Research Seminar — Material Design for Transition towards Regenerative Futures

Prof. Valentina Rognoli is an Associate Professor in the Design Department at the School of Design at the Politecnico di Milano, where she both studied and began her academic career. She has worked in this field for over 25 years, developing her career around the concept of materials design and establishing internationally recognised expertise in research and education. Prior to entering academia, she spent three years working with Enzo Mari, an experience that profoundly influenced her design perspective. For her PhD (2000–2004), she conducted pioneering research into the expressive and sensory dimensions of materials for design, focusing on their experiential aspects — a key yet under-explored topic at that time. She also designed and launched the Materials Library at the Politecnico di Milano in 2000, which remains active and is continuously updated as a key resource for students and researchers. She is the founder and head of the Materials Design for Transition research group (established 2023), and established the Materials Design for Transition Lab at Politecnico di Milano. This lab is dedicated to tinkering and biotinkering practices with and on emerging materials. Her current research and teaching activities are focused on pioneering and challenging topics such as materials design for transition, biodesign, regenerative design, materials-driven design and materials experience.