Industry 4.0 and new artisans: between hand-crafted design and digital production

Abstract: Digital technologies have made possible the interrelation between the different actors involved in the design process, and designers are experiencing a role change and learning how to manage these connections. Indeed, this phenomenon shifted the attention toward artisanal production, which is characterized by more sustainable—albeit less competitive—models. The project aims to analyze the possible changes in craftsmanship when combined with digital technologies. First, the research explores how this could become an alternative industrial reality, between artisanship and Industry 4.0. Then, the paper focuses on the fashion reality, which—among all the industrial design productions—is challenging since it is less exposed to the changes of digital technologies. Fashion production is an ideal field for a project drawing on acquired knowledge, developed practices, and upgraded products. Hence, the project will move toward an advanced knowledge level to understand the phenomenology, and to an applicative one to verify the possible improvements.