Retail design education. Designing new and reframed learning tools for experience-based learning

Abstract

The retail industry is a fast-changing sector characterized by innovations' openness to adoption dictated both by technological advancement, supply chain management transformation and consumer behaviour evolution. As an increasingly knowledge-intensive industry, updated retail skills and competencies need to be investigated and improved, promoting new educational and learning approaches. The paper presents the results of an experience-based learning held within the “Fashion Retail Experience Studio” course at the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano and rooted in a project-based approach. Several learning tools were developed and applied in order to investigate how design can properly manage multi-level and multidisciplinary retail challenges fueling and generating meaningful innovation. A transdisciplinary perspective was also adopted in designing new design learning tools or adapting management, marketing and IT retail tools to enhance design competencies and skills with a holistic approach.