Xue Pei

• PhD in Design
• Assistant Professor at Politecnico di Milano

Citizen empowerment as co-researchers Diversity in walkability experiences Focusing on the 15-minute city, which requires a diverse population and various services accessible within walking distance, the contribution underlines the importance of considering human differences, such as age, gender, and abilities, to develop inclusive urban contexts....

The furniture industry represents a substantial segment of Europe’s economy, with the European Union producing approximately 25% of the world’s furniture. This sector is currently transitioning towards a circular economy. This study aims to thoroughly examine the circular initiatives undertaken by European furniture companies, emphasising the role...

Manufacturing companies find themselves at the crossroads of innovation and sustainability in an era of growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility. This paper delves into Design for Sustainability, aiming to understand the practices Italian design furniture companies are implementing towards sustainability through case studies analysis of...

The proposed article addresses pressing sustainability challenges, advocating for a profound transformation of existing development models, particularly emphasizing sustainable production and lifestyles. Utilizing a research method grounded in a comprehensive international knowledge base, the study explores the evolution of design for sustainabilit...

The concept of the 15-minute city is a promising model to transform modern cities towards sustainability and resil- ience. However, the possibilities and accessibility to walking in the urban neighborhood depend on various factors. The av- erage citizen could not be considered a reference to planning and making our cities. If cities are for all, di...

Design thinking (DT) is expanding its horizons across a variety of different domains. One of the early and debated contributions regarding DT addressed its relationship with the entrepreneurial field. Today, there are numerous contributions that design thinking can offer in the creation of new ventures. However, there are few examples in the litera...

Proximity has lately become a keyword to approach territorial enhancement goals. The most common representation of proximity at the urban level is the idea of the 15-minute city, which has gained massive attention in political, economic, social, and academic discourses. However, this idea is not new in the worldwide panorama and, during the COVID-1...

This research is born in response to the Covid-19 pandemic breakout worldwide. Many countries are seriously affected and many people have been enforced to a strict lockdown at home. Many activities previously performed outside now have to be done at home, which subsequently requires new functions and new ways of interactions in the domestic environ...

The scientific debate on how and why teach design thinking to non-design students is strongly evolving. However, literature shows a significant gap in defining which are the key elements to train and teach a specific aspect of the design thinking process: how to deal with design-based research. Which kind of pedagogical framework can be adopted to...

The role of the working environment on the wellbeing of employees and on companies’ performances has been analysed and studied. It is noticed that a good workplace could actively support employees to be active, motivated and collaborative. But, how to shape the workplace through balancing the needs from employees and the company still remains open....

This document is a first outcome of an ongoing research conducted by Creative Industries Lab (Cilab), a Design Research Lab of the Design Department at Politecnico di Milano. It addresses those who wish to understand how our homes have changed following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and how this worldwide crisis could leverage our homes to...

This paper is based on the research project-"LONGEVICITY"-carried out in the Metropolitan Area of Milan, which looks at the cities of the future as highly populated by long-living active people and innovative technological facilities. The project is conducted by a multidisciplinary research approach to study how to support social inclusion of elder...

This paper is based on a research project carried out in the Metropolitan Area of Milan, which looks at cities of the future as highly populated by long-living active people and characterized by innovative technological facilities. The project is conducted based on a multidisciplinary research approach with the goal of studying how to enhance the e...

The main research objective of this work is to compare and map the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) in Europe and worldwide in order to establish a roadmap for building a new Creative Centre in a specific context. Based on a previous research, this study has been developed through integrating both qualitative and quantitative research methods...

The industries and sectors related to kids are relatively following a traditional development process, which are mainly driven by marketing or technology innovation. How “design”, as a discipline, is acknowledged in this field still remains at the the first and second levels: treating designers and design skills as a way to make graphics and create...

The aim of this paper is to present a new methodology in teaching the strategic design approach combining e-learning with practice activities in a unique process of learning experience. Design is moving its domain area close to the management of the innovation and the company strategy. In this new framework strategic design is a mind-set that drive...

The aim of this exploratory paper is to generate a method of evaluating design interventions for organizational change in third sector and to apply this method to an ongoing design research project with a national social cooperative in Italy. The evaluation model is a way to present what changes and impacts that design, especially strategic design,...

It’s increasingly clear that design is no longer just an added value for business in contributing to developing better products, services and experiences; instead, it’s leading a new methodology in managing the process of innovation. In social cooperatives, design thinking is providing possibilities to better organize complex internal relationships...