Samuele Fontana

Class of 1998, born in the province of Milan. In 2016, after a long apprenticeship as a chemical expert, he decided to change field and enrolled in the School of Design at the Milan Polytechnic. After three years of projects, he decided to refine his knowledge by attending the Master’s Degree Course in Design & Engineering.

He has always been fascinated by how people interact with objects and is convinced that each person is a universe in himself, capable, over a lifetime, of surrounding himself with objects with which he creates unique relationships and experiences. Over the years, Samuele has learnt to translate these dynamics into objects capable of responding to certain needs.

Abstract
This thesis will focus on the study of applications of bacterial cellulose in the field of industrial design. In particular, the creation of microbiocellulose obtained from the production process of kombucha (a probiotic drink obtained through the fermentation of green tea) will be considered.

The aim will be to define various scenarios in which bacterial cellulose can implement or replace a harmful material with a greater environmental impact. The thesis will have the material as its main focus and will follow the approach proposed in Material Driven Design in a structural manner. It will therefore add knowledge around this material through: scientific literature, user studies and empirical experimentation in the laboratory.