Francesca Valsecchi
Researcher at Center for Italian Studies of Tongji University (CSIUT)
Associate Professor of College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University
Brief Introduction
Researcher, practitioner and educator looking at the intersection of design with ecology, cultures, and technology.
Milan Polytechnic graduated, Francesca moved to Asia looking for internationalisation and trans-culturality opportunities for her design practice. She has a Post-doc degree from European Commission with a project on sustainable agriculture and design innovation in rural China. After graduation, she has made a home in Shanghai since 2010.
She currently serve as Associate Professor at the International College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University where she develop courses and researches affiliated with the international DESIS Network (Design for Sustainability and Social Innovation), in the areas of Design and Nature, Rural-Urban, Digital Social Innovation, and Sustainable Food System.
Her design practice is based on the methods and tools of ethnography, design research and data visualisation, with expertise both in academia and industry. She has an ongoing artistic practice using alternative photography processes. Her research is inspired by principles of open design and her work largely influenced by trans-cultural concerns. Besides academic posts, she is widely engaged in collaborative art projects, as well as being an active member of local communities of civil rights and environmental action.
She serve as Scientific coordinator of Politong, Double Degree programme with Milan and Turin Polytechnic, and she is an active member of the international design community contributing to the visibility and reputability of D&I.In fact, she holds visiting lecturer and visiting professor positions both in China and abroad (Jiangnan University, Shanghai University, Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique China Studio, University of Macao, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Die Angewandte Wien), teaching courses on design methodology, design and cultures, visualisation, and open design.
Portfolio of courses, researches, and thesis projects (constantly being updated and incomplete):
https://shanghai-visual.org
Research
design and ecology
design and nature
digital social innovation
design and cultures
data visualisation
Teaching
Typography and Type design
Studio5 – design and sustainability
Studio5 – Design and Urban Nature –
Studio 5 – PCB Electronic boards making and programming
Postgraduate
Data and Information Visualisation
Studio 5 – Media and Communication
Design and sustainability (lecturer)
Undergraduate
Academic and social Post
POLITONG Programme Coordinator
Scientific Coordinator and students support for the international double degree programme with Milan and Turin Polytechnic universities (from 2018)
Education Background
2010-2012 EU-STF2 Science and Technology Fellowship Programme China
(EuropeAid/128952/L/ACT/CN)
Research programme funded by EU about communication design and sustainable living heritages
2009 – PhD degree. Doctor of Philosophy Industrial Design and Multimedia Communication
2005 - MA degree. Master of Art Communication Design
2003 - BA degree. Bachelor of Art Communication Design
2000 – High School Diploma
Work Experience
2020 - present
Associate Professor, Tongji University, Shanghai. College of Design & Innovation
Principal Researcher, Tongji DESIS Digital Social Innovation Lab
2005 - present
Design Consultancy
Main companies project in China: Nokia, DesignIt Munich, ChangHong Meiling, Philips
design research and methodology, interaction design, service design, graphics and digital interfaces
2013 - 2020
Assistant Professor. Communication Design Faculty.
Tongji University, Shanghai. College of Design & Innovation
February 2016
MOOC instructor – Data Journalism Fundamentals
Google News Lab and Hong Kong University – Journalism and Media Studies Centre JMSC
October 2016
Visiting Researcher (fellowship granted)
Ningbo Nottingham University
October 2015
Visiting Researcher (fellowship granted)
TU/e Industrial Design Department. Design United Fellowship
September 2012 - January 2016
Visiting Researcher
Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China. School of Design
Coordinator of DESIS Lab, design methodology, ethnography consultant
Design
2020. NSFC Young Researcher “The contribute of Citizens Science to support Urban Nature and ecological literacy in Chinese cities, and its impact on ecological urbanization in China”
2019. Horizon 2020 project T-Factor. H2020-SC5-2019-2. Unleashing future-facing urban hubs through culture and creativity-led strategies of transformative time
2020. Design and Data book (Gao Feng Peak Discipline Grant)
Publications
Indexed Papers(2017) A First Speculation on Cultural Experiments as Design Research Methods.
Valsecchi F., Tassi R., Kilina E.
