PRO-DES. Localising design research for Scientific publishing. A case study of research and experimentation in Italy

This paper addresses issues related to the scientific publishing of design research through a national-scale approach that can serve as a reference model and be transferred or replicated in other contexts. In 2023, within the Italian Design Society, the national research group Pro-Des: Scientific Production of Design was established to investigate and experiment with the complex phenomenon of scientific publication in design from cultural, institutional, interdisciplinary, and technological perspectives. Over the past two years, the group has coordinated several activities to position the topic and stimulate discussion at the national level, while maintaining a dialogue with the international landscape. Since its establishment, ProDes has explored new formats and innovative publishing processes, responsible models for evaluating quality and impact, and diversity in design publishing, later extending its focus to the ecosystemic dimension of the publishing landscape, Open Access, and emerging technologies such as AI in scientific publishing. This paper presents Pro-Des as a case study showing how global issues in scientific publishing have been addressed locally by the Italian design community, to raise awareness and influence structural policies for scientific knowledge production. It focuses on the main research phases and objectives and their outcomes, offering an analytical reflection on how design research has been shaped by the specific conditions of the Italian publishing ecosystem. Adopting a dialogic, multi-stakeholder, and multi-agency perspective, the paper discusses how localised practices can interpret globally relevant concepts and provide a reference for further innovation in the publishing ecosystem.