Genova 2004: a Test-Bed for Industrial Design Students to Integrate Cultural Content and Information Technologies in Cross-Media Platforms

M. A. Alberti, A. Brogi and P. Trapani
Politecnico di Milano and Università degli Studi di Milano

Genoa has been designated as the European Capital of Culture 2004, along with the French city of Lille, by the Government of EU. The event offered an occasion to stimulate students to produce original content to compliment the official program and to experiment with technology using a variety of media. The official Genoa 2004 calendar is structured in three main themes: Genoa, the City of Arts; the Capital of the Sea; and the Contemporary City. Students had to choose one of the three areas, make proposals of new concepts of cultural products and services, and implement the prototype.

The educational experience took place in AY 02/03 at the Faculty of Industrial Design, Politecnico di Milano, where the authors were giving the fourth-year semester-long course Laboratorio di Tecnologie e sperimentazione prototipi II, for students in the Communication track.

The paper describing the rational. Sample of the visual materials developed in the students projects:

Still frame from the video spot to advertise Magazena event with an animated mascot.
Still image from the video spot Remescià simulating the information flow between the community and the editorial board through the delivery channels.
Still frame from the interactive movie Controsenso. Seeing through the blind person experience: the perception of lights and shadows in the busy city night.
M.A. Alberti, A. Brogi and P. Trapani. April 2004.
maria.alberti@unimi.it andrea.brogi@unimi.it paola.trapani@unimi.it

Politecnico di Milano
Dipartimento di Industrial Design, Arti, Comunicazione e Moda (INDACO)
Via Durando 38/A, I- 20158 Milano (ITALY)

Università degli Studi di Milano
Dipartimento di Informatica e Comunicazione (DICo)
Via Comelico 39, I - 20135 Milano (ITALY)