My profile

Me in greyscale.

I am a designer, graduated at the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano in 2001. During the last 15 years, I have been working on theoretical and applied researches in the field of design for SMEs and Local Production Systems. In parallel I have been practicing as communication and information designer and strategic design consultant. In 2010, I started to follow emerging phenomena such as Fab Labs, making, digital and personal fabrication. So, I started my doctoral research (I completed my PhD thesis at the end of 2014). My research topic explores the role of design within the paradigmatic change of production models. For this reason, I investigated a specific phenomenon: the rise of a new generation of designers (and other creative professionals) that are transforming/evolving themselves into new hybrid individuals-organizations able to concentrate in a personal dimension all the functions of a 'traditional' enterprise: R&D, Design, Prototyping and Production, Distribution combined with a strong attitude to research funds ( https://polimi.academia.edu/MassimoBianchini, here it’s possible to read some papers and articles about this phenomenon). Since 2011, I have been collaborating in developing educational and research projects aiming at exploring the potential of indie innovators such as makers and designers-craftsmen. ( http://www.newitalianlandscape.it/underdogs/, http://www.makefactory.org/farb/#makingpolimi). Finally at the end of 2014 we opened the design factory at Politecnico di Milano. This space, which named Polifactory, combines a makerspace and a coworking.

So, for me there are two reasons to participate at Fab Academy:

In the last 5 years I have been acquiring precious theoretical knowledge but I am progressively loosing my practical capabilities. I think that to do research and to teach in the field of new models of innovation and production, it is vital to go back learning how to do new things. In this way, I could support other people and organizations to better materialize their ideas.

I am working to set-up Polifactory. Following Fab Academy I am learning a new method to manage the complexity of a makerspace.