Recent breakthroughs in fibre technology have enabled the assembly of functional materials with intimate interfaces into a single fibre with specific geometries1–11, delivering diverse functionalities over a large area, for example, serving as sensors, actuators, energy harvesting and storage, display, and healthcare apparatus12–17. As semiconductors are the critical component that governs device performance, the selection, control and engineering of semiconductors inside fibres are the key pathways to enabling high-performance functional fibres. However, owing to stress development and capillary instability in the high-yield fibre thermal drawing, both cracks and deformations in the semiconductor cores considerably affect the performance of these fibres. Here we report a mechanical design to achieve ultralong, fracture-free and perturbation-free semiconductor fibres, guided by a study on stress development and capillary instability at three stages of the fibre formation: the viscous flow, the core crystallization and the subsequent cooling stage. Then, the exposed semiconductor wires can be integrated into a single flexible fibre with well-defined interfaces with metal electrodes, thereby achieving optoelectronic fibres and large-scale optoelectronic fabrics. This work provides fundamental insights into extreme mechanics and fluid dynamics with geometries that are inaccessible in traditional platforms, essentially addressing the increasing demand for flexible and wearable optoelectronics. A mechanical design is developed for the fabrication of ultralong, fracture-free and perturbation-free semiconductor fibres to address the increasing demand for flexible and wearable optoelectronics.
Rossana Carullo, rosa pagliarulo, Domenico colabella
et al.
The writing explores remanufacturing as a design-driven strategy for the regeneration of material heritage. Based on the relationship between design and cultural heritage, the study introduces a methodology based on principles of de-archiving and re-archiving as theoretical-critical actions with implications on computational processes and interfaces. The work focuses on the textile archive study case of the Le Costantine Foundation, aiming to decode tacit knowledge, manual practices, and historical production through a socio-technical reverse engineering approach. The research translates analog practices into structured, transmittable, and codifiable digital systems, identifying metadata related to procedural (ideative and productive) and sensory (material-perceptual) aspects, This metadata structure supports comparisons between manual gestures from historical Made in Italy craftsmanship, local historical schemes or scripts for the transmission of textile knowledge (as forms of proto-design), and the perceptual-sensorial qualities explored in today’s design discourse on material-experience. The system enables the design of open, dynamic relational databases to reactivate archival knowledge by transmediating it into new narratives for contemporary textile design. Rather than preserving heritage statically, the archive becomes a responsive interface, integrating memory and future, materiality and digital culture. The project highlights how design can act as an epistemic and transformative agent for context-based, inclusive and sustainable innovation of Made in Italy’s heritage.
Elisabetta Tola, Riccardo Mercuri, Lorenzo Brunello
This article analyses the Po River Blue Fest, held between Bologna and Ravenna in May 2025 as part of the LIFE CLIMAX PO project, as a cultural tool for raising awareness of water and climate change issues. Spread over two complementary days — dedicated respectively to storytelling and situated experiences — the festival intertwined environmental communication, landscape crossing practices and collective design processes. The first day, focused on the role of scientific and territorial narratives, featured a contribution by journalist Elisabetta Tola, offering a critical look at the responsibility of climate storytelling in the current information ecosystem. The second day translated these contents into experiential practices, developed by students of the Master's Degree in Advanced Design at the University of Bologna, who activated forms of ecological learning in the landscapes of the San Vitale Pine Forest and the Darsena di Ravenna.
The text offers a reflection on the value of experiences — both narrated and lived — as tools for realigning perception, knowledge and action, highlighting the role of design in generating forms of collective awareness and building climate communities capable of addressing the environmental transformations currently underway.
Paloma Guenes, Rafael Tomaz, Maria Teresa Baldassarre
et al.
The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) impacts a significant portion of the Software Engineering workforce, yet it is often viewed primarily through an internal individual lens. In this position paper, we propose framing the prevalence of IP as a form of Human Debt and discuss the relation with the ICSE2026 Pre Survey on the Future of Software Engineering results. Similar to technical debt, which arises when short-term goals are prioritized over long-term structural integrity, Human Debt accumulates due to gaps in psychological safety and inclusive support within socio-technical ecosystems. We observe that this debt is not distributed equally, it weighs heavier on underrepresented engineers and researchers, who face compounded challenges within traditional hierarchical structures and academic environments. We propose cultural refactoring, transparency and active maintenance through allyship, suggesting that leaders and institutions must address the environmental factors that exacerbate these feelings, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem for all professionals.
Julia Romanenkova, Alla Tarannyk, Yurii Yefimov
et al.
