aims to describe the metamorphosis of the contemporary domestic object in relation to the concept of “cosmic hospitality open to biodiversity” (Branzi 2008) through a design experimentation that investigates the history of artisanal silkworming and its persistence in contemporary production. The article consists of a descriptive part of the critical issues in the human-nature relationship, an analysis of the approach of critical design and restorative practices, and a design part of a system-product designed for the protection of silkworm cultivation and its new dissemination.

The paper explores the human-nature relationship from the perspective of regenerating pre-existing interactions and repairing the current dysfunction caused by the perpetuation of phenomena whose impact on ecosystems causes irreversible damages. The climate crisis reflects on the assets of productive and economic systems with marked effects on geopolitical balances, entailing the breakdown and the decline of political models once thought invulnerable. The convergence of events close in time, in the sequence of environmental and climatic emergencies, result in a phenomenon of amplification of effects causing deep crises. The scenario reflects, on the one hand, on the announced disappearance of human beings on earth, launching a call for human persistence; on the other hand, on the role of restorative design through tools for the elaboration of new thinking. What is needed is an anthropological change that brings the new approach of making closer to purposes, foreseeing its effects on ecosystems. The refunding of values is carried out by the repair that design takes among its purposes determined by the ability to look at the crisis as necessary change, at local resources as reserves to be deployed efficiently to multiply their uses, extending their benefits. Regressive acting or non-acting enables design to regenerate systems: it looks to the self-sufficiency of territories according to the strategy of rebalancing; to the reconnection and productive integration of heterogeneous supply chains; to the rebirth and enhancement of local productive vocations; to the ability to restore a fruitful and evolutionary relationship between living and technological innovation. The Textile Design Lab's research explores Wellness Textile defined through techno-functional elements that realize a range of user wellness applications through the release of bio-active compounds that can provide solutions in terms of prevention, protection and coadjutant care.

The textile world which has awakened with the consciousness of the new generation of consumers, has now begun to adapt, produce, and design for a better world and environment. Although it is not easy to reverse the damage that has occurred so far, even raising public awareness about what we can do for the future of environmental problems is a significant step. As human beings, we started to return to our essence to return to nature. When we approach this situation with a designer perspective, protecting our cultural values, keeping our traditional arts and crafts alive, re-applying them, updating them according to the requirements and needs of the new era, and bringing them to the future, are among the improvements we can make in this direction. Two projects shaped in line with the “Slow Fashion” discourse were demonstrated with methods and outcomes. It is revealed from an experimental point of view that hand printing arts can be methods and applications for sustainable fashion field. It is also underlined that there is a possibility that enables the revival and reevaluation of hand-printing arts and methods in a way that will meet the needs of sustainable design areas.

Knitting, one of the most ancient human handworks, is transitioning from a purely manual process to a technological industrial practice supported by digital tools and advanced machinery. This transformation is challenging the learning process, traditionally based on the tactile experience, the manual interaction with the medium of creation, and the reiterative learning through mistakes. Computer-controlled machines are changing the design and learning processes of knitting, as they change the memory of the body, gestures, and thoughts. In this transition, it is essential to avoid the overcoming of technology over man, in the Industry 5.0 symbiosis between human and machine towards sustainability and workers’ well-being. This study combines ergonomics as a multidisciplinary science with knit design. Through in-depth observation of knit design students working with manual machines and digital ones, researchers investigated the two learning-by-doing processes in terms of ergonomics, observing body movements in relation to learning out-comes and students’ satisfaction. To assess the body postures the RULA method was used, while data gathering was done with questionnaires among students. Starting from results showing that the process of learning-by-doing is perceived by students as more relevant in manual tasks than in digital ones, the authors aim to understand how technology changes the relationship between the human body and the gestures of knitting, to comprehend the relevance that manual intervention keeps when working with software and power knitting machines, and to detect the memory of the body that is kept while switching between the manual work and the digital one.

The current era of overconsumption reflects profound impacts on the three sustainability dimensions. Production-consumption systems must move towards a socio-technical level, using fewer natural resources and operating in a way that is ethical and just for people. The footwear industry is one of the most polluting industries of the planet, and despite all the efforts towards the use of durable and environmentally friendly materials, the quantitative information on the long-term implications of the most recently created materials, such as bio-fabricated leather or synthetic leather look-alike, is scarce. Given these facts, the sustainable strategies in the footwear sector cannot just be limited to the material level, this attitude might lead to a rebound effect, increasing the unsustainability of the system. The product life cycle and value chain must be seen with a larger holistic approach, including production, the conditions of the workers, the manufacturing processes, and the consumers, in order to move the sector towards a socio-technical level. With the application of the Design Science Research method, the study emphasizes the footwear industry and its approaches to sustainability. It is divided into 3 phases, it initially describes the concepts and design strategies of the Circular and Distributed Economy, related to value chain and product life cycle through a Systematic Literature Review; understands the value chain of a small and local based footwear company in Brasil, and proposes a value chain meta-scenario for the business, partner of this research.

