From January 24th onwards, ADI Design Museum hosts ENERGIA. Design for evolving scenarios, an exhibition organized by the students of the Master course in Product Service System Design of the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano. Innovation studio this year focused on how to design product-service system solutions that will be populating our homes in a very unpredictable future: a future influenced by an important energetic crisis.

The current geopolitical situation has led to a significant rise in the prices of fuel and energy and it is expected that this will worsen in the near future. The situation can also be seen as an anticipation of future increases when actions to mitigate climate change may lead to a radical reappraisal of energy pricing. Access to energy allows people to live with adequate thermal conditions, light their environments, power appliances to cook, wash, communicate, learn and entertain themselves. Energy poor households experience insufficient levels of these energy services which affects their standard of living but also puts at risk their social inclusion. As designers we have multiple ways of addressing this issue with services, artefacts that can ensure a just and inclusive transition to low or zero energy solutions.

Innovation Studio continues the work done in the previous years by proposing the topic “Uncertain Times” exploring how, from a critical understanding of the present, we can conceive product-service system solutions that shape the future.

ENERGIA. Design for evolving scenarios focuses on the idea of evolution and the topic of energy crisis. It promotes ideas about how we, our habits, and the things surrounding us can and will have to evolve and adapt to future scenarios where the energy crisis will worsen. In fact 3 scenarios will be the red thread of the exhibition, which will help visitors move through the projects created by 93 students.

1. EVOLVING FOR CLIMATE
One of the most common uses of energy is to adapt to the climate. Hot, cold, dry, humid. Air conditioners, refrigerators, stoves, humidifiers, dehumidifiers. With climate change, temperatures and weather will become more and more extreme. The first scenario invites us to think about how, instead of consuming energy to stay cooler or warmer, we can utilize the climate itself to better adapt to it.

2. EVOLVING FOR SCARCITY
Scarcity is the basis of many crises, such as the energy one. Lack of energy will lead to unaffordable prices and planned blackouts in both the public and private sectors, as is already happening. How will people live when they do not have electricity not just for 2 hours, but for the whole night? How will we cook with less energy?
This second scenario explores how to make the best use of available resources in a context of scarcity or how to use alternative energies to conduct everyday activities.

3. EVOLVING FOR SHARED SYSTEMS
Sharing and living together will be at the heart of the response to the energy crisis, both as a mental and social support and as a necessity to limit consumption and reduce energy costs. This scenario explores how products and services can help during this transition towards a more collective dimension.

The shape of our life,
is made up of energy.
Everything we do daily,
involves energy
But the future,
is uncertain.
The changing of climate,
The uncertainties in society and economy,
And the scarcity of resources.
The future we face,
differs from what we imagined
As designers,
we decided to take up the challenge.
Evolving for this uncertain future
with our 16 projects exhibited,
made by 93 students from Politecnico di Milano
We look forward to your visit.

Professors:
Valentina Auricchio, Stefana Broadbent, Marta Corubolo, Fabio Di Liberto, Ilkka Suppanen

Tutors:
Vanessa Monna, Chenfan Zhang

Curators:
Marco Biferale, Aurora Chiaravalloti, Domenica Lecca, Monica Mingiardi, Meutia Rahmadina, Mercedes Maria Vitali, Veronica Tappi, Zhiben Zheng

Special thanks to:
Students of the Master course in Product Service System Design
Laboratorio Allestimenti del Dipartimento di Design - Politecnico di Milano
Laboratorio Immagine del Dipartimento di Design - Politecnico di Milano

More information about the project available at www.uncertaintimes.polimi.it