Design and Innovation: How Many Ways?

Cabirio Cautela earned his PhD in Business Management and is Assistant Professor of Strategic Design and Design Management at Politecnico di Milano. His research topics deal with the strategic role of design, the design management processes and how design generates new business models and new ventures. Since 2012, he has been Visiting Scholar at Stanford University (Center of Design Research) for the purpose of researching business models' evolution in start-ups' early stages.

Alessandro Deserti is full professor at Politecnico of Milano Design Department, where he teaches product development in the School of Design. His research focuses on approaches, processes, practices and tools for the development and management of design and design driven innovation. He investigated the new roles of design within companies, institutions and social environments, publishing books, essays, articles in journals and proceedings of international conferences. He has worked on applied research and consultancy for many companies and institutions, in Italy and abroad, coordinating projects at different levels: strategy, tools and methods, product development, communication and exhibition design.

Francesca Rizzo is Assistant Professor at University of Bologna, Department of Architecture, where she teaches Industrial Design. She worked on different European and national research projects in the field of Interaction Design and Service Design. Her current research topics are service design and design processes, especially in the area of participatory design. Francesca Rizzo is author of many articles published in the proceedings of conferences (DPPI, HCI, IASDR, PD; DRS) and journals (Codesign, Technology and Cognition, Communication of the ACM). She has been a visiting researcher at Aalto University, Finland, and visiting student at University of Louisville, USA.

Francesco Zurlo earned his PhD in Industrial Design and is Associate Professor of Industrial Design at Politecnico di Milano, where he has been Deputy Director of INDACO (Industrial Design, Art, Communication and Multimedia, Fashion Department) and Director of the International Master in Strategic Design. Held in China, he is also Director of the International Master in Interior Design and Management. He is author of numerous international publications about Strategic Design.