The complex age we live in, characterised by the Anthropocene era and Industry 4.0, demands a radical paradigm shift in production, consumption, material choices, and, consequently, the relationship between designers and Nature.In this scenario, the clothing industry is clearly in the spotlight for being one of the most significant contributors to global environmental disasters and resource depletion. Thus, now more than ever, it is time to promote an imperative change in the fashion system towards circularity and regeneration.This chapter presents an updated and articulated state of art describing the strong bond between designers and Nature in the fashion field. Specifically, the analysis highlights inspiring and promising examples from design research and practice in relation to Biomimesis, particularly focusing on the integration of plants into the process.To show the potential of Living and Growing Design in the clothing field, a case study of an experimentation journey undertaken by a fashion design practitioner is illustrated, analysing its use of textiles as substrates for seedlings.Through the MDD method, the DIY-Materials approach and Tinkering activities, the current research employs seeds, plants and bio-based materials as tangible tools to enable an emotional connection between users and their garments. The study produced theoretical and practical outputs: a material library, a speculative fashion collection, and an open-source manual for DIY experimentation and testing. These outcomes aim to inspire designers to care for their artefacts and foster a renewed connection with Nature.

The current mainly linear model of production and consumption of textile and fashion industry causes enormous consequences in terms of resource depletion and environmental degradation and also exerts significant pressure on biodiversity.Indeed, the textiles has been identified as one of the priority sectors to be addressed in order to achieve the global decarbonisation goal. The decarbonisation issue, however, cannot be separated from that of biodiversity. The need to address these two challenges forces the identification of new sustainable and circular strategies for textile sector.For these reasons, in March 2022 the European Commission presented a new strategy to make textiles more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable (European Commission 2022).The paper presents the partial results of a research that addressed the topic of reducing the life-cycle impacts of a textile product in order to identify requirements for innovative materials and components that meet the ‘Carbon Neutral’ and ‘Nature Positive’ objectives.A comparative analysis of the main documents issued in this direction made it possible to identify the main categories of environmental impact of the textile chain, in relation to the different life cycle phases, and led to the definition of appropriate evaluation criteria. These criteria were used to carry out an analysis of the potential benefits related to the use of two different strategies for replacing traditional virgin fibres: either with a secondary raw material from recycling of textile waste or with bio-based materials derived from agricultural scraps and agro-food industry waste.

Accurate knowledge of the ground thermal properties is fundamental in designing and assessing the performance of ground energy systems (i.e., systems using the ground as a heat source or sink), such as solar plants integrated with seasonal borehole thermal energy storages or geothermal heat pumps.Tuff is one of the materials most easily found in the ground of the Campania region (southern Italy).The Transient Plane Source method is a widely used technique for characterizing the thermal properties of an extensive range of materials in a short time.In this study, the thermal properties of the following two different types of tuff, taken from the ground of the Campania region, have been investigated in the “Built environment control laboratory RIAS” of the Department of Architecture and Industrial Design of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli: (1) “yellow tuff” from the city of Dugenta; (2) “light yellowish brown tuff” from the city of Sant’Agata de’Goti. In particular, the values of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric specific heat have been measured via the Hot Disk Thermal Constants Analyser TPS 1000 (based on the Transient Plane Source method) with the aim of providing new and detailed data to analyze and support the development of ground energy systems. The experimental data have been compared with the values available in the scientific literature for similar materials; the comparison highlighted how the thermal properties of tuff are significantly influenced by the place from which the samples are collected as well as the measurement method.

Research in recent years has demonstrated that urban space (green/blue/grey spaces) can provide beneficial effects on human health and well-being. Currently, one of the issues of particular importance in the context of urban renewal interventions is that related to the environmental upgrading of open spaces, which are configured as complex systems capable of assuming the role of nodal elements within the city in ecological, fruitive and environmental terms. The redevelopment of such spaces constitutes an added value for the urban fabric, especially in the presence of unfavorable environmental conditions or if its ecological balance is compromised, playing a significant role in the activation of revitalization processes.The technological approach to the regeneration project of urban contexts is strongly oriented to the quality of living and implies approaches that pursue, on the one hand, environmental and energy objectives, and on the other, conservation and enhancement of the existing heritage according to the inseparable combination of “environment and innovation”.Through illustrative case studies, a review was conducted to analyze urban space regeneration strategies in terms of their significance both for public health and mitigation/adaptation to the main environmental and technological critical issues in urban environments.