The article covers the phenomenon of synthesis of traditions and innovations in contemporary Ukrainian printmaking. The trends of today's art of circulation graphic arts in Ukraine, novelty, tools of artists of the new generation are considered. The problem of danger of classical techniques disappearing due to strengthening of C.A.D. positions is raised. Attention is focused on ways to preserve classical traditions using the example of intaglio techniques: etching, mezzo-tint, aquatint, dry point. The main trends in the existence of these techniques and ways of their preservation in various combinations are analysed. Work of the most distinctive schools (Lviv, Kyiv, Odesa), their brightest representatives who use traditional intaglio techniques, combining them, experimenting with technology, materials, creating new variations of traditional techniques, is covered. Attention is focused on the work of the Lviv school representative Oleh Denysenko who patented a new technique he invented, “gesography”, which became the most important tool in the process of preserving printmaking, in the modern artistic field and transforming it into an updated stronghold of fine arts of modern times.
A well-rounded software engineer is often defined by technical prowess and the ability to deliver on complex projects. However, the narrative around the ideal Software Engineering (SE) candidate is evolving, suggesting that there is more to the story. This article explores the non-technical aspects emphasized in SE job postings, revealing the sociotechnical and organizational expectations of employers. Our Thematic Analysis of 100 job postings shows that employers seek candidates who align with their sense of purpose, fit within company culture, pursue personal and career growth, and excel in interpersonal interactions. This study contributes to ongoing discussions in the SE community about the evolving role and workplace context of software engineers beyond technical skills. By highlighting these expectations, we provide relevant insights for researchers, educators, practitioners, and recruiters. Additionally, our analysis offers a valuable snapshot of SE job postings in 2023, providing a scientific record of prevailing trends and expectations.
Timo Kehrer, Robert Haines, Guido Juckeland
et al.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that Research Software Engineers (RSEs) and Software Engineering Researchers (SERs) often use different terminologies for similar concepts, creating communication challenges. To better understand these divergences, we have started investigating how SE fundamentals from the SER community are interpreted within the RSE community, identifying aligned concepts, knowledge gaps, and areas for potential adaptation. Our preliminary findings reveal opportunities for mutual learning and collaboration, and our systematic methodology for terminology mapping provides a foundation for a crowd-sourced extension and validation in the future.
Vasco C. M. B. Rodrigues, A. Lopes, L. D. da Silva
This paper undertakes an examination of bibliometric indicators by the faculty members affiliated in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP) and the other mechanical departments from Portuguese universities. Evaluation of the performance across both realms of associate and full professors is conducted through an assessment of individuals’ publication output and their impact within the scientific community. The teaching staff of FEUP includes engineering departments: mechanical; chemical; civil; informatics; metallurgical and materials; electrical and computer; industrial engineering and management. Outside the faculty, the mechanical engineering departments from University of Coimbra (UC) and University of Lisbon (IST-UL) where considered. The citation profiles (CP) pertaining to the professors are publicly accessible and were retrieved from the Scopus database as of April 2024. The methodology consists in processing and analysing Scopus datasheets recurring to bibliometric indices. The Canberra distance was one employed metric to qualify disparities between datasets. The results were compared through two approaches: i) presented in two-dimensional normalized graphics to easily compare both associate and full professors in each and throughout departments; ii) using multidimensional scaling techniques (MDS) and hierarchical clustering, which enables direct comparison of professors by leveraging their relative positioning and discernible patterns within two-dimensional maps. The results confirm expected trends of higher scientific performance with academic rank, while revealing notable inter- and intra-institutional differences, especially within FEUP, where strong internal categories stratification contrasts with the more uniform profiles of FCTUC and IST, and where full professors excel but assistant professors lag behind their peers elsewhere.
The tutorial discusses two-dimensional and three-dimensional modeling. The basic methods of developing drawings, parts, specifications, product certificates, assemblies, sheet parts, and fragments are described. There are 23 practical assignments that cover all aspects of the work program for the study of the discipline. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of secondary vocational education of the latest generation. For students of secondary vocational educational institutions studying in the field of Mechanical Engineering Technology while mastering the discipline of Computer Graphics.
