Our vision is ecosystemic: we believe that people and the environment are inseparable and interconnected, because the change of one affects the other. For us, making social innovation through design means responding to the needs of the community and, at the same time, having a positive impact on the planet.
The studio
We are an Experience and Service Design company with a passion for positive, collaborative and feasible change: we have chosen it as our name, "SHIFT", and embraced it as a mission too; since 2016, we have been creating social innovation to transform the world for the better.
We offer design-driven research services and consultancy to social enterprises, public administrations and third sector players. Through participatory processes we help our partners both to achieve the eco-social business goals they have set and to respond to the needs of their stakeholders.
Since we like to work with rich in meaning communication tools and for the Common Good, in 2022 we set up as a “Benefit Enterprise”, including in our services a quota of free work and donating 1% of our annual turnover to projects with a positive impact for all. Planet included.
Design for people and for the environment
Our method adapts to the scenario in which the requested service takes place: we activate the most effective and sustainable skills each time to enhance the relational aspects, resources and physical and social elements available to the customers.
We practice a user and community-centered approach to involve people in co-design practices and to facilitate the active participation of communities in the design process. Thus, we are sure that the identified design solutions can satisfy the initial need in a concrete way.
Our superpower is the double diamond technique and its four phases:
Problem
Idea
Solution
Research
Design
exploration
of the problem and resources
identification
of project opportunities
generation
of ideas to bring innovation
development
of the most promising solutions
We practice and offer customers environmentally friendly choices and we collaborate with ETS and PA to develop social inclusion projects, for the benefit of weak or underrepresented segments of the population such as minors, the elderly, the disabled, young job seekers, foreigners and women.
Our team of change makers
Elena E. Giunta
Co-founder and CEOHer curriculum is full of experiences: a PhD in Design and Multimedia Communication at the Politecnico di Milano and many professorships at the PoliMI School of Design, ASP, UniMI Bicocca, UniPD and the Libera Università di Bolzano. She participated in many research projects of the Design Department of the Politecnico too.
She is a GIDE member as well as Expert Evaluator for INIDRE, LazioInnova, Finlombarda and Arpal Umbria.
Her favorite project, however, is SHIFT. Here she deals with social communication and everything related to design: strategic design, service design, creative techniques and co-design. Last but not least, she takes care of the plants in the Studio and makes sure that there are coffee and biscuits for everyone.
“Being a Shifter means acting significantly on the world with my job, in synergy between what I am, what I can do and what is useful to do.”
Alberto Vedovatti
Co-founder and impact managerPassionate about human relations, Alberto helps organizations to arrive at a new and more effective operational vision, and he is not satisfied until the results are desirable and credible for everybody.
He is co-founder of SHIFT, but also Head of Social and Environmental Impact: in addition to dealing with training, workshops and co-creation processes, he drafts the integrated report, a document that tells how the Studio generates social and environmental value through the injection of capital into the work process.
The development of inclusive networks, for Alberto, is almost everything. In fact, he is also an unsuspected rider, and he never says no to a good chat (or a refill of snacks!).
"Being a Shifter means giving an opportunity to change, an essential condition that allows me to broaden my personal horizons."
Anna Pozzoni
Interior and Visual DesignerGraduated in Interior Design from the Politecnico di Milano, Anna is a tireless creative, always seeking new forms of art to explore.
Her passion for drawing and painting led her to delve into the world of Visual and Graphic Design during her studies, enabling her to combine her personal aesthetic with her creative skills. Since joining our team, she has applied her determination and love for beauty to transform clients’ visions into tangible, communicative products. And there's more!
One of her greatest passions is tattoos: to her, the body is a living canvas, a work of art in constant evolution that reflects her creative personality and exploratory spirit. What's next?
"Being a Shifter means actively contributing to positive change in the world, using my skills and expertise to serve society. It’s a tangible opportunity to shape my vision of the world through projects that have a direct impact on people."
Matteo Colombo
Creative TechnologistMatteo is a designer with an eye for technology: conceiving concepts for digital platforms and translating them into code is his mission. This "double soul" allows him to develop innovative projects and to materialize the designed solutions, exploring their potential and taking care of the experience too, from the aesthetic to the technical choices, up to the implementation.
He studied Communication Design and Product Service System Design at the Politecnico di Milano and in SHIFT he deals with user experience design, prototyping, user interface design and website development. In addition, he collaborates in training courses and workshops.
In his spare time, he is a DIY enthusiast: his home is an always open building site!
“Being a Shifter allows me to work in a group that cares about communities, people and the Planet too, at the service of projects with an extraordinary impact”
Sara Radice
Designer and cultural plannerWith a PhD in design, her job in SHIFT is to intersect different fields of action: co-design, interaction design and strategic design.
She projects effective digital interfaces to facilitate the understanding of complex information and data and to improve the online experience, with a special attention for the digital heritage sector.
Furthermore, in the Studio she deals with research, development and writing of new projects, thanks to her expertise in the planning of audience engagement strategies.
Her determination leads her to climb mountains, not just digital ones, so she is always ready to reach new higher peaks.
“Being a Shifter means using my skills in design and design research to do something useful for society”Our external collaborator
After graduating in "Languages of Media and Advertising" at the Catholic University of Milan, she attended a Master's degree in "Writing for Fiction and Cinema" at the same university, deepening her knowledge of effective narrative strategies. Thanks to this background and the experience gained in more than 10 years in the world of digital communication, she has developed a method that combines creative elements and strategic vision, with an eye for archetypes, her secret passion.
Since 2020 she develops digital and social strategies for women's businesses and sustainable projects.
Architect and Color Designer, she specializes in designing spaces through the use of color, with a particular focus on perceptual aspects. Her passion for color has led her to pursue interdisciplinary research and education: since 2014, she has been a lecturer at NCS Italia, Keim Farben, companies, and public institutions. Previously, she was an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Design - Third Architecture - Politecnico di Milano (1998-2013).
Her main focus is designing for whom—placing the individual at the center, recognizing their need for environments that are supportive, communicative, manageable, comprehensible, and accessible. She is also a co-founder of the cultural association "Color Placemaking."
Graduated in Product-Service System Design, she has a strong foundation in Interior Design. She is deeply passionate about strategic and social innovation, and her volunteer experiences in the third sector have allowed her to discover the fulfillment of working closely with communities, contributing to their well-being, and creating a positive impact on people's lives.
Thanks to her time abroad, Silvia has had the opportunity to immerse herself in different cultures, developing an open-minded perspective that she seamlessly integrates into her professional approach.
And when she's not focusing on design, her creative spirit takes over: between singing, musicals, ceramics, and painting, she always finds a way to express herself artistically!