The definition of Circular Economy identifies the design as a strategic tool for the radical change of the linear economic model. The cultural debate on the role of Design for Environmental Sustainability is focusing on the importance of a circular and bio-inspired approach to accelerate the change. Bio-inspiration becomes necessary for designers to increase the environmental performance of artefacts and to transform, from linear to circular, the production and consumption model. Nanoscience, supported by nanotechnology, has carried out major shifts in the scientific paradigm, enabling us to gain new insights into natural phenomena and processes that were previously impossible to understand and replicate on macro and micro scales. Nanoscience can explain in new ways the characteristics of nature, observed at the nanoscale, and enabling the nanotechnology to replicate some specific performances of biological beings. This scientific paradigm shift is rapidly bringing new perspectives to the design culture to enhance the environmental sustainability of products, processes, systems, and services, supported by other significant technological innovations driven by digital transformation of the design and production methods and tools. Today, promising new scenarios are opening for sustainable design, based on an integrated approach between bio-inspiration, the application of biomimetic materials, the use of generative parametric modelling software, and the rapid and additive prototyping/manufacturing. This paper aims to explore the highlights and perspectives of such integrated design approach that could trigger the radical transformation of the traditional process of ideation/design/production of industrial products, also through some case-studies of bio-inspired design and products.

The telepresence robotics, a declination of social robotics, has introduced a new concept of the naturalness of human–machine relations, which have turned into human–machine-human relations. The robot becomes a mediator between people at a distance who today communicate with their face and voice through a screen, but who could complete their human characteristics through their body tomorrow. The concept of ‘naturalness’ in the field of telepresence robotics refers to two dimensions of ecology: environmental ecology, through the energy savings associated with possible distant relations without the need for travel; human ecology through person-to-person (s) communication, conducted with a natural transposition of the human figures with their expressions, gestures, voice and behavior. We are therefore moving towards a new humanism of robotics (robo-ethics) in which the machine is not designed to replicate man (cyborgs) but becomes an extension or prosthesis of the real person. The person and the machine together become members of an ecosystem where human relationships, even if at a distance, are at the center of the new performance, in terms of ‘naturalness’, offered by the robotic machine. The chapter provides an unpublished overview of interdisciplinary studies on the evolution of the concept of telepresence robotics. These are experiments in which the contribution of design to developing the telepresence service in different social contexts and of a robotic machine that can be characterized in its embodiment and interaction with the person is fundamental.

The lockdown due to Covid-19, the Russian-Ukrainian war and climate emergency have all undermined the foundations of a highly globalised economy, demonstrating the need for new and alternative ways of development to increase economic and social welfare. In this complex and fragile scenario, Design can contribute to a change of paradigm, providing visions, strategies, services and products that are able to lead to a more sustainable future, supported by a deglobalised and territorial economic model, closer to nature and for nature itself. One example is the Interreg Maritime IT-FR CamBio VIA project where the contribution of Design—in synergy with a multidisciplinary partnership—has made it possible to enhance rural communities actively involved in livestock farming and in the production of handmade and high-quality food. These communities that we call ‘Custodian Communities’ can evolve from small and local manufacturers to a network of developing enterprises through a Design Thinking approach. The communities can develop as a sort of widespread ‘industry 5.0’ thanks to user-centred strategies and digital technologies, still keeping artisan and human centric features but, at the same time, being digitally evolved, resilient, sustainable and able to produce additional value both for production and for environmental enhancement. The essay aims to provide an overview of the role of Design in the Interreg project and will be structured as follows: Introduction; The role of Design and the strategies adopted; Elements for a stable paradigm shift of local economies; Impact on the local area and community; Future opportunities.

Contemporary “digital” societies are going through a phase of chaotic growth that imposes the search for a new balance between nature, humanity and technology. Technicistichal dystopias—datacracy (De Kerckhove 2016a), surveillance capitalism (Zuboff 2019), prepotency of algorithms, deep fake, etc.—impose a rethinking of societies in the direction of a “digital humanism” (Nida-Rümelin and Weidenfeld 2019) based on the challenge related to the major transversal issues of the present-future such as sustainability, equity and inclusivity. In this dynamic, changing and generative scenario, to trigger new forms of transformation of the world, it becomes essential to transition from the project of “things” (analog) to the project of “relationships” (digital) (Floridi 2020a) and vice versa. New artifacts, products, environments and hybrid services allow to prefigure and elaborate unusual spaces of complex interaction typical of the Infosfera (Floridi 2017). New technical-productive, social-cultural, natural-artificial spaces, which are configured as a new, complex and challenging hybrid digital ecosystem (Iaconesi and Persico Iaconesi 2015, 2016, 2021a, b, c; Manzini 2021) in which design must act by innovating behaviors and languages. Starting from these considerations, the paper presents a theoretical reflection that intertwines key issues of contemporary debate on the ecological and digital transition, investigating, in particular, the complex relationships between artificial intelligence (but also algorithms, big data, IoT) and design culture/disciplines. The theoretical framework is followed by one significant project experience that highlight the correlation between technological social and cultural innovation guided by design and by a renewed ethical approach through which it is possible to conceive a new kind of artifacts/services that, through new rituals, practices and collective and connective actions, lead to new forms of expression and sensitivity (Iaconesi and Persico Iaconesi 2019, 2021b).

