Andrea Benedetti, Università degli Studi di Milano

"Data and service: designing in (un)desired futures"

Data and services have become deeply intertwined. Data can inform service design processes, while the interoperability of data across systems has become essential for information exchange. However, the proliferation of data raises urgent ethical questions about privacy, agency, and equity. As we navigate a future marked by the climate crisis, shifting global powers, and growing resistance to technological adoption, we must confront the challenge of designing within "undesired futures": scenarios where design practices risk exacerbating inequality or alienation. This talk proposes a shift toward designing for contestation: creating services that are not only functional but enquirable—open to interrogation, adaptation, and even dissent by their users by embedding mechanisms for transparency and iterative critique.

PhD in Design, Andrea Benedetti is currently UX/UI Designer at Università La Statale di Milano. His work revolves around using data to communicate invisible and complex issues.