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International Winter Schools

POLI.design Winter Schools offer immersive, high-level training experiences that deepen your knowledge of design disciplines through a blend of lectures, workshops, field visits, and project work. Hosted in Milan, the global capital of design and creativity, these programs give international participants the chance to engage with cutting-edge design practices, explore Italian excellence, and develop professional skills in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Participants can choose from two different 60-hour programs, each tailored to a specific area of design expertise: 

  • Visual Narratives: Shop Windows as Italian Design Storytelling (January 26–February 06, 2026) – Discover the shop window as more than a display: an invitation, a story, a threshold. Explore its role as an urban diorama, connecting city, culture, and commerce. Engage with Italian traditions and global examples through lectures and case studies. Experiment with narrative strategies, visual languages, and sensory design in practice. Experience the shop window as a laboratory for creativity and critical reflection. 
  • Designing Food Systems for Temporary Urban Events (January 26–February 06, 2026) – Discover the intersection of urban food systems and temporary large-scale events. Use a global sporting event in Milan in 2026 as a live framework for exploration. Engage with the city’s food ecosystem, from urban policy to surplus management and short supply chains. Explore how spatial and service design can build inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food solutions. Investigate informal food spaces, public areas, and the experiences of city users and visitors. 

All classes will be held at Politecnico di Milano – Bovisa Campus, with opportunities to work directly with renowned professors and design professionals. Each program features exclusive field visits to iconic design venues and concludes with a final project presentation and celebration event — a chance to showcase your work, connect with peers, and expand your international network. 

EARLY BIRD –10%

Special promotion for participants ready to invest in their future: register and pay by October 31, 2025.

Hurry — only 20 discounted seats are available!

€2,300  €2,070

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Visual Narratives: Shop Windows as Italian Design Storytelling

By the end of the Winter School, students will be able to: 

  • Critically analyse the shop window as a transdisciplinary design device, understanding its historical evolution and multifaceted cultural, artistic, and communicative functions. 
  • Apply narrative, spatial, and visual strategies to design shop windows that integrate storytelling, atmosphere, and user experience. 
  • Evaluate and integrate interdisciplinary approaches from art, architecture, fashion, design, sociology, and psychology into shop window concepts and installations. 
  • Develop experimental proposals for shop windows that explore innovative construction techniques, materials, and sensory experiences in urban contexts. 

The program includes field visits to relevant venues in Milan’s design and retail scene and concludes with a final project presentation — ideal for showcasing in your portfolio. 

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Designing Food Systems for Temporary Urban Events

By the end of the Winter School, students will be able to: 

  • Understand the main components of urban food systems, with a focus on the Milanese context. 
  • Analyse the impacts and challenges of temporary mega-events on local food ecosystems. 
  • Identify and interpret food-related policies, actors, infrastructures, and short supply chain practices. 
  • Investigate spatial and social dynamics related to food consumption in public and informal settings, especially during large events. 
  • Recognise the needs and behaviours of diverse city users and temporary populations such as tourists. 
  • Apply design tools and methods to develop spatial and service concepts addressing food-related challenges in the context of temporary urban transformations. 
  • Work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and present a final design proposal integrating the insights gathered throughout the course. 

The program includes visits to key venues across Milan’s food and urban landscape and concludes with a final project presentation — also ideal for your portfolio. 

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Genal information

Attendance 

Attendance is mandatory for at least 75% of the program activities in order to receive POLI.design certificate of participation.  

Requirements 

Open to students over 18 years and recent graduates, with a minimum English proficiency level of B1.

Deadlines 

Deadline to apply and complete payment: December 7, 2025.

Price 

The total fee is €2,300 (including 22% VAT) per student, payable in a single instalment through the dedicated payment options (details in the registration form). 

What the Fee Includes: 

  • Initial breakfast and final aperitivo 
  • Entry tickets to all visit venues 
  • Public or private transport to field visits (depending on location) 
  • Tutoring support throughout the program 
  • POLI.design certificate upon completion 
  • Letter of recommendation for students with the most outstanding projects 
  • Final project outcome presentation 
  • Official Invitation Letter for visa application (if needed) 

By completing payment, you agree to the terms and conditions. 

EARLY BIRD –10%: €2,070
Special promotion for participants ready to invest in their future: register and pay by October 31, 2025. Hurry — only 20 discounted seats are available! 

 

Faculty

The faculty brings together distinguished professors from Politecnico di Milano and leading experts from the design industry, offering a unique blend of academic excellence and professional insight. An academic coordinator and a dedicated tutor will support participants throughout the program, guiding in-class activities and project development.
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