Design

TEACHING IN ITALIAN AND ENGLISH – ROME OR MILAN CAMPUS ❯

Projects that transform the world.

As a designer, you will shape our habitat or the mobility of the future: professions that combine hybrid and contemporary aesthetics with innovation and sustainability. By influencing tastes and trends, you will become an interpreter and designer of the community you live in, helping to build its deeper meaning.

Qualification:

First-Level Academic Diploma, equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree

Duration:

3 years, full time

Language:

Italian and English

Credits:

180 CFA

Campus:

Design Curriculum: Rome or Milan
Car Design Curriculum: Milan

Entry Requirements:

Italian students
Upper secondary school diploma

International students
High school diploma valid for access to the Italian higher education system
B2 language certificate in the language of instruction
At the time of enrolment, non-EU students are subject to the procedure for obtaining a student visa.

Field:

Design methodology, Product design, Multimedia design

Main subjects:

Design, Product Design, Digital Modelling, Light Design

Career opportunities:

Design Curriculum: Product Design, Interior Design, Virtual space design, Exhibit Design, Lighting system design.
Car Design Curriculum: 3D Modelling, Concept Design, Car Design, Mobility Design.

CURRICULUM

DESIGN

Rome or Milan · Italian or English

Contemporary spaces, furnishings and products are waiting to be renewed through the talent, intuition and skills of the designers of tomorrow. Today, the designer plays a central role in contemporary lifestyles and in processes of cultural and productive transformation.

Thanks to a solid education in design disciplines, the RUFA Designer is a professional capable of working in interior architecture, product design, and multimedia and interactive works. They master the main representation techniques, from sketching to the most advanced virtual reconstructions.

A well-rounded designer, they collaborate with craftsmanship and large-scale industry, developing individual objects as well as entire product lines. Circular economy, environmental sustainability, digital fabrication and self-production broaden the scope of design applications, making the designer a key figure in the contemporary design economy.

CAR DESIGN

in collaboration with SPD – Scuola Politecnica di Design

Milan · Italian

The Car Design curriculum, developed in collaboration with SPD – Scuola Politecnica di Design, trains designers capable of working in the fields of contemporary and future mobility, from the design of electric or autonomous vehicles to the development of urban mobility systems.

The programme focuses on vehicle interior design, fittings and mobility-related services, preparing professionals to work in automotive companies, design studios, research centres and innovative startups.

Today, the mobility designer is a key player in change: they integrate skills in product design, spatial design and interaction design to shape sustainable vehicles, infrastructures and transport solutions. Circular economy, shared mobility and emerging technologies place this figure at the centre of the new mobility economy, oriented towards innovation on an urban and global scale.

Both curricula award a final qualification of a First-Level Academic Diploma in Design. The First-Level Academic Diploma is equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree.

*All classes require mandatory attendance at RUFA campuses.

Coordinator (Rome and Milan): Alessandro Ciancio

Tutor (Rome and Milan): Alessio Cremisini

Faculty – Design Curriculum (Rome): Francesca Balena Arista, Erica Bellucci, Paolo Buonaiuto, Silvia Cassetta, Alessandro Ciancio, Alessio Cimato, Alessio Cremisini, Rosella Cuppone, Meltem Eti Proto, Giulio Fermetti, Alessandro Gori, Gian Luca Gentili, Giovanni Lauda, Giorgio Marcatili, Stefano Mavilio, Luca Magarò, Gianfranco Manzo, Elbert Moritz, Dorotea Ottaviani, Simone Pane, Paolo Parea, Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi Giuseppe Ragosta, Christian Rizzo, Michela Reverberi, Leonardo Schillaci, Augustin Sanchez, Maurizio Scalzi, Enrico Secci, Luca Solazzo, Emanuele Tarducci, Alessandro Vergoz.

Faculty – Car Design Curriculum (Milan): Francesca Balena Arista, Sarah Ciracì, Alessandro Ciancio, Alessio Cremisini, Rosella Cuppone, Giovanni Lauda, Lara Monacelli Bani, Elbert Moritz, Paolo Parea, Giuseppe Ragosta, Maurizio Scalzi.

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FIRST-LEVEL ACADEMIC DIPLOMA COURSE IN DESIGN

Recommended study plan – Mandatory attendance at RUFA campuses.

