DRM, originally uploaded by densitydesign.

DRM research shows how research in design can be an effective tool in producing innovation in many strategic fields in the national system, but in general also for contemporary economies, beyond the common stereotypes which accompany the view of this discipline. This awareness must guide the actors of research and the institutions they must sustain in order to enter a more structured course of actions, most of all integrated at an international level. A DRM platform extended to Europe can certainly be a useful tool in increasing this awareness.

The aim of the DRM research is to map the experiences of design research in Italy.
It also aim at:
– Identifying the peculiarities of national design research contexts
– Developing strategies for future researches based on the described framework
– Producing a “visibility” tool for the national university system
– Awakening the Institutions about capacities of design research for participating to the development of the Country.
Furthermore the objective is to build a story in images through commented infographic maps, which has become the main tool for visually representing results, creating a visual reading trough a series of interpretive, comparative and indexing maps able to synthesise and represent complex information, valorizing the information and facilitating an immediate but detailed reading.

The design research map will be presented at the International Conference “Changing the Change” in Turin on July 2008, as part of events planned for “Torino 2008 World Design Capital“.

The promoters of the initiative are:
CDD | Coordinamento Nazionale dei Dottorati di Design – Association of Design Ph.D. Schools in Italy;
CPD | Conferenza dei Presidi delle Facoltà di Design e dei presidenti di corso di studi delle classi di disegno industriale e design – Association of Design Faculties and Degree programs in Italy;
SDI | Sistema Design Italia – Rete nazionale di agenzie universitarie per la ricerca in design – Network of ten academic design research agencies.
Sponsored by the Design Faculty and INDACO Department of Politecnico di Milano.

The full PDF is avaible here