The Hydro-Symbiotic Morphologies project, presented as part of the Master of Science in Emergent Technologies and Design of the Architectural Association School of London by the architects Yasmine Rougab, Carlos Zulueta, and Michela Musto in 2013, explores the possibility of establishing a residential settlement in the hyper-arid area of the Atacama Desert, the driest one on Earth. The research revolves around the design of fog-catcher systems capable of providing subsistence tools in a future that sees the phenomenon of desertification dramatically advancing. The fog collection method has been proven to be a sustainable technology to provide fresh water for drinking and plant watering. To manage efficiently this precious resource, the project employs food towers, and a belt of fog catchers, those are the spaces where aquaculture, fish farming, and purification of water happen and become part of a highly efficient ecosystem. All the stages of the design had been approached with a biomimetic overture, detecting the fundamental survival strategies of the rare life forms living in hyper-arid ecosystems and translating their relevant geometries and behaviors in complex sets of data ready to be manipulated through algorithms and generate optimized forms enabling the creation and management of a complex system designed to accommodate life in the desert. The research highlights along the design process the existence of a capillary symbiosis between nature and digital matter, in this system the understanding of one allows the simulation and the iteration of the features and performance of the other. The design is driven by a bottom-up process and makes extensive use of generative data-driven design strategies led by a bio-inspired approach. The biomimetic inspiration is supported by the use of digital simulation tools marking the step for a new trans natural symbiosis, even in places not considered, until now, to be colonized by humans.

The current state of emergency, caused by climate change, highlights how nature is ‘rebelling’ against the pervasive actions of man. The anthropocentric scenario, outlined since the technological achievements of the late nineteenth century, seems to be coming to an end to make way for a new concept of hyper-nature. Crises—in their semantic meaning—are, for us, occasions for ‘discernment’: the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has confronted us with the ‘resilience’ of nature and its ability to regenerate itself autonomously; indeed, during the lockdown and the state of long human inactivity, nature itself has demonstrated its extraordinary self-regenerative process. From an ethical point of view, this emergency leads us to adopt a ‘minimalist’ lifestyle also with respect to energy consumption, which implies a substantial reduction in consumption as well as a more conscious approach by stakeholders within the fashion supply chain. There are still few companies that, to date, make choices that respect natural balances, many others instead adopt simple greenwashing actions. It is necessary, therefore, to rethink the Designer/Nature relationship on the basis of a new awareness on the one hand of the role of the designer as a professional capable of bringing form and function, profit and sustainability into dialogue, and on the other a new vision of nature no longer poised between subordination and rebellion but in total balance. Artificial intelligence seems to be coming to the aid of the definition of this fruitful dialogue: the use of CAD/CAM software makes it possible to meticulously manage the consumption of natural resources used during the production phases, as well as to reduce waste and refuse thanks to advanced precision and simulation systems for prototypes. In this sense, design must become a methodological process connected to the productions and cycles of nature itself; only in this way will we be able to speak of Hyper-nature, a condition of equilibrium in which the ideas-actions of man/designer are evaluated upstream of the processes, in anticipation of the minimum impact on ecosystems.

Technology is the oikos of contemporary humanity, able to modify the earth’s ecosystem, contributing to the co-evolution of life of all species, particularly human beings. In the Technocene, the relationship between nature and society is strongly influenced by technological dominance. However, Industry 5.0 strategies suggest an opportunity to change this condition by leveraging the technological potential through more sustainable, resilient, and human-centric approaches and optimizing existing resources through systematic prevention of physical, social, urban, and process waste. This article focuses on the role of design in driving a positive holistic, sustainable transformation through digital technologies (e.g., additive manufacturing, laser cutting, collaborative robotics, 3D modeling, and simulation) in fashion, textile, and apparel applications. Expanding on case study analysis, this paper discusses how to re-center human beings, hybridizing craftsmanship with technologies toward safer, more creative, and sustainable design and manufacturing processes via connected supply and value chains. A framework is presented where design drives a paradigmatic shift to (i) reduce waste and polluted resources via circular harvested materials and cross-sectoral partnership; (ii) enhance human labor ecosystems and upskill the artisanal workforce via fashion-augmented craftsmanship/non-standard fabrication; (iii) revive local crafts expertise and cities via nearshoring production; (iv) align better with customers via on-demand hyper customization through experience activated interactions. This article highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective among fashion, science, society, craft, and technology for a synergistic and sympathetic relationship between society and nature.

This contribution investigates two major perspectives that characterise the fashion industry in the twenty-first century and the relationship between humans, nature and technology. The first perspective has to do with the centring of humans and their needs in design, in a systemic and holistic way, leading to the evolution of Industry 4.0 into 5.0; the other perspective is an awareness of the limits of an anthropocentric vision and the need to look beyond the human in search of collaborations with the non-human, nature and technology. Through a literature review and a discussion of some case studies, this contribution explores these two perspectives and their interrelationships. These two trajectories are not alternatives, however, but instead intertwine, thus bringing to the attention of contemporary fashion design an ecosystem composed of humans, plants, animals and technologies.