YEAR	SUBJECT	ECTS
I YEAR	Design methodology The links between form, structure and function of objects. Study of the principles underlying a sustainable design methodology and the different strategies. Realization of a complete project: prototype, model or layout.	6
	Technical drawing and project design Knowledge of common graphic elements and tools for technical drawing: construction graphics, metric scales, basic elements of orthogonal projections, axonometric projections and techniques for architectural metric survey. Representation of an architecture, or parts of it, with furnishing elements and details, using the most appropriate scales.	6
	Basics of computer design AutoCad: basic commands and principles. Hatches, backgrounds and masking, texts, dimensions. Creation and application of dimensioning blocks on scale 1:3 of the drawing, modification of existing objects, raster graphics, insertion of squares and scale ratios. Development of an assigned project: representation of plans, sections, prospects and details.	6
	Architectural model-making Realization of concrete objects starting from intuitions, graphic sketches, design forms not yet finalized. All the way to three-dimensional models that conclude the design process. Final report related to the work carried out during the course, as well as time and costs estimates for the production of the final object.	6
	Technology of new materials Focus on the peculiarities of sustainable design materials and their rational use in industrial production. Assessment of the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the materials analyzed; in relation to the technologies, advantages and risk levels related to their processing. Deepening of the characteristics of natural and artificial materials such as wood, stone, stoneware, resin, composites, etc., in relation to their practical applications, with the aim of identifying their requirements and evaluate the appropriate and sustainable choice according to the type of project.	8
	History of design 1 Learning the correct method of analyzing objects, ideas and contemporary design forms. Encouraging the development of a critical sense in the acquisition and review of historical data. International design context and movements from the late nineteenth century to the second world war.	6
	Design 1 First approach to developing and drafting interior spaces. Study of shapes and space. Understanding measurements based on functional and ergonomic standards connected with humans.	12
	3D digital modeling techniques 1 Introduction to parametric modeling with an overview of the software Rhinoceros, used in the job market. Two-dimensional parametric design and three-dimensional modeling. Photography in a virtual environment: lights and materials for rendering. Control parameters for 3D printing.	6
	Computer technologies Design knowledge necessary for the realization of models and prototypes using innovative digital technologies. Development of theoretical and practical activities to become aware of digital production systems such as: 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling.	4
II YEAR	History of design 2 Study of the most important key players, contexts and movements of international design from the second post-war period to the present day: monographic studies.	6
	Design 2 The role of the interior designer in the contemporary world: relations with the client, commercial strategies, materials, identity, communication, research, product. Study of the different types of exhibit designs. Realization of a final project related to the concept store.	12
	3D digital modeling techniques 2 Two-dimensional drawing and three-dimensional modeling techniques with specific software. File management and document exchange between 3D and architecture software. Features of the software for the study of lights and materials, to simulate reality through the construction of the photographic image.	6
	Light design Lighting explored through practical exercises. Developing the necessary skills to make the most of the technological means for the creation of lamps with different technologies: incandescent lamps, halogen lamps, fluorescent lamps, LEDs and OLEDs. Realization of a final prototype.	8
	Product design 1 Functional, typological and morphological analysis of products based on a selection of significant examples, both historical and contemporary. A systemic approach which takes into account global assessments: socio-economic analysis, target, market positioning, product life cycle, recycling and reuse of materials and technological processes.	6
	Features of architecture and urban design Study of the construction, analysis and understanding of all of the elements that make the building. Focus on the evolution seen from an historical point of view, as well as the location of the building in relation to the territory. Technological-design project to apply the theoretical topics learned.	6
	History of contemporary architecture The historical-technical and aesthetic changes that occurred in architecture in the period that goes from the mid-19th century to the present day. Study of the rapid development both in terms of the construction of buildings and urban planning and of the environmental changes caused by technological progress and demographic growth.	6
	English Study of themes and topics related to the art field through the use of specific vocabulary and styles to improve the students’ communication skills in English.	4
	Elective educational activities	6
III YEAR	History of contemporary art History of electronic and digital arts. Retracing all of the experiences that have marked art practices from the 1960s to today. Focus on the field of Media Art and Sonic Art.	6
	Design 3 Work in teams to develop projects and research on assigned topics, as part of 3 practical exercises. Develop a final interior design project, from concept to executives, on the theme 'the restaurant'. In-depth study of international exhibitions that contributed to the urban planning of the cities involved, and to the cultural impetus of European countries. Study of the link between art communication and the historical period.	12
	Product design 2 Designing with new digital technologies: the fundamental role of three-dimensional printing in furniture and design. Real world 3D printing: from research to technical drawing, passing through the modeling and production of a project using prototypes with a 1:5 and 1:1 scale.	6
	Virtual architecture Deepening of the knowledge acquired during the basic 3D softwares module and study of lights. Introduction of new elements and processes aimed at improving the quality of modeling and rendering. Acquisition of the knowledge necessary to produce and edit a CGI video for architectural visualization, respecting the specific rules and objectives.	6
	Multimedia design Study of digital design and interactive design: how to equip everyday objects and environments with computational capabilities. Electronic prototyping and Physical Computing. Interaction Design laboratory and realization of the final exam project.	8
	Layout and visualisation techniques Structural issues linked to the conceptualization and standardization of layout, format, grids, compositional tension between empty and full spaces and typographic quality. In-depth study of the semantic aspects and the staging of the project. Contents and integral parts of the overall portfolio, such as mood boards, cartouche or visual language, will be covered individually through preparatory exercises.	6
	Further language and interpersonal skills, internships, etc.	4
	Elective educational activities	4
	Thesis	8
	Total Credits	180

ANNUAL SCHEDULE

CREDITS · Photo slider:
Design: Valentina Frangioli, Hawi Logrippo.
Car Design: Lorenzi (Chronorace), Puneet- El Khorassani (Aina), De Bruecher, Yadav, Constatinides (falco).