For a week, the international guest participated in working sessions and master lectures for undergraduate and graduate students and shared in an expert panel as part of the launch of Base Design and Innovation Journal.
Mariana Amatullo, a recognised leader in design and social innovation, was invited by our dean, Alejandra Amenábar, toparticipate in a strategic agenda with the school’s authorities. She visited us and workedwith the directors of each of our majors to review the new curriculum that UDD Design will implement in 2025. She was also part of several activities during her stay.
Mariana’s experience as Vice Chancellor and Dean of Continuing Education at Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York, has contributed significantly to developing creative solutions to diverse global social and environmental challenges. She is recognised for her vital contribution to the field of design, especially through the promotion of the concept of «design attitude», which refers to a characteristic mindset of designers focused on creative problem-solving and the generation of innovative solutions.
As an academic and leader in education, Amatullo has advocated for integrating design principles and practices across various areas and disciplines in diverse contexts, championing the idea that design involves a strategic and systemic approach to addressing complex problems. Through her work at Parsons and other educational institutions, she has influenced how the subject is taught and understood, encouraging critical thinking, creativity and innovation in students and professionals.
During her stay in our country, the expert analysed with the faculty team the new educational approach that will be implemented in UDD Design starting the first semester of 2025. This approach will revolutionise the training of new generations of designers, including a change in the curriculum that will offer the option of a double degree or a certification in some area of specialisation.
«It is an honour to have Mariana Amatullo at our school and to benefit from her extensive experience in various fields of design and social innovation. Her systemic and strategic approach is fundamental to training future designers, who must be increasingly comprehensive and versatile. During her visit, we worked together to foster a more thorough education adapted to contemporary challenges», explained Alejandra Amenábar.
Strategic approach
Among the highlights of her visit to Chile, Amatullo was part of a panel discussion at the launch of the latest edition of Base Design and Innovation Journal: Design, Health and Wellbeing, where she shared with Úrsula Bravo, editor of Base Journal; Paula Daza, executive director of the Centre for Public Policy and Innovation in Health (CIPS-UDD) and Jaime Saez, architect and author of the book Diseño Saludable (Healthy Design).
Additionally, Amatullo gave two talks on Design and Social Innovation to undergraduate and graduate students in our Master in Design and Sustainable Innovation (MADIS) program. She also presented for school guests in the framework of RED Sessions (Relation-Environment-Design), a networking program between relevant actors of the professional environment promoted by UDD Design. Representatives of various organisations and companies, such as the Municipality of La Reina, Moulie, Chile Diseño, Janome, and Monarch, among others, attended RED Sessions.
About her experience in our country, she was very satisfied with the activities she was part of. «I want to thank UDD Design School faculty and staff in Chile for making me feel so welcome and for participating in such a productive exchange on a future curriculum vision that is so dynamic and relevant. It is a real privilege to be with this community and at this wonderful university».
About Mariana Amatullo
Mariana Amatullo has been an Associate Professor of Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design, The New School, since 2017. She serves as Vice Provost and Academic Dean for Continuing and Professional Education at Parsons.
Before joining The New School, Mariana directed the award-winning social innovation department, Designmatters, at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, which she co-founded in 2001. She is also former-president of Cumulus Association, the leading international design education network, and has played a prominent role in various organisations and projects globally. In addition, she serves on several international juries and executive and advisory boards in design and the arts. She is a board member of Aalto University, Finland, and honorary president of the Cumulus Association, the leading global association for art and design education and research.
Mariana holds a PhD in Management (Designing Sustainable Systems) from Case Western Reserve University, an MA in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Southern California, and a BA in Letters from the Sorbonne University, Paris, where she also studied Art History at L’École du Louvre.