The urgency of effectively delivering the message of sustainability challenges, such as climate change, and fostering social and individual change is vital. Sustainability Education plays a crucial role to empower young generations with knowledge, values, attitudes, and tools to deal with the climate emergency. The averseness and readiness of people to alter personal behavioral patterns to change the negative effects of the events is quite low. Still, most people carry on with their existing behavior, with many may be less inspired to act or to take it seriously. Resistance to change seems to be a very natural human response especially since “Equity, access to resources and technology, social and human capital, and access to risk-spreading mechanisms all function simultaneously as determinants of adaptive capacity and as prerequisites to sustainable development.”. This research aspires to innovate Sustainable Interaction Design (SIxD) in the specific field of Sustainability Education beyond the establishment of an experimental design-driven and human-centered discipline for motivating behavioral change through digital technologies. In particular, our research will contribute to evolve the SIxD field as it gathers data towards devising pervasive processes, educational platforms and tools that may catalyze societal transitions toward sustainability through design, i.e., how interactive systems can be used to promote more sustainable behaviors, as well as sustainability in design, i.e. how scarcity and optimization of resources can be used as critical lens in the design of digital technologies themselves. Since marginalized communities often lack the material means to successfully implement technology-enhanced learning, this research fosters an empirical perspective on intersectional design by assuring scalability of the solutions and graceful degradation in case of low resource educational scenarios. It thus assures Sustainability Education for all and prevents the overload of individuals, the isolation of groups and the break of community exchange.

Starting from an examination of the fifth industrial revolution phenomenon applied to the Made in Italy clothing sector, this paper aims to investigate the present and future scenarios that Industry 5.0 opens up in the world of knitwear design. Unlike other design sectors, the convergence between physical and digital environments, which is at the center of the Fashion Industry 4.0 debate, is an established feature of the practice of knitwear, which still carries within it the craftsmanship of handmade techniques and the automation of the most up-to-date machinery and software. However, in the archetypal narrative of most Made in Italy sectors, the technological aspects tend to be neglected in favor of a communication based only on craftsmanship and manual skills, and knitwear is no exception to this phenomenon. In this scenario, craftsmanship also recalls a sustainable way of working through a savoir-faire traditionally attentive to the impact of its processes and a high-quality product that is ultimately more durable and more responsible towards the planet. Stemming from these premises, the authors of this investigation identify knitwear as an archetypal case study of Made in Italy, analyzing how far this narrative reflects reality and how the advent of Industry 5.0 can fit into this context.

This contribution is part of the research that aspires to investigate how scientific design research is involved in determining a new balance between human beings and nature to improve the living conditions of our species on Earth. First, the paper investigates the different paradigms of Health based on the relationship between human beings and nature, presenting the levels of consistency in the concept of Sustainable Development. Subsequently, the research dwells on the analysis of the main design practices approaches, i.e. Planet-Centric Design, Human-Centered Design, Non-Human Centered Design, and Humanity-Centered Design, that investigate the relationship between our species and nature, classifying them according to definition, keywords, approach to Health paradigms, and adherence to the concept of Sustainability within Sustainable Development. The aim is to take a position on which of the above-mentioned approaches offers a perspective that allows humankind to perceive itself as a community as well as to be “in nature with nature”, without conflict and matricide, accepting our finiteness and not denying death. Hence, design practices must be able to develop good practices for Sustainable Development towards Industry 5.0, respecting the planetary and social boundaries of the “Doughnut”. Finally, the paper dwells on the sustainability assessment methods of industrial practices to highlight the consistency between the criteria selected by the different tools, and the concepts of Sustainability and Health inherent in the methodological approach of design. It converges to identify under-researched aspects of implemented practices on which design can focus to develop Industry 5.0.

The paper aims at describing an ongoing research based on the development of individual protection devices, characterized by the use of technological innovation and biomimetic processes, for the customization of the product according to the facial physiognomic characteristics of each user. To date, the state of the art, in the field of the development of innovative biomedical devices, shows an increasingly strong link between design and medicine, and a design based on the human-centered design approach is increasingly recurrent, in order to meet the needs of users, including the need to make devices customizable, suitable in the different contexts of everyday life, comfortable and practical to wear, and easy to dispose of. The ambition was, therefore, to reinterpret a particular type of personal safety equipment (PPE), the face mask, with the aim of increasing its usability. To do this, the research made use of an innovative design and production process, based on the use of the biomimetic approach for both the morphological and functional aspects of the project. In this regard, the inspiration from the bone texture—strong but light—and the gripping function of the fingertips of tree frogs, represent important references with respect to the research conducted. As far as the production aspects are concerned, the research made use of digital surveying and additive manufacturing (3D Printing—3DP), in order to realize a device that could be adapted to the user's needs, as well as easily reproducible and disposable.

