Author: ZoeRomano

From the idea to the prototype with the help of open design

At the end of July I spent a week at Supsi with Massimo Banzi and around 20 participants at the Physical & Wearable computing with Arduino summer school. The focus of the course was on the design and prototyping of digitally fabricated interactive objects. It was the first time I was working with Massimo and some weeks before I shared with him the approach I had in mind. Usually, wearable technology workshops start from ready-made garments or accessories. Old gloves and t-shirts, cheap belts or jackets are “decorated” with technology. I wanted to experiment a different point of view. I would have brought some rough prototypes of wearable accessories made of felt and produced with a lasercut. I prepared the files during the previous months with the help of professional tailor Nadia – who knows much about measures and fit, and Vectorealism, my partners at Wefab – who gave me direct access to the lasercut to prepare the first drafts.

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The future of knitting

(Segue in italiano) When a couple of years ago I got interested in the development of the first open-source loom and interviewed Margarita Benitez of Osloom I suddenly realized the potentiality of weaving, knitting and crocheting in terms of modularity and flexibility. Now i’d like to present you two other projects that got my attention. They are not open-source, they are proprietary projects, but they show us how companies are researching and investing in new patented technologies that are revolutionizing the field. Start with watching these videos. the first is a glance on the Nike’s Flyknit technology and the second is a short interview with the designers who developed it. They show us the first example of the knitting of one piece of trainer uppers using flat and circular knitting technologies. The shoe weights only 160 grams and has multiple yarns of varying properties! Nike Flyknit technology film from Darrin Crescenzi on Vimeo. If you want to know more technical

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From chain production to chain reaction with open design

At the beginning of July I’m going to Barcelona invited at the Open Design Shared Creativity forum (check promotional code below!) to talk about open-source branding and collaborative clothing : “An international forum that seeks to explore and debate the emerging landscape of openness and exchange that is taking shape around practices such as open code, creative commons licensing, co-creation, de-localisation and collaboration. Digital technology and social networks have reached a point of maturity from which a new industrial culture is emerging, revolutionising the processes of creation, mediation, distribution and consumption. Taking design in all its expressions and forms as a starting point, the conference will be an important international forum of ideas, working platforms and specialised practices that are transforming the articulation of design with society, economy and culture. Designers, architects, artists, editors, web activists, programmers, curators, lawyers and cultural analysts will explore over two days the reality and the potential of open design culture, from new business models

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Designing Economic Cultures

Designing Economic Cultures is a three year long research project that Brave New Alps have been carrying on since January 2011 investigating the relationship between socio-economic precarity and the production of socially and politically engaged design projects. The main question they are trying to answer is: how can designers, who through their work want to question and challenge the prevalent economic system with its organisational forms and problematic consequences, gain a satisfying degree of social and economic security without having to submit themselves to the commercial pressures of the market? I was one of the persons involved for the interviews and here’s the result. ——— CONVERSATION This conversation was held in Zoe’s kitchen in Milan in February 2012. Bianca Elzenbaumer: Considering all the creative activist groups you have initiated and been part of, we are wondering what path brought you to be so thoroughly engaged with precarity. Could you trace your path for us? Zoe Romano: At the beginning I

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Perché ho chiesto a Passera e Profumo un FabLab in ogni città

Articolo originariamente pubblicato su CheFuturo Ne sono certa, ci sono tante cose che possiamo fare per innescare la rivoluzione di cui abbiamo bisogno. L’articolo di Massimo Banzi è un’altra prova del fatto che l’innovazione in Italia non sia un fantasma. Anche io qualche giorno fa ho lanciato una proposta all’interno della discussione pubblica per l’Agenda Digitale Italiana: creare un Istituto per la Manifattura Digitale. Il suo compito? Finanziare e pianificare per i prossimi 10 anni l’apertura di laboratori d’innovazione focalizzati su open design, manifattura sostenibile e artigianato digitale. Potete commentare l’idea e votarla se siete d’accordo. So cosa volete chiedermi: ma in un paese come l’Italia un istituto del genere serve davvero? Sì, perché investire su creatività e tecnologia rappresenta un’opportunità che non possiamo ignorare ma, allo stesso tempo, non è un’impresa facile. L’entusiasmo con cui vengono raccontate le storie di innovazione e startup a volte ricorda un po’ la retorica dei “due cuori e una capanna”. Nel caso delle

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