Designing Proximity

Laura Galluzzo, Ph.D. in Design, is Assistant Professor at the Design Department of Politecnico di Milano and Visiting Professor at the University of Navarra, in Pamplona, Spain. She is Operational Manager of Polimi DESIS Lab within the international DESIS Network (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability). Her research focus is on participative projects of (public) Spaces and Services. She has a specific expertise in the co-design of spaces as activators of collaborative actions, community hub, and incubators of social practices. She has been Researcher in various national and international research programs on this topic. She works on the relationship between Spaces and Services (S+S) design with a focus on temporary interventions, domestic, and urban transformations. She is Author of The Legacies of Interiors and Contemporary Living and many others scientific articles.

Francesco Zurlo is Full Professor of Industrial Design. He is Dean of the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano. His research interests focus on strategic, systemic, and creative research-through-design, considering the sustainable impact of business innovations and human flourishing. He is Member of the Scientific Committee of the Observatory of Design Thinking for Business of Politecnico di Milano and ADI Index, the selection of the most innovative Italian products and services, competing to win the prestigious national award “Compasso d’Oro”. He is Director of the Executive Master in Design Strategy and System Innovation. As Scientific Co-director, he follows the Master in Strategic Design and the Master in Furniture Design of POLI.design, a Politecnico di Milano consortium. He is Co-curator of the traveling exhibition—promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ADI—“Italia Geniale” and of the exhibition promoted by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, “Identitalia”.