The object of study in this research is the possibility of integrating new tools into the Fashion design process in order to implement the sustainability and productivity of the process. By new tools, we mean (a) digital prototyping with three-dimensional models as an additional tool to physical prototyping and (b) the introduction and application of zero waste methodology in pattern design. The study analyze the application of these tools in existing design processes and research testifying to the state of the art. The Covid-19 pandemic facilitated and, in some cases, intensified the use of new technologies in design processes and the development of new technologies to implement design phase transformation. At the same time, the pandemic period has encouraged and stimulated reflection on the issue of sustainability within the fashion supply chain, bringing to light the various possibilities offered by the design of a zero-waste mode. The increasing introduction of technology into production processes has accelerated and implemented the design possibilities of designers and style offices, improving the interaction between the creative and production sectors. Despite the adoption of various solutions, only a few companies have fully integrated 3D prototyping into their production workflows. Fashion schools and training programs have begun offering courses and modules to prepare future digital designers, but skepticism persists in the industry that hinders technological evolution.

Every need can be satisfied by reducing consumption and CO2 emissions, ethically redefining priorities, changing the approach to conceiving and producing goods. “Industry 5.0” recognizes industry's role as a “resilient provider of prosperity and solutions,” putting the well-being of the environment and the worker at the centre of the production process, not only an accelerator of well-being but more importantly an enabler of change and innovation. Supply chain management (the cradle of the process) evolves the concept of “smart manufacturing for the future,” characteristic of Industry 4.0, towards the use of human creativity (critical and cognitive thinking) of experts (scientists, scholars, researchers) working together with efficient, intelligent and precise machines to produce resilient innovation. In these two terms, Innovation and Resilience, the ‘Ousia’ of the human-nature relationship is preserved. The strength of this nascent business reality lies in the concept: we are not only talking about innovative materials, but a production methodology that optimizes time, quantity and quality of input resources (among all, matter, but also energy and scientific know-how), processes and results, creating value chains of the Circular Bioeconomy, based on waste/scrap valorization. The innovative concept lies in defining the material ‘on demand,’ based on the physical and technical characteristics needed, both on the theoretical and application levels by promoting, as Faivre asserts, “a more resource-efficient, inclusive and sustainable growth model”.

Despite the common misconception that digital technology tends to “dematerialize” human activities, the environmental impact of the Internet is no longer negligible. As data traffic keeps growing at alarming speed, it is estimated that the entire network will consume 20% of global electricity production by 2025. Such energy consumption is a direct consequence of the great amount of time that we—and our smart devices—spend online. Although the cloud computing model allows to produce energy-efficient devices, data centers tend to consume more and more energy. At the same time, digital content is becoming heavier, mostly due to the growing importance of video streaming and the complexity of contemporary interfaces. Heavier websites and continuous content updates impact the energy usage of the network infrastructure and shorten the lifespan of the expensive devices that we use to access the Internet. Such a scenario requires web designers to acknowledge the environmental issue as a main driver in their efforts to optimize User Experience. Among the parameters that define the quality of a digital artifact, sustainability must play a central role, as complex, ultra-fast, and highly personalized interfaces may satisfy the user but represent a liability for our ecosystem’s survival. The paper proposes an analysis of energy-efficient websites, that clarify how designers can make environmentally conscious choices. Ultimately, methodological tools are offered to recognize, evaluate, and decrease the impact of digital interfaces on the Internet carbon footprint.

Digital information connects with humans through multiple modes characterized by time and space. The development of interactive digital experiences highlights the need to develop a design methodology based on knowledge of the relationship between body, time and space. The state-of-the-art research around the topic of rhythm shows how it can be a container of knowledge for design. Through rhythm, perception acquires sensory information and translates it based on experience. Humans are used to reading rhythmic elements in space and time and are naturally influenced by them. At the social level, communities and individuals relate through rituals that are repeated over time and are punctuated by specific narrative sequences. The effects of rhythm within the fields of sociology, perception, art, motor behaviors, and physiology, testify to this inextricable link. Starting with the analysis of case studies linking rhythm and digital information, the research attempts to understand the ways in which specific digital rhythms are naturally experienced by humans. Through a biomimetic methodology, the research proposes an investigation with the aim of understanding how some rhythmic forms can activate communicative processes with users, their memory or with real spaces. The research uses a rhythmic analysis of user experience based on Cartesian time/information visualization systems. The findings highlight how the rhythmic dimension expresses instrumental design directions balancing the pervasive relationship between information and humans.

