NARRATIVE WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE. DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAM

In the current state of design education there has been a constant need for innovation in implementation techniques capable of activating learning processes in a more reflective and experiential way. The ability to maintain innovative design is more and more connected to being able to manage systems of transverse knowledge. When it comes to design thinking, the convergence of multiple and different disciplines has always raised great interest for the dynamic transferring of contents, procedures and tools. The varieties of languages used in the project and the message being spread have gained today a crucial role. Companies are now more and more busy with an innovation in meaning in which it becomes key to return not only the physical qualities of the object, but also to the core values and the sensory, communication, emotional and relational qualities. From a training point of view, the new complexity of the design project is oriented towards an experimental training program capable of managing both the tangible and intangible dimension of production. In this sense, the workshop appears as an activity aimed at triggering interaction processes between research and action when designing. The workshops of the Design School of Politecnico di Milano showcase a powerful platform for networking between students, professionals, industries and researchers. The workshop became a "place" in which knowledge and the experience of knowledge are recognized as the main factor for innovation. Furthermore, it also became a space where projects that require innovative solutions are addressed, as sometimes these are not referable to the teaching, professional or business practices that are traditionally instituted. Through the mapping of a series of case studies regarding workshops and of particular interest for the experimental level reached, the paper will proceed to the description of the methodological process and the underlying learning experience.