POTNEED
STATUS
Ongoing
DATE
1 / 2025
PROJECT SCALE
IT
FUNDINGS
Orientation and Tutoring Plans of the Ministry of Education, referring to the 2023–2025 period.
Funding obtained through a national competitive call.
RESEARCH FACILITIES
COLLABORATORS
DESCRIPTION
POTNEED – New Empathic Educational Design – is a national Orientation and Tutoring programme promoted by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. The project comprises a wide range of activities, including PCTO pathways with secondary schools, in-course orientation initiatives for university students, and national workshops involving design programmes from across Italy. Through this integrated set of actions, POTNEED strengthens the connection between schools and universities, supports university students throughout their academic journey, enhances participants’ design skills, and promotes a learning model grounded in co-design, empathy, and learning by doing.
Led by the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” and developed in collaboration with 18 universities, POTNEED aims to nurture students’ talents through direct engagement with creative and design processes. The project adopts participatory and innovative methods that enable students to discover their abilities, inclinations, and potential future pathways.
IMPACTS & RESULTS
POTNEED produced significant educational, social, and institutional impacts by strengthening connections between universities, secondary schools, and local partners, and by promoting design-driven, experiential learning.
Educational Impacts
POTNEED had a strong educational impact on both secondary school and university students. Through hands-on co-design activities, participants were able to understand the design process in a concrete and experiential way, engaging directly with research, ideation, and prototyping. These activities also supported the development of key transversal skills (such as teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication) which are essential for both academic and professional growth.
In addition, the project contributed to improving students’ ability to make informed decisions about their future academic pathways, thanks to orientation activities grounded in practice and self-reflection. For university students, the in-course orientation initiatives further enhanced engagement, self-awareness, and a sense of belonging within their learning community.
Social and Collaborative Impacts
From a social and collaborative perspective, POTNEED strengthened the network connecting schools, universities, companies, and local organizations. The creation of mixed teams—bringing together high school and university students, fostered dialogue, mutual learning, and an exchange of perspectives across generations and levels of expertise.
National workshops also played a key role in disseminating empathy-driven design approaches, encouraging participants to explore the relationship between individuals, communities, and the broader socio-cultural context in which design operates.
Institutional Impacts
On an institutional level, POTNEED contributed to consolidating lasting partnerships between universities and secondary schools, many of which continued their collaboration across different editions of the programme. Furthermore, it led to the development of reusable tools, templates, and workshop formats, which can serve as a foundation for future educational activities and project-based learning initiatives.
Tangible Results
The project generated numerous concrete outputs. Over 100 design concepts and physical prototypes were developed within the PCTO activities, addressing themes such as circularity, well-being, inclusion, and human–nature interaction. POTNEED also organized two national workshops that brought together students from 18 Italian universities, creating a space for shared exploration and collaborative experimentation.
Additional results include a rich set of orientation experiences, company visits, and thematic workshops designed to support students at various stages of their academic journey.
+ LINKS & DOWNLOAD
The results and details of all the projects developed and the activities carried out by the University of Bologna team can be found at the following website: https://sites.google.com/view/pot-need/home
PUBBLICATIONS
Rosato, L., Succini, L., Formia, E. (2025). POTDesign a proposal to educate on inclusive, responsible, circular, and sustainable design. ABITARE LA TERRA, Gangemi, 11-12, 44-46.
Formia, E., Rosato, L., Succini, L., & Zannoni, M. (2020). Design education as a relational trigger. Co-designed and student-centred education to create new connections between secondary school and university students. ABITARE LA TERRA, 53 (Quaderni n°5), 41–43.
PARTNERS
