‘DESIGN FOR FOOD’ TO RETHINK THE FOOD SYSTEM

Design applied to food opens up new professional perspectives: hybrid figures capable of innovating products, services, and systems across the entire food chain, with a transversal, sustainable, and impact-oriented approach. This dialogue also found space at the Cibus Tec Forum, which chose POLI.design as the content partner for its 2025 edition, held on October 28–29 at the Fiere di Parma

In a global context where food, environmental, and social crises are increasingly intertwined, design emerges as a key tool to tackle the challenges of the contemporary food system. Food security, supply chain sustainability, equitable access to food, and the fight against waste are just some of the urgent issues requiring vision, skills, and innovative solutions.

From these premises arose POLI.design’s Master in Design for Food, one of the most advanced training programs in Europe in the field of design applied to food. Designed to train professionals capable of designing food-related products, services, and strategies, the master stands out for its multidisciplinary approach.

The 15-month program (from October 27, 2025, to January 31, 2027) is aimed at designers, engineers, architects, economists, and food industry professionals, with the goal of providing a systemic vision of the food supply chain. The curriculum alternates theoretical lessons with practical workshops, study trips to regions symbolic of Italian agri-food excellence, and workshops with partner companies, aiming to connect design practice with real-world impact in the production and social sectors.

“The food supply chain is a complex system that requires a new generation of designers capable of working across disciplines, with critical tools and systemic vision,” emphasises Stefano Maffei, Scientific Director of the Master. “Our goal is to train hybrid figures able to tackle real problems in the agri-food sector with creativity, methodology, and responsibility.”

In this context, design represents a strategic lever to innovate processes, models, and languages. Students learn to design sustainable food experiences, fairer distribution systems, responsible packaging solutions, restaurant concepts that highlight local territory, and digital platforms to combat waste. The entire program is oriented toward generating impact: social, environmental, and cultural.

The Italian and International Context

Confirming the relevance of the project, the master is embedded in a dynamic ecosystem of companies, start-ups, public institutions, and international organisations already experimenting with design as a concrete response to food challenges. Examples include the Food Policy of the Municipality of Milan, which has redesigned urban food management sustainably; the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, which has developed data visualisation tools to promote healthy and low-impact diets; and the Slow Food movement, which integrates design, communication, and gastronomic culture to protect biodiversity and local knowledge.

Internationally, experiences such as Too Good To Go, Infarm, ReGrained, and Impossible Foods demonstrate how design can drive new forms of production, distribution, and consumption. The Master in Design for Food connects conceptually with these experiences, offering training that combines knowledge, creativity, and responsibility.

The Professional Future of Food Designers

Through its training program, POLI.design helps define a new professional profile: the food system designer. This figure can understand present complexities and transform them into project opportunities, building bridges across disciplines, actors, and territories, and working with concrete tools while maintaining a broad and visionary perspective.

Career opportunities for graduates of the Master in Design for Food are numerous. These professionals combine a design-oriented, experimental approach with specific knowledge of the dynamics governing the food sector, covering everything from “farm to table,” including both traditional and innovative production systems, with particular attention to sustainability.

Potential professional roles include:

• R&D Food Project Manager: Responsible for research and development to improve and implement food processing and production processes.
• Food Service & Product Designer: Designers specialised in creating and developing sustainable food products and services.
• Food Brand Manager: Marketing professionals dedicated to building and launching new food & beverage product-service lines.
• Food Startupper and Entrepreneur: Innovators capable of turning ideas into sustainable business models in the agri-food sector.
• Food Innovation Specialist: Consultants and policy designers in the food sector, working in companies, public institutions, research centres, and non-profit organisations.

Through a training approach that integrates theory, practice, and collaboration with real companies, the Master in Design for Food provides the tools to interpret ongoing transformations and drive innovation in a sector crucial for the planet’s future. “Design for food is not just about aesthetics or functionality, but about social and environmental impact. With this Master, we train designers capable of imagining and creating more sustainable, fair, and inclusive food systems,” concludes Stefano Maffei.

POLI.design Content Partner of Cibus Tec Forum 2025

Cibus Tec Forum – the innovative trade show and conference dedicated to food and beverage technologies – chose POLI.design as the content partner for its 2025 edition. The contribution of the Master in Design for Food faculty brought new innovative perspectives on food sustainability and circularity, with a panel dedicated to designing systems that combine innovation and tradition while anticipating future food habits.

The panel featured Stefano Maffei, Full Professor at the Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano, and Director of the Master in Design for Food at POLI.design; Francesco Bombardi, Designer and Co-director of the Master; Andrea Bezzecchi, Founder of Acetaia San Giacomo; and Sal Dr. Costa Pasqualino, General Manager of SCP Consultant.

Through this partnership, POLI.design strengthens its role as a design and cultural hub, providing essential research and training contributions to imagine and design a more sustainable, fair, and competitive food system.

POLI.design

POLI.design is the national and international postgraduate education centre of the Politecnico di Milano Design System (ranked 1st in Italy, 3rd in Europe, and 6th in the world in the 2024 QS World University Rankings for Art & Design). Since 1999, it has developed and consolidated its educational offer based on project-based learning, research, and polytechnic knowledge. From Masters to Executive Courses and tailor-made experiences for organisations, POLI.design provides cross-industry programs that transfer the design mindset needed to drive transformation across sectors. As a key player in the Italian and global design education network, POLI.design fosters dialogue between academia, institutions, and industry.