In: Rau PL. (eds) Cross-Cultural Design. CCD 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 10281, pp.76-93. Springer, Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-57931-3_7
(2014) Design Implications of Digital Social Innovation: a Playful Approach to Analyse a Cases Study Dataset. Francesca Valsecchi, Miaosen Gong
Proceedings from HCI International Conference, Crete 2014, LNCS 8528 Cross-Cultural Design. Springer, Cham. ISBN 978-3-319-07307-1
(2010) From Data to Knowledge. Visualizations as transformation processes within the Data-Information-Knowledge continuum. Masud, L., Valsecchi, F., Ciuccarelli, P., Ricci, D., & Caviglia, G. In E. Banissi, & al. (Eds.), 14th International Conference Information Visualisation. London: ieee. Pages 445 – 449. ISBN: 978-0-7695-4165-5
http://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings/iv/2010/4165/00/4165a445-abs.html
Monographies and Chapters
(forthcoming, expected 2020)
Design and Data book proposal (Gao Feng Peak Discipline Grant)
设计和数据书提案（高峰补助金）
(2018) Movable Feasts. An exploration into the heritage, flavours and possible futures of Shanghai street-food. Francesca Valsecchi, eds Jin Ma, Lou Yongqi, Yuebei Gong, Emerging Practice Conference. Designing in Complexity, 2016, Tongji University Press, ISBN 9787560878751
(2017) The qualities of smart citizens: a design-driven social outlook over technological citizenship. in "Open Your Space: Design for Urban Resilience" edited by NiMinqing and Zhu Mingjie, LUMINOCITY of Tongji University Press, Shanghai
(2016) The listening capability. Three insights around and about a design way to storytelling. Francesca Valsecchi, Roberta Tassi. in The Pearl Diver: the designer as storyteller, edited by Bertolotti, E., Daam, H., Piredda, F., Tassinari, V.; DESIS Network
(2015) Design for Wuxi Elders: Lihu community and Shangxian Community.
Miaosen Gong, Nansi Van Geetsom, Francesca Valsecchi, Wenqing Lv
in “Ageing, Ingenuity and Design. International Cases Collection 2015”, Yanki Lee and Patricia Moore (eds.), pp.102-119 ISBN 978-988-12325-6-4
(2013) Design Harvests. An acupuncture design research approach towards sustainability. Edited by Lou Yongqi, Francesca Valsecchi, Clarisa Diaz - Mistra Urban Futures, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 2013. ISBN 978-91-980696 – 0 – 0
(2009) Identità delle architetture plurali. Ruolo delle comunità nella fenomenologia della rete. Francesca Valsecchi. eds. Matteo Ciastellardi, “Le architetture liquide”, Milano, LED 9788879164160
(2008) Il progetto che viene dal basso. Francesca Valsecchi. in Ciuccarelli P., “Design Open Source”, Pp 141-185. Pitagora, Bologna, 2008
(2007) La complessità della conoscenza. Nuovi concetti per il design.
Francesca Valsecchi. In Marisa Bertoldini, “La cultura politecnica. Vol. 2”, 2007, Bruno Mondadori, Milano
Conference Papers (peer reviewed)
(2016) Resonances: Listening as a Tool for Trans-Cultural Storytelling. Francesca Valsecchi, Serena Pollastri, Roberta Tassi, eds. Lloyd, Peter and Bohemia, Erik (2016) Proceedings of DRS 2016 International Conference: Future-Focused Thinking ISSN 2398-3132
(2016) The meta-design of systems: how design, data and software enable the organizing of open,distributed, and collaborative processes.
Massimo Menichinelli, Francesca Valsecchi
Systems & Design. Beyond Processes And Thinking 2016. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València
Honors and Awards
2021 Power Station of Art, Shanghai Bienniale.
Personal Exhibition: Underwater Forest
2021 Power Station of Art, Shanghai Bienniale.
Collective Exhibition
2017 2018, 2018 个人摄影展 Tongji Design Week
2019 Circular Economy and Food Network International Exhibition with Ellen McArthur Foundation
2019 个人摄影展 Laoximen.club
2019 Design Harvests 项目在米兰设计周展出 Design Fair. Milano Triennale
2017 展览策展人:好创新国际设计展2017深圳市宝安区宝源路
2017 邀请项目: 刘海粟美术 “智·未来” | 2017中国信息与交互创新设计邀请展
Links :
Tongji Univerisity
International Students Office of Tongji University
International Exchange and Cooperation Office of Tongji University
021-65983721
