Tools for adaptation in design education: research actions in the convergences between responsible innovation and knowledge design processes

Integrating Responsible Innovation (RI) into design practices is a complex process. This is often inhibited by limited knowledge of the issues and tools to support it. In order to bring awareness about these issues into the skills of future designers, a contemporary need emerges related to the integration of RI into university-level educational pathways. The research presented here aims to test new teaching and learning methodologies in which RI is integrated within the design issues offered to students in the Second Cycle Degree of Advanced Design courses of University of Bologna. The field of investigation proposed to the designers was the city of Bologna through an activity called Urban Data Sensification. In order to achieve this objective, the paper first presents three dimensions of adaptation, intended as field of investigation, methodology in educating designers. The convergence of these three perspectives leads to the presentation of a didactic experiment that demonstrates how to educate, in a holistic way, designers more adaptive, responsible and future focused. With this in mind, the research aims to verify the triggering of RI sensibility in product and service design. In the conclusions, the Authors present possible development of the approach.