Shaping Retail Innovation. Pilot Project With Deutsche Telekom

The “Shaping Retail Innovation” pilot project aims to model and test a design-led operational approach within the retail sector, specifically focusing on generating innovative solutions in a phygital framework. In pursuing this objective, the project explores the relationship between design-driven innovation and technology, viewing technology not merely as a tool but as an enabler of new socio-cultural and consumer dynamics. The project adopts a Design-Orienting Scenario approach to generate retail concepts, assessing its effectiveness in promoting meaningful innovation and enhancing dialogue between different retail perspectives. The pilot project was carried out in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom, Customer Experience and Design area, and involved different actors: researchers from Politecnico di Milano, Design Department, fashion designers and professionals from Deutsche Telekom with a strong experience in Experience Design and Innovation. The project’s specific focus on the fashion industry, known for its openness to innovation, allowed for a concentrated exploration of technology’s potential in transforming production and distribution processes.

The collaborative efforts culminated in 13 design proposals grouped into four design-led scenarios, offering both speculative and practical frameworks for innovative retail experiences.