Research Visit Report · MDW 2026
Milan Design
Week 2026
CS PhD Candidate
April 21 – 26, 2026
3D Printing · Tangible Interface
Generative AI · AR/VR · Education
Concurrent: PQE Preparation
Research tags:
3D Printing
Generative AI
Tangible Interface
Projection / Media
Education / Inclusive
Neurodivergent
Weekly schedule — core events by day
Mon
21
Brera
⭐ ECAL × Google: A Message From Tomorrow
Y.O.U. Your Own Universe
Serotonin: Chemistry of Happiness
⭐ MAD with Canva: Kaleido
PQE · Tangible Bits (Ishii & Ullmer)
Brera core day
Tue
22
Centro
⭐ Anima Mundi @ Istituto dei Ciechi
Ooooh, that's EpiQ! — digital dome
CUPRA: Beyond the Known
Barilla × LAMÁQUINA: Edible Reveries
PQE · Multi-sensory + Inclusive TUI
Immersive + Responsive
Wed
23
Isola
Isola Design Festival — exhibitions
⭐ Città delle Idee — 3D architecture
Bambu Lab × Tillverka: Aura
The State of New Materials @ Stecca3
MAREA / TIDE — crowd-responsive
PQE · Neurodivergent co-design
Isola deep dive
Thu
24
Centro
⭐ Google Milan: 1 Qubit + design talks
Common Archive — guided tours
PQE · Gamification theory (Deterding)
PQE · Intensive proposal writing
Google event + deep work
Fri
25
Tortona
Toyota T-CORE — 3D-printed seating
Polypiù Cathedral @ SuperStudio Più
designboom ROOM FOR DREAMS
Metamorphosis in Motion — labyrinth
PQE · AI personalization papers
Tortona + SuperStudio
Sat
26
Rho Fiera
SaloneSatellite — emerging designers
LAMÁQUINA — 3D ceramic facades
Salone del Mobile — material halls
PQE · Final synthesis + proposal draft
Salone del Mobile + wrap-up
Tier 1 — Core events with direct research relevance
01
Apr 21
ECAL × Google: A Message From Tomorrow
Spazio Orso 16, Via dell'Orso 16 · Brera · Apr 21–25
Tangible Interface Education
02
Apr 21
MAD with Canva: Kaleido
Università degli Studi, Via Festa del Perdono 7 · Centro · Apr 21–26
Generative AI Creative Learning
03
Apr 23
Città delle Idee — Mario Cucinella Architects
Solferino 28 · Brera · Apr 21–26
3D Printing
04
Apr 22
Anima Mundi. A Visionary Impulse — Dotdotdot
Istituto dei Ciechi · Centro · Apr 21–26
Projection Tangible Inclusive
05
Apr 23
Bambu Lab × Tillverka: Aura
TreeVilla Park, Isola · Apr 21–26
3D Printing Product Design
06
Apr 22
Barilla Artisia × LAMÁQUINA: Edible Reveries
Via Melzo 34 · Porta Venezia · Apr 21–26
3D Printing Generative AI
07
Apr 22
Ooooh, that's EpiQ! — Ricardo Orts
Palazzo del Senato courtyard · Centro · Apr 21–26
Digital Media Tangible
08
Apr 23
MAREA / TIDE — HABITS Design
Via Solferino 24 · Brera · Apr 21–26
Responsive Env.
09
Apr 23
The State of New Materials — curated by Materially
Stecca3 · Isola · Apr 21–26
3D Printing Material R&D
10
Apr 24
Google Milan: 1 Qubit + Design Talks
Google Milan · Apr 24
Generative AI Interaction
Geographic strategy — districts by day
Brera
Apr 21
ECAL × Google, MAD × Canva Kaleido, Y.O.U., Serotonin
Centro
Apr 22 · 24
Anima Mundi, Ooooh EpiQ!, CUPRA, Edible Reveries, Google Milan, Common Archive
Isola
Apr 23
Bambu Lab Aura, Stecca3 Materials, Città delle Idee, MAREA / TIDE, Isola Festival
Tortona
Apr 25
Toyota T-CORE, Polypiù Cathedral, designboom Room for Dreams, Metamorphosis in Motion
Rho Fiera
Apr 26
SaloneSatellite, LAMÁQUINA ceramics, Salone del Mobile material halls
Potential takeaways — deliverables
📝
Written Outputs
Field Notes & Documentation
  • Daily field notes per installation — observations, questions, connections
  • Photo & video captures embedded within notes for each visited work
  • Interaction sequences — visitor engagement with responsive installations
  • Comparative analysis: MDW observations vs. academic TUI literature
  • Technical precedent notes linking installations to research gaps
  • PQE-linked reflections connecting each exhibit to open research questions
  • Draft "Related Work" section grounded in 6+ MDW case studies
🗂
Research Artifacts
Collected Materials
  • Brochures, spec sheets, and press kits from exhibitors
  • Contact list — designers, engineers, researchers met on site
  • Material samples (if available from fabrication exhibits)
  • Exhibition maps annotated with personal observations
  • QR code leads to datasets, GitHub repos, or technical papers
🧠
Proposal Development
PQE & Project Plan
  • Finalized project ideas grounded in MDW observations
  • Draft "Proposed Research" section with 3 research questions
  • PQE paper annotations — one per day across 6 days
  • Elevator pitch draft refined through field encounters
🎤
Sharing & Dissemination
Post-Trip Outputs
  • Lab presentation slide deck — MDW highlights for research group
  • Short essay / blog post: "What MDW 2026 tells us about HCI's next decade"
  • Social media thread — curated installation photos + commentary
  • Annotated bibliography of design precedents for the proposal
🔗
Networking
Connections & Leads
  • Exhibitor contacts at Bambu Lab, Dotdotdot, HABITS Design
  • ECAL student contacts from the Google collaboration booth
  • Potential collaboration leads from co-design-oriented installations
  • Google Milan industry network contacts
  • Follow-up: Digital Design Days (May 7–9, SuperStudio) if in Milan
All tiers · 20 events · includes date, venue, district, tags