UNI 12001 recognizes the role of the designer

Italian design sees its value reaffirmed once again: UNI 12001:2026 officially sets out the expertise, skills, and competencies that define the professional role of the designer. Proposed by ADI, AIAP, and AIPI, the initiative brought together major stakeholders across the sector, including POLI.design, CNA, Confcommercio Professioni, IED, ISIA, NABA, the Società Italiana Design, the University of Camerino – School of Architecture and Design, and the University of Florence. The process was coordinated by Luciano Perondi, Project Leader and head of the working group (GL 26). 

The UNI 12001 standard describes the designer as a professional who places the project understood as an intellectual and methodological process—at the heart of their practice. Designers are called to merge creative vision with practical application, drawing on their expertise and using advanced tools with the aim of improving people’s quality of life and the surrounding environment. 

The profile outlined by the standard is broad and adaptable, reflecting the diversity of contemporary design practice: from interiors to fashion, from product to communication and graphic design. In addition to defining roles and responsibilities, the standard provides guidance for continuous skills development and identifies two professional levels, aligned with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF): the firstlevel designer (EQF 6) and the expert designer (EQF 7). It also specifies the criteria for conformity assessment, conducted through an examination. 

Inclusivity is a central element of UNI 12001, reflected both in its use of genderinclusive language and in its attention to different forms of disability. The standard also emphasizes the environmental and ethical dimensions of design, calling on professionals to remain aware of the social, cultural, economic, and ecological implications of their work and to commit to promoting design quality. 

The standard was developed within CT 006, the committee responsible for nonregulated professional activities.