Francesca Tosi

This volume presents the results of two research programmes, born from collaboration between universities and businesses, developed on the theme of design innovation in the camper van sector, and aimed at raising the level of quality and innovation of the Camper system. This particularly effective line of work, developed over a period of about six years, was carried out by the University of Florence, in collaboration with the University of Siena and a group of companies active in the motorhome sector, led by Trigano S.p.A., with the participation and contribution of numerous and diverse academic and professional experts. Design plays a central role in the areas of innovation identified as essential to the relaunch of the camper sector: product innovation, increased versatility of the camper and its interior layout, the ability to respond to new profiles of potential users/buyers, the introduction of elements of adaptability and internal versatility, the environmental sustainability of the entire product life cycle and the reduction of consumption during use, and, finally, innovation in the services offered to motorhome owners, both by the company in terms of customer service and by the local tourism industry. The results achieved, presented in this volume, stem from the integration of the Human Centred Design approach and Design for Sustainability, which are now increasingly closely linked and mutually indispensable for the creation of solutions capable of raising the overall quality of the product system.

Today’s aging phenomena is bringing about important changes in the make-up of our population with consequential need for assistance and cures, thus substantially increasing the costs sustained by society. The policies of the European Community aim to maintain general health and to promote lifestyles capable of sustaining a level of self-sufficiency and at the same time an “intelligent” process of aging, where one remains active and healthy for as long as possibile. The education to physical activity and to sports is a very important objective, which require the development of a conscious attitude of citizens towards their own health. With emphasis on the ergonomics of design and on methods of innovation, Human Centered Design designates likely scenarios in the near future and proposes possibile solutions which concentrate on needs and expectations, allowing one to maintain an active life, through wellness and prevention. This paper presents the results of the “Smart Running” workshop, promoted by the Laboratory of Ergonomics and Design (LED) of the University of Florence in collaboration with Technogym, a leading-edge company that develops fitness equipment for any physical activity. The projects represent innovative solutions for indoor running, particularly intent on involving an increasing number of participants.

The product falls within research sector of Ergonomics in Design, and precisely addresses issues on the relationship among Human-Centred Design (HCD) and Design for Innovation methods in the field of Motor Caravans Systems. European Union suggests design as a key discipline and activity to bring new ideas to the market, transforming them into user-friendly and appealing products or services. Though still often associated solely with aesthetics, the application of design is much broader and can represent a concrete strategy for the growth of the market worldwide. A more systematic use of design as a tool for Human-centred and market-driven innovation in all sectors of the economy, complementary to R&D, would improve significantly European competitiveness. Bearing this in mind, the work presents the outcomes achieved in the framework of the POR CReO-FP7 project “TRIACA - Soluzioni Tecnologiche per la Riduzione dell'Impatto Ambientale del camper in fase di utilizzo” developed in partnership with Trigano SpA, an established company throughout Europe and leading in Italy in the motorhome sector. In Italy, the recreational vehicle sector has always been present and active, although in recent years the motor caravan industry recorded a strong decrease of orders due to the economic downturn and a flattened supply. In this scenario, the project is aimed at the development of innovative solutions in terms of environmental sustainability and quality of the user experience. The research is focused on the experimentation and testing of the HCD approach, especially its investigation methods, based on the direct involvement of users, and its evaluation methods for usability and safety. To sum up, TRIACA project produced significant outcomes in the field of interest, as it strongly contributed to the development of innovative solutions in relation to delicate issues, such as environmental sustainability and quality of use experience. The experimentation of the HCD methods and its iterative approach proved to be effective. It made possible to collect useful data, partly based on the direct and active engagement of the users, to create new use scenarios and to improve eco-efficiently the product. The design action and the multidisciplinary dimension of the research project allowed also to test and transfer formal, technological and environmental innovations of the Concept Open Space 230 project within the productive sector of Trigano SpA. These innovations are now available within the company offer. Finally, the “Concept Open Space 230” was marketed under the name “Triaca 230 TL” and recently, a new version, named “Triaca 232 TL” motorhome, has been proposed.