Z. Mohsein, M. S. Jabbar, Diana Abed Alkareem Noori
In this experimental research, the process of deep drawing of circular metal sheets was confined without blank holder, and a coincidental method of ironing was applied to improve the quality of the piece of the form. A test bench and a sheet metal drawing device were constructed and made to observe the impact of various parameters on the drawing behavior with the help of a conical die. The emphasis of the study was to determine how the corrective ironing ratio and mechanical properties of the sheet metal affected the effects on various engineering characteristics such as, the cup wall hardness, distribution of the wall thickness and the homogeneity index of the drawn cups. The findings have shown that the application of deep drawing in the absence of a blank holder and concurrent corrective ironing have brought about a high level of enhancement to the surface texture and mechanical characteristics of the respective end product. Nonetheless, it was noted that excessive ironing ratio may render tearing of the cups especially at the initial stages of forming process. Comparison of cups with and without corrective ironing was carried out. The dimensions of the cup were tested according to the wall thickness, the total height and the occurrence or absence of cracks or other defects on the surface. The results obtained indicated that combined correction through ironing and proper adjusting of the clearance of the punch-die resulted in manufacture of cups with more proper dimensions and height of usability.
To address issues like limited innovation, monotonous course content, and an incomplete evaluation system in traditional mechanical design courses, this paper proposes a course design reform centered on student-focused learning and innovation-driven education based on the OBE (Outcomes-Based Education) philosophy. The reform encourages students to independently select topics, engage in interdisciplinary integration, and adopt project-based approaches, implementing four practical components: clarifying practical goals, assessing the novelty of chosen topics, promoting teamwork and independent learning, and extending through presentations and competitions. To measure evaluations, a comprehensive system is established, comprising knowledge (34 %), skills (33 %), qualities (33 %), and advanced indicators (5%). Specifically, this involves: knowledge objectives (drawing quality 22 %, manual completeness 12 %), ability objectives (presentation 20 %, physical demonstration 5 %, innovation 8 %), and quality objectives (independent learning 10 %, teamwork 5 %, topic significance 13 %, engineering ethics 5 %). This creates a “knowledge-ability-quality-integrated” training model, offering a measurable and innovative path for engineering practice instruction.
Philani Brian Mlambo, Mthokozisi Sakhile Mkhwanazi
Poor performance in Assembly Drawing (AD) has been a significant issue in Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) in high schools and TVET colleges. This poor performance in AD, which is a crucial component of the EGD exam, leads to students not performing well in Grade 12 and consequently limits their entry into engineering programs in TVET colleges. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the contributing factors to poor performance in the teaching and learning of AD among N3 students. To achieve the objectives of this study, a mixed research approach was employed, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT). A purposive sampling method was used to select four Engineering Drawing (ED) lecturers and 45 N3 Engineering Drawing students to participate in this study. Furthermore, Piaget's perception and imagery theory and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) were utilized as frameworks underpinning this study. The interview results were analyzed using thematic analysis, while the data from the PSVT was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of this study indicate that N3 students have very low spatial visualization skills, and the negative attitude displayed by both students and lecturers towards the teaching and learning of AD contributes to poor performance in N3 ED. The findings further revealed that the lack of drawing-related teaching qualifications among lecturers also contributes to poor performance in AD. Furthermore, the quantitative findings show that the students achieved a mean score of 16.82, with a standard deviation of 8.389, indicating poor performance on the PSVT test. One limitation of this study is the small number of lecturers interviewed (four), which makes it difficult to generalize the results. Therefore, future studies should include a larger sample size of lecturers. This study recommends that lecturers be hired based on their relevant teaching qualifications and further suggests the use of technology to enhance students' spatial visualization skills and improve their performance in AD.
This qualitative study was conducted to investigate the instructional practices used by Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) to teach Isometric Drawing (ID). This enquiry was necessitated by the growing concern from subject advisors and teachers about the poor performance of learners in isometric drawing. In an attempt to meet the objectives, this study adopted an interpretivist position to understand the instructional practices employed by teachers in teaching isometric drawing. This study used seven (7) EGD teachers who were conveniently selected, it is worth noting that the sample was influenced by the fact that EGD is a subject that is not common hence not many schools offer it. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using a thematic analysis. Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) was used as a framework that underpinned this study. Findings from this study indicated that all EGD teachers have the common understanding that ID involves converting 2d orthographic view into a 3d figure. The findings further revealed that teachers rely heavily on models, YouTube videos and AutoCAD to develop learners’ spatial ability which is a very important skill. The study recommended that there should be no teacher hired to teach EGD without being fully trained. The study further recommended that future research should be conducted on learners to get their insight on why they are performing poorly in ID.
The purpose of studying the discipline “Engineering Graphics” is to acquire skills in working with engineering and graphic information: mapping spatial objects to orthogonal planes in the form of a drawing (direct task), reading a drawing (inverse task), ultimately solving spatial and logical problems. The necessity to start performing graphic works with a pencil, paper, using drawing and graphic tools is shown and justified, and only then to involve modern computer technologies for these purposes. Not the ability to work with a pencil; it is not understood that the use of computer graphics hardware and software at the initial stage leads to the loss of graphic competence of the graduate, and ultimately to a decrease in the competitive ability of specialists.