Nowadays, design is experiencing a turn towards complexity, from the product to the value-chain level, to tackle the challenges of new ‘phygital’ (physical + digital) socio-technical systems. This is opening designers to new advanced sectors but is also leading to reframing established research domains. Among those, Tourism is characterised by a highly complex and fragmented value chain, marked by a business-as-usual model that needs design-driven innovation. It has been a front-runner sector in e-commerce, but this has mainly affected booking processes and commercial transactions. A systemic transition towards digital innovation is still lacking. The design discipline has missed the holistic perspective needed to understand the mutual relationships between the actors in the system. This process is even more urgent considering the global and local impacts of travel experiences, which the pandemic has just paused but not stopped. Decision-makers are increasingly striving for a sustainable sector transition; hence the research community is advancing systemic reflections on a regenerative culture of tourism. Design can support this new scenario, exploring how tourism can generate social, environmental, and economic value and well-being within the visited context, improving the travel experience through sustainable behaviours. The chapter will address the complexity behind the socio-technical tourism system and the digital-physical experiences that travellers undergo to explore, plan, book, live and then remember and share a journey. Present and future strategies for regenerative tourism are examined to define the ongoing and forward-looking trends that can involve design disciplines. These include designing and managing sustainable dynamics through stakeholder engagement practices, mapping and using data and digital information, designing communication and physical products supporting regenerative travel experiences.

Waterfront public space is a significant carrier that exemplifies the vitality and image of a waterfront city, and its design capability plays an important part in forming the city’s image, brand, and cultural soft power. There are still many outstanding issues with the current design of urban waterfront space, such as the inability of the small space to adapt to a diversity of service content, the lack of clarity in the directionality of the demand for residential services, the limitations of digital service applications. This paper utilizes the micro-renewal practice of Huangpu Riverside public leisure service facilities as its research object and incorporates the concept of foreign exemplary cases to provide effective design recommendations for the future design of waterfront service space. The research refines the problems and summaries the design strategies of the research status of public service space using the methods of literature and case analysis. The current research findings are reflected in three aspects: Firstly, the functional requirements of public services have shifted from a single-function design to a green and composite-function design. Second, the application of digital mobile devices influences the facility utilization rate. Thirdly, public service facilities serve not only the daily requirements of residents, but also as an important conduit for urban cultural exchange. This research will contribute to the revitalization of waterfront public service space and the development of adaptive reuse design guidelines, thereby fostering the high-quality development of urban waterfront public space.

This paper proposes a research approach for addressing new sustainable design scenarios about urban mobility, from a product and service design perspective. The contribution introduces trends for promoting sustainable mobility solutions, also connected to the theme of active and healthy ageing, ranging from improving walkability to micro and active mobility. We propose to focus on the ‘movability’ concept as a designerly term to address new sustainable design scenarios in urban mobility. This term was coined in the ’60s within Piaggio, an Italian mobility company, and describes an opposing perspective to the predominant car-centric model. The movability concept emphasises walkability and the usage of emergent technologies to support the human ability to move. Consequently, we introduce the ‘Design for Movability’ (DxM) concept for addressing contemporary mobility challenges from a product and service design perspective. Case studies to explore the DxM perspective are presented both from the literature and the ‘research through design’ experiences of a research laboratory engaged in sustainable urban mobility through product design. The paper reports the early results by analysing the identified cases from the literature, and emergent concepts from Design Sprint sessions with young designers. Finally, a framework is proposed to be used in product and service design to address contemporary challenges in urban mobility. The paper concludes by reflecting on DxM as a design approach that favours the natural human predisposition to walk, with advantages in terms of recovering the relationship between humans and nature, humans and urban environment, rising social interaction, and people and urban wellbeing.

In this chapter are described the research and project activities dedicated to exploring an innovative theme concerning the production, processing, consumption, and storage of microalgae, considered the food of the future, to allow life on other planets in our solar system, starting with the Moon. Design today plays a key strategic role in space to increase the well-being of extra-terrestrial habitats and propose new virtuous sustainable Space Design scenarios to strengthen the relationship between humans and nature in confined environments, and therefore devoid of natural sensory stimuli, and especially with reduced gravity. At this time, all the efforts of the space agencies are focused on the development of lunar base projects that will be the first outpost on our satellite. The most recent proposals are oriented to the use of resources in situ, such as regolith, adapting to new environmental characteristics. A fundamental topic will be the complete self-sufficiency of the base that will have to function as a “living organism” in a position to generate and completely recycle the resources. On the lunar surface the use of microalgae becomes very interesting, especially if declined in new applications that go beyond the functional aspects, and that instead extend to the psycho-physiological and emotional ones to create a true symbiotic relationship between human beings and nature. The structure of the chapter is divided into a first part explaining what it means and implies to design for space.The central part is dedicated to analyzing the environmental conditions of the Moon that most influence the design of habitable structures. The third and final part describes several case studies that concern the theme of microalgae and that have been developed by Space4InspirAction at the Politecnico di Milano, the first and unique laboratory of Space Architecture and Design in the world supported by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Year 2050, the Moon. Year 2100, planet Mars. Human settlements have been established off Earth, where daily life is possible thanks to a system of pressurized bubbles and the local, self-sufficient production of resources. But what system of institutions and policies will govern those settlements? Will it still be a democratic system? This perspective on the future interests us, not because it is more or less plausible, but because it provides an opportunity to reflect on the societal implications of design and technology choices. It is a convenient approach for cross-disciplinary collaboration between the fields of design and legal- and policy-making. In this context, speculative design can pursue “sustainable scenarios” following the “environmental, social, and governance” guidelines of the U.N. Bruntland Commission, questioning current economic, social, and political structures and rethinking our relationship with nature. Designing the social, as well as the institutional and legal implications of living in outer space is also an educational opportunity, one that we have explored in a series of design labs at our university, where the goal is to instill awareness of the deep interdependence that binds all the components of our technological, political, and institutional ecosystem.

