Designing yachts in the digital era

Arianna Bionda

Designing yachts in the digital era

This volume examines the transformation of yacht design within the context of the digital and industrial transitions characterising contemporary design practice. Drawing on over ten years of research, the volume investigates how computational technologies, advanced manufacturing, and data-driven systems are redefining processes, roles, and disciplinary boundaries in the yachting industry.

Pagine: 176

ISBN: 9788835183884

Edizione:1a edizione 2025

Codice editore: 10319.40

Informazioni sugli open access

Designing Yachts in the Digital Era examines the transformation of yacht design within the context of the digital and industrial transitions characterising contemporary design practice. Drawing on over ten years of research, and enriched by the results of NEMO and CYClaDES projects (PNRR – MICS programme), the volume investigates how computational technologies, advanced manufacturing, and data-driven systems are redefining processes, roles, and disciplinary boundaries in the yachting industry. Through a structured methodology of framing, scanning, forecasting, and acting, the research connects theoretical reflection with empirical studies, industrial mapping, and codesign experimentation. It explores how digital frameworksare reshaping the relationship between design, production, and user experience, and how yacht design can evolve from object-centred practice toward a systemic approach. By integrating foresight methods with design research, it outlines new models for digital integration, sustainability, and customization, positioning design as a form of strategic intelligence capable of navigating complexity and guiding transformation.
Addressed to scholars, designers, and professionals engaged in advanced design and maritime innovation, this work offers both theoretical foundations and methodological tools for rethinking yacht design in the age of digital transformation.

Preface

Introduction

Part 1. Framing

The Yacht Design Discipline

  • Origins and development of yacht design as discipline
  • The role of design, engineering and architecture
  • Performance, Technologies, and lightweight materials as historical drivers

The contemporary Yachting industry

  • The Global yacht market
  • The superyacht and mega yacht sectors
  • Socioeconomic impacts: from the 2010 crisis to the pandemic boost
  • Emerging user behaviours and experience-driven design trends

The Digital Transformation of Industry

  • The Industry 4.0 and 5.0 frameworks
  • Core digital design principles
  • Enabling technologies and the impact on companies and design systems
  • The information-driven cyber-physical systems and its impact on companies and design systems

Part 2 Scanning

Evolution of Digital Frameworks in the Yachting Sector

  • The digital maritime context
  • Maturities of yacht digital framework

Case studies in yacht digital manufacturing and design

  • Connecting, Manufacturing, Intelligence, digitalizing
  • Twenty-seven best practices
  • Case study map

Part 3. Forecasting, visioning and planning

Drivers for the digitalization of yachting industries

  • The yacht digital framework
  • Co-design scenario-building workshops
  • Emerging scenarios

Toward a Computational Morphology System

  • Roadmaps to yacht digital design
  • Computational strategies in the yacht design process

Part 4. Acting

Emerging approaches in Designing for Sustainability and Customisation

  • State of the art and pioneers projects
  • AI in yacht drafting and fast-rendering environments
  • Additive manufacturing for flexible customization
  • Tools and perspective in yacht life cycle
  • A new materiality: smart and bio materials for yachts

Concluding Reflections

References

Author

Collana: Design International - Open Access

Argomenti: Architettura, design, territorio

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