IED Graduates Deploy Design Against Loss of Common Goods

Marking an evolution in contemporary societal intervention, the Master of Arts programs at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) treat design as a mediator between communities and common goods. Rooted in the understanding of commons as shared material and immaterial resources, the overarching theme of Design X Commons elevates these graduate thesis projects past traditional product styling to confront climate vulnerability, urban privatization, labor exploitation, and spatial inequality.

IED structures its two-year programs to foster independent critical thinking against systemic global issues. Positioning the management of natural and immaterial resources—known as commoning—as a fundamental design practice, graduates utilize research, material testing, and participatory methods to challenge industrial habits and build regenerative models supporting human and environmental ecosystems.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

At IED Milano, Michele Martelloni addresses coastal erosion along the Apuan shoreline with 'Systemic Reef'. The project transforms industrial tetrapod into a porous, modular structure utilizing waste marble powder from local quarries to dissipate wave energy, establishing a five-step protocol for systemic coastal management. In the Visual Communication program, Ana Sofia Camacho created 'En la Olla. Narratives of Joyful Subversion' to explore cultural identity and everyday Latin American expressions as a form of resistance.

At the intersection of spatial politics and climate adaptation, Olga Matsiuk developed 'Where did water go?' in Milan to address urban water accessibility through a temporary public bathing festival at Piazza Kaisserlian. Meanwhile, at IED Roma, Elena Bicocchi targets neighborhood revitalization with 'Strada domestica' by reclaiming Via Valesio from automobile traffic and turning a vacant roadway into a resident-managed civic center in collaboration with local authorities.