Elisabetta Cianfanelli, Margherita Tufarelli, Elena Pucci
The paper aims to address how dresses and garments in the fashion-tech are beginning to acquire their own shape and meanings: the technological, electronic dress with digital, bionic, or robotic components can act and move independently from the body that wears it, sometimes even modeling, modifying or altering its shape.
According to these perspectives, techno-fashion products become alive because they react autonomously to external or internal inputs, they become able to mediate the relationship between the human body and the world around it in a new material dimension that lives in a fluid environment with blurred boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. This highlights the pivotal role of new technologies for the study of fashion, as by empowering the human body they can influence human relationships with themselves, others, and the environment. These transformations involving the collision between technology and fashion could have long-term implications that affect the shape and meaning of our clothes as well as our bodies.
In fall 2023, I taught the undergraduate course Introduction to Immersive Media at Northeastern University (Boston, MA), where I’ve been an Assistant Teaching Professor in Design since 2021. My fascination with emerging technologies, particularly immersive media, dates back to my Master’s thesis in 2012. Since that time, I have been interested in how artists and designers currently use and will use technology, and I’m excited about encouraging my students to reflect on the same and envision the products, services, and experiences they want to see in the world. This past fall, I decided to teach a special section of my Immersive Media course that would combine a newer interest of mine with the world of immersive technologies: design for longevity (D4L). While preparing for the course, I explored how immersive media intersects with D4L. This led to the creation of the LongevityTech pedagogy, merging the four key design principles of immersive media with the 4Es framework for D4L.
This article addresses innovation, entrepreneurship and design management, aiming to investigate how it could contribute to the maintenance of the innovative character of startup companies. A brief survey was made on the importance of design in organizations. The timeline with the main developments from the 1950s to the present day, revealed that design has been strengthened as an entrepreneurial and strategic character. Subsequently, the Brazilian startup scenario was structured, analyzing the context in which they are inserted, as well as their management paradigms, which culminated in the search for information about design management and its role for the innovation of organizations. As a result, the theoretical studies allowed the elaboration of a model with five processes: Design for innovation strategies; Design for idea generation; Design for concept creation; Project to represent the company; and Design as an integrator.
The growing planetary impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems reveals new social and environmental dilemmas, highlighting the entanglement of humans and non-humans. Viewing them as socio-technical systems reveals their impact as more than just products, pervasively distributed across space and time. To manage them sustainably, we need to look beyond the product-service to the temporalities, agencies, and scales of assemblages mobilised by AI. This issue explores perspectives such as data justice, posthumanism, and decolonization to critically rethink design in relation to AI across disciplinary boundaries, explaining the need for alternative perspectives on the challenges posed by technologies. Together, they emphasise the philosophical decentering of AI as an essential strategy that design should embrace to responsibly shape innovation. The article proposes a new decentralised approach for design to strategically position itself in the global public debate on AI systems.
This article aims to understand how design aesthetics can actively contribute to a more sustainable and resilient society.
The methodology uses a tripartite analysis: literature review, case studies, and analysis of historical context.
The literature review was supported by an analysis of the philosophy of aesthetics and sustainability, case studies through examples of the ideals of ecocentric aesthetics and historical research as an ethnographic observation of the emergence of activism and its socio-artistic repercussions.
Ecocentric aesthetics is based on constructing an aesthetic language through sustainability, using “ugliness” to overcome social alienation by identifying beauty as the aesthetics of reception (mercantile pressure).
Propose through formal innovation, an activist role escaping the social functionalization of hyper-industrially, promoting a more conscious and accessible society, and a new language and knowledge that promotes resilience and preservation of life.
In this paper we discuss the growing need for system behaviour to be validated and verified (V&V'ed) early in model-based systems engineering. Several aspects push companies towards integration of techniques, methods, and processes that promote specific and general V&V activities earlier to support more effective decision-making. As a result, there are incentives to introduce new technologies to remain competitive with the recently drastic changes in system complexity and heterogeneity. Performing V&V early on in development is a means of reducing risk for later error detection while moving key activities earlier in a process. We present a summary of the literature on early V&V and position existing challenges regarding potential solutions and future investigations. In particular, we reason that the software engineering community can act as a source for inspiration as many emerging technologies in the software domain are showing promise in the wider systems domain, and there already exist well formed methods for early V&V of software behaviour in the software modelling community. We conclude the paper with a road-map for future research and development for both researchers and practitioners to further develop the concepts discussed in the paper.