Research Benchmarks The most important steps in the development of the doctorate activities are: Research group At the beginning of the doctorate each candidate is asked to join one or more groups of research in the purpose to get closer to the ongoing or new departmental research. advisor Each candidate is also asked at the beginning of the first year to choose a advisor, expected to share similar research interests. As further supervisors, a co-advisor and a reader are nominated. Area of research The selection of the area of research anticipates the selection of the dissertation topic, so to reach progressively the core of the research. This selection is done during the first semester of the first year. Dissertation Proposal At the end of the first semester of the research activity, the dissertation topic is presented to the board of professors. Developed under the advisor supervision, the proposal will outline the foundations of the research as well as a preliminary introduction to the research basic hypothesis. The original proposal may undergo some changes due to the discovery of new opportunities of development or new significant trajectories. Examinations The doctoral candidate will have to pass the exams related to the courses of the program, following a calendar set up by the board of professors. Research Plan At the end of the second semester of the first year, a research plan should be presented by the candidates. The plan will point out not only to the nature of the research to be developed, its originality and validity but also to the objectives, method(s) and expected results. Oral Presentations of Intermediate Advancements The advancements of the different phases of the dissertation are scheduled every semester by the board of Professors. Dissertation The objective of the doctoral thesis, obtained through the research activity, is an original contribution to the knowledge of industrial design or multimedia communication. A written dissertation may be integrated or partially substituted by other forms of elaboration of research results, if coherent: if an artefact is part of the research outcome, it will have to be presented with suitable documentation. As the doctoral dissertation is both an original contribution to research and a research license, its contents will be qualitatively different from any other research outcome the candidate may have developed along his training program. It is presented to the board of professors at the end of the second semester of the third year.