The paper explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in designing facilities for human habitation in non-terrestrial habitats, particularly on the Moon and Mars. The author propose the concept of “Anthroporobotocene” to highlight the significant role of robots in shaping these environments to make them suitable for human life. The paper analyzes the state-of-the-art in the production of designs for future living scenarios on these planets, highlighting the potential of innovative tools that are increasingly making their appearance in the design world. The author presents a speculative view of the outputs created by AI systems, including text-to-text and text-to-image models. The text-to-text model was used to obtain an accurate description of what a building designed for Mars might look like, and the text-to-image model was used to convert the textual output into various graphic illustrations. The paper concludes that while AI is not yet mature enough to fully curate architectural or product designs, platforms with inherent graphical capabilities can provide interesting visual suggestions. Overall, the paper contributes to ongoing discussions about the challenges of space exploration and the role of technology in designing, building and developing living environments that promote the mental and physical well-being of the settlers of non-terrestrial habitats.

Humanity’s expansion into space has already begun. According to the approach of the futures studies, it is possible and probable that in the last quarter of this century the presence of Humankind in space is characterized by a permanent settlement dedicated to typically industrial activities, associated with those of research and tourism as well as the necessary management (operation and maintenance) of infrastructures. All based no longer under a strictly hierarchical and highly structured organization like that of current space missions and stations, but based on a social and democratic organization very similar to many examples we have on Earth: the Cislunar City, which includes 12 “districts” in close correlation with the Earth and distributed among the low Earth orbit (at various altitudes), the lunar orbit and the Moon surface, and the Lagrangian points as well. It will be inhabited by one thousand people (a third of whom for tourism reasons), with primary activity oriented to the extraction/collection of resources and their transformation, useful for life in the cislunar city but also for “export” towards the Earth. Habitats, logical relationship among the districts, services are here elaborated, as well as necessary basic legal framework and impact on natural environmental.

The paper aims to investigate the relationship between Design and Space, understood as a territory of innovation that has always influenced design culture’s expressive and imaginative potential. In particular, it is highlighted how this relationship still conditions the way we relate, as humans and as designers, to the concepts of nature and technological innovation. Beginning with a critical reasoning on the millennial human-technology-nature relationship, the paper will investigate how spatial research, has inspired both theoretical-philosophical models, expressive languages and technological transfers that have influenced design at multiple levels, from morphological to material and conceptual. Subsequently, the paper will focus on design research applied to Space, understood as a place of speculation where design finds opportunities to develop critical and future-oriented projects in a context of experimentation at high rates of innovation. Finally, the paper will demonstrate, how the evolution of the relationship between design and spatial research, which has now become biunivocal, contributes to the maturity of the human-nature-technology debate. Indeed, Space becomes a territory for experimentation of new models, aimed at recreating eco-symbiotic design visions for the nurturing and development of life, applicable to such contexts as well as to the future of our Planet.

Fashion in space is not to be understood in the same way as on Earth. It’s not about designing glamorous collections inspired by space style, as happened during the Space Age, in which the massive use of synthetic materials with colors that preferred the shades of white and silver gave rise to plastic shapes inspired by science fiction films. Designing clothes that will be used by astronauts in space, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), means knowing very well an environment unknown to us, governed by different laws such as confinement and microgravity, that are not part of our daily experience and cannot be reproduced on our planet. And vice-versa, designing clothes that will be used on Earth, that integrate space technologies, means having the ability to identify the most promising innovations used in space and transform them into new applications. In this chapter are described two case studies conducted by the author, who for more than twenty years has been dealing with Space Design, which highlight in the first case, how design can take a priority role to improve life in space, and in the second, how design can act as a “bridge” between science and beauty generating spin-offs from space to Earth. The first case study concerns the VEST and GOAL experiments, a clothing system for the Intra-Vehicular Activities (IVA) of astronauts on board the ISS, based on new parameters designed specifically for Space, with the aim of increasing the comfort and performance of astronauts during daily activities. The second case study, the capsule collection COUTURE IN ORBIT, points out that Space can be a great inspiration for Design that is able to speak different languages and convey to the public how space research is important to produce well-being and innovation thanks to technology transfers, good practices, and behaviors, from Space to Earth.