High-End Experiences through Italian Design & Technology

Within the framework of the academic research activities of the Gianfranco Ferré Research Centre, Academic Residencies and Visiting Scholarships are promoted in collaboration with leading national and international academic institutions. These initiatives are addressed to students at all levels – bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, and post-doctoral. Among them is (Studio for) Design: Processes + Practices, a programme of Northeastern University that offers students an in-depth exploration of design as a strategic practice in the creation of brands, products, and experiences.

Following a series of visits to Italy’s leading centres of excellence, students explored the historical and cultural foundations of Italian design, analysing the role of emerging technologies in facilitating access to archives, enhancing creativity, and expanding brand potential. The core of the programme was an intensive workshop hosted at the Research Centre, which engaged students in an iterative process of research, preparatory studies, layout development, and prototyping.

The workshop provided an opportunity to address key themes such as: rethinking the role of archives within contemporary design practice; developing new modes of access to and reinterpretation of existing knowledge; defining innovative product categories and potential brand extensions; and experimenting with emerging technologies – from artificial intelligence to extended reality – to generate new products, experiences, and design solutions.