The Craftsman and Design 4.0 - No. 1 - A Reconsideration of Creative Value

Aug 29, 2026

The paper opens a space to think through the complexity of contemporary Italian manufacturing, where advocacy for Italian excellence coexists with the need for theoretical debate amid rapid transformations. The evolution of industry 4.0 enables a re-examination of methodologies and resources required to keep heritage knowledge and aesthetic mastery alive. A theoretical framework links digital and technological evolution to responsible stewardship of the artisan’s identity and craft skill. The Made in Italy concept acts as a catalyst, launching a discussion on transition, hybrid value chains, and the redesign of roles, territories, and identities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Transition Design and Design 4.0

Designed in Italy

THE CRAFTSMAN AND DESIGN 4.0 A RECONSIDERATION OF CREATIVE VALUE NICHOLAS BORTOLOTTI Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”[nbortolotti@iuav.it](nbortolotti@iuav.it) Copyright: © 2023 Author(s) . This is an open access, peer-reviewed article published by Firenze University Press and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Competing Interests: The Author(s) declare(s) no conflict of interest DOI: [https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-2268](https://doi.org/10.36253/fh-2268) Fashion Highlight-No. 01/2023 114 Abstract The paper has the intention to open a thinking space for the complexity of the scenarios in the current Italian manufacture: promoters of Italian excellence on one side and places for theoretical debate over the wide mutations we are living on the other. The evolution of the industry 4.0 allows us to reconsider methodologies and resources to keep our heritage of beauty and practical knowledge alive and thriving. The study moves through a theoretical framework where we encounter the strong necessity for digital and technological evolution, as well as the stewardship for the figure of the artisan, a skillful identity who enriches the meaning of our projectuality through their mastery and handcraft. The Made in Italy concept functions then as a catalyst for study and consideration, launching a discussion that is just complex as it is necessary. Keywords: Transition Design, Design 4.0, Creative process, Made in Italy, Craftsman Transition Time The historic era we are finding ourselves in presents remarkable and dynamic changes which allow to deepen the necessary and worthwhile research in order to comprehend the situation we are currently called to investigate. The evolution of the 4.0 industry brought especially significant mutations in the fashion industry, for it may be the field which better understands the urgency for an evolutive process in Italian manufacturing and artisanal systems. Its nature allows it to orient, condition and tell about the values and the involved territories to an international audience. The concept of circularity, sustainability and digitalization introduces a crucial shift to the Italian manufacturing practices. Terry Irwin identifies the concept of Transition Design, an emerging research area which underlines the recognition of being amidst a time of transition (Irwin, 2015); in this framework, he places the natural condition to rethink more sustainable futures and elects design as the means par excellence to pursue this aim. Detecting Transition design and Design 4.0 becomes therefore fundamental, for it entails the necessity to reconsider the methodologies and tools which were previously applied, along investigating new trajectories to be found. Within this dimension, the concept of Made in Italy itself can find an evolutive rebirth, as the relationship between manufacture and handcraft, design and territories of production transform. Hence the need to reconsider the roles of their characters, lands and identity. Specifically, the figure ofthe artisan is capable of regenerating itself and contributing to the creation of value, where experimentation is fueled by research and technological specialization. Identifying design as the central element, understood as a process of connection and reconfiguration of resources (Vacca, 2013), it generates a complex supply chain characterized by the coexistence of artisanal and industrial processes, which are hybrid and multifaceted. Designed in Italy The artisanal component has always been inherent to our territory, both in terms of realization and in regards to the conception and implementation of design practices closely linked to It

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the paper?

It aims to open a thinking space about the complexity of current Italian manufacturing and the need to debate the transformations underway.

How does Industry 4.0 affect the paper’s approach to Italian craftsmanship?

It supports reconsidering methodologies and resources to preserve heritage beauty and practical knowledge, while emphasizing digital and technological evolution.

What role does the concept of Made in Italy play?

It works as a catalyst for study and discussion, especially around how manufacturing and handcraft, design, and production territories evolve together.

Aug 29, 2026

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