This book describes new thinking and practice in Advanced Design (ADD) - design that is not
merely highly developed but anticipates the future by envisioning novel products and processes.
The focus is especially on the front end of innovation and the search for solutions in complex
pioneering processes using design-related tools and practices. The book opens by describing
these tools the approaches that characterize ADD and its historical dimension. Specific fields
in which ADD has flourished are then examined exploring the dynamics between research and
design. The coverage ranges from transportation lighting and electrical appliances through to
business networks technology parks and the development of ground-breaking materials. Advance
Design is the name of the research group at the Politecnico di Milano (Italy's largest
technical university) of which the authors are members. It was chosen to reflect both the
advanced tangible dimension of design in terms of modern product development materials and
technologies and an orientation toward radical innovation through user involvement and
imagination.