The current urban regeneration projects must respect the peculiarity of social compactness that exist in a specific territory and that depend on the degree of relationship established between the inhabitants and the places in which they live. Especially in Italy, these peculiarity create an "urban identity" that is a very complex heritage: shared, peculiar, nourished by stories, characters, memories of places and which was built by a balanced and symbiotic society, aimed at product excellence and quality of life. The dynamic strength of this compactness has designed the appearance of cities with strong distinctive characteristics, signs of cultural authenticity. Today this force is projected from the urban center to the surrounding territories, while in the recent past it was in the opposite direction, that is from the surrounding territories to the center of the city. In this direction and thanks to the renewed productivity in the food and wine sector, in recent years some urban redevelopment projects in Tuscany have been very innovative: buildings integrated into the surrounding landscape, associated with innovative technologies and designed to respect the existing value. They are models of a successful attempt to preserve the territorial identity by integrating the past (buildings, streets, gardens, churches, etc.) with the recent past (industrial buildings, cellars, social housing, etc.). This work presents the results of the research in the identification of some "itineraries" within the Tuscan territory, to highlight the contribution of architecture and design to the maintenance of that ideal thread that links the best practices of the past with the cultural identity of the present.

The relationship with tradition – in particular, that with the excellence of Italian manufacturing expertise – and, at the same time, the focus on modernity and the opportunities offered by technological innovation, are core values of Italian design culture and Italian design in particular. The history of Made in Italy has therefore always been based on its relationship with design and, in particular, with the figures of individual professionals who have interpreted the commitment to quality of large and small Italian companies. This is the case with the objects created by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori and Fontana Arte, as well as those by Gino Colombini for Kartell and the work of Aurelio Zanotta for the company of the same name, which are just some of the best-known examples of the relationship between designers and companies in Italy. This relationship combines manufacturing excellence with design excellence and tells us that the history of Italian design is above all a story of people and companies and their relationship with the territory. The essay addresses the relationship between excellence in craftsmanship and the opportunities offered by technological and social innovation, which were understood as key themes of the housing project and represent the common thread linking two seemingly distant worlds and eras – 1927 and 2017 – which, after ninety years, are engaged in a dialogue, so to speak, on one of the most sensitive themes of the project, namely the meaning of living and its relationship with the evolution of lifestyles and forms of family cohabitation. The 4th Monza Triennial Exhibition in 1930 represents a fundamental reference point for this dynamic moment in the design culture of our country: the event presented a series of proposals on domestic furnishings and private architecture that demonstrated the extraordinary harmony of the designers' basic interests but, at the same time, a marked difference in the values and ideas on which these proposals were based.

In particular, the design for the Elettrica house by Figini and Pollini, still considered one of the most innovative examples of domestic furnishings, immediately received mixed reactions from the Italian public. It was an ingenious proposal, but far removed from the lifestyles and real expectations of the Italian middle classes. The holiday home, designed by Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia, in line with Gio Ponti's theories on the human home, had a traditional layout and was aimed at a wealthy middle class with established habits and lifestyles. Unlike the Elettrica house, it was completely contemporary for its time, perfectly in line with the lifestyles, desires, and cultural references of the bourgeoisie of the 1920s. Immediately after 1930, the 'electric house' and 'man's house' models became the starting point for a reflection on contemporary living and possible visions of new forms of living that today make the most of opportunities - some of which are already feasible based on existing technologies already on the market, while others can only be hypothesised in the future.

The experience of the 1930 Monza Triennial is therefore a valuable and essential reference point for rethinking the meaning of the traditional home – starting with Gio Ponti's Casa dell'uomo – and the 'home of innovation' linked to the Casa elettrica and the theories of rationalism. The essay also presents the results of the design experiment conducted in 2017 with young designers on the theme of 'innovation in living, a vision of the future', as part of the initiatives carried out within the exhibition '1927 il ritorno in Italia' (1927: the return to Italy) organised by the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in the same year.