Prof. Barbara Prinčič

Education

2007 – Master of Arts on Ecology as a Way of Life at UL ALUO

1993 – received a scholarship from the Dutch government for postgraduate studies at the European Design Centre (EDC), Eindhoven, in cooperation with The Design Academy Eindhoven

1991 – Graduated from the Department of Design, UL ALU, majoring in Industrial Design

 

Work experience and guest posts

2018 – Visiting Lecturer at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

2016 – Associate Professor of Industrial Design at ALUO

2010 – Assistant Professor of Industrial Design at ALUO

2008 – two academic years as an invited lecturer at HTBL Ferlach Design College, Austria

1997 – UL ALUO; assistant professor of Industrial Design

1993 – freelance designer; fields of work: visual communication and packaging design, State of the Art research

1992 – DPC-CETRA=Design Promotion Center-China External Trade Development Council, Taipei, Taiwan; consultancy in the field of professional and promotional activities for the preparatory ICSID World Congress in Taipei, consultancy in the field of education and awareness raising of local manufacturers/companies on industrial design as a strategic tool for achieving higher added value in products and thus a greater competitive advantage in international markets.

1991 – Formitas Agency; visual communication design and project management

1990 – Secretariat of the 17th ICSID Congress at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Editor-in-Chief of the periodical At the Crossroads News

 

Projects (from 2015 onwards)

2023 – Hmm, just where to put it. Project from the PDPPIZŠDO call for proposals. Project leader senior lect. mag. Nevenka Ferfila, Faculty of Medicine, UL.

2023 – Engineering expo project as part of the Engineer of the Year project. Design of exhibition stands and participation in the exhibition set-up. Client Mediade d.o.o., in cooperation with MG Rohr.

2022/23 – Design and implementation project for the exhibition Intertwining, in collaboration with ALUO students.

2022 – Re-Lax project; development of two products (a bench and a chair) from discarded conveyor belts for outdoor or indoor use, in collaboration with the Port of Koper.

2022 – T-60 art installation project for the international festival Svetlobna gverila. Matic Čič, Boštjan Drinovec, Žan Girandon, Pia Groleger, Luka Pleskovič, Barbara Prinčič, Vid Lebič, Jo Zornik.

2021 – Project Extending the lifetime of scrap from the production of rubber products by Lonstroff d.o.o. (student R&D project).

2020/21 – Student Corner project (student R&D applied project). Work carried out for ALUO.

2020 – Design and implementation of the ŠIPK exhibition project Say NO! Disposable products. Collaborator Tina Nunar (graphic design).

2020 – This will be my home. Project leader: prof. Tadej Glažar, Faculty of Architecture

2019 – Innovative solutions to reduce packaging. Project management in the framework of the ŠIPK call.

2019 – Innovative treatment of household waste in the kitchen. PKP Project leader Prof. Dr. Joško Valentinčič, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, UL.

2019 – Jute project – project for the development of a new material from discarded jute coffee sacks and the development of potential applications; in cooperation with Droga Kolinska and the Institute of Pulp and Paper, Ljubljana. Collaborator Andrej Šinkovec.

2018 – project for the design and realisation of the exhibition Second Round – a transparent exhibition of ALUO students in courses with sustainable content.

2017/18 – project on the potential use of waste/residues from a selected (production) process (student R&D project in cooperation with Filc d.o.o.).

2016/17 – Smart Shelter Research project in collaboration with Martin Schieldkamp, a Dutch architect based in Asia, who contributed to the call for papers (student R&D project).

2016 – conceptual development of games for the Gardi brand, with the Shroomko playhouse realised as the first product. In cooperation with Exor Eti d.o.o.

2015 – Practical use of discarded materials with focus on textile products. Project management in the framework of the PKP call. Work carried out for ALUO.

 

Exhibitions (from 2015 onwards)

• home

2022/23 – Intertwining exhibition. Small Lodge, Koper, 29.11.-19.12.2022 and Ljubljana City Hall, Right Atrium, 12.1.-16.2.2023

2021 – When I Close My Eyes. Solo exhibition of paintings made from discarded textiles. City Hall, Glass Atrium, Ljubljana

2020 – Exhibition Say NO! Disposable Products. Presentation of ten mentored student results from the ŠIPK Call for Innovative Solutions for Packaging Reduction. Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana

2018 – O…design, between vision and reality. Biennial exhibition of the Slovenian Designers Association, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana

2016 – Design Identity; solo presentation ‘Let’s Give Wood to Children’, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana

2016 – Images of Time; Biennial Review Exhibition of the Slovenian Designers’ Association, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana

 

• abroad

2022 – Guiltlessplastic. Exhibition of the finalists for the RO Plastic Prize 2022, Galleria Rossana Orlandi during Milan Design Week. Milan, Italy

2017 – Venice Design; curated side exhibition of the Venice Biennale. Organised by the GAA Foundation as part of the European Cultural Centre. Palazzo Michiel and Marinaressa Garden, Venice, Italy

2017 – Boomerang 7; Czech and Slovenian art project organised by AAMI Institute, Quadrium Center, Prague

2016 – Slovenian Design – exhibition of Slovenian design in Milan; Slovenia Design Showroom, Milan, Italy. Organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the SPIRIT Agency.

2015 – Exhibition of A’Design Award-winning projects and products (LED chandelier 5×5) in the former church of St. Francis, Como, Italy. Exhibition also presented at the World Design Hub 2015 and Irish Design 2015 in Dublin, Ireland and at the Shengzu Industrial Design Fair in China.

 

Awards and nominations

2022 – European Product Design Award-winner

2022 – Ro Guilt Plastic Prize 2022-finalist, Italy

2022 – A’Design Award and Competition 2022-runner up, Italy

2015 – A’Design Gold Award, Italy

2014 – A’Design Silver Award, Italy

2010 – Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA 2010) Finalist: the 5×5 Column is placed in the permanent collection of the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA.

1996 – BIO 15, ICSID Honorary Award (group),

1987 – ALU Prešeren Prize, 1987

1986 – BIO 11, special commendation

 

Conferences, lectures, workshops (from 2015 onwards)

2023 – Organisation of a three-day student workshop on biomimetics, led by Dutch invited expert Saskia van der Muijsenberg.

2022 – Invited lecture on “The path to a green product – what is a green product?” at the 2022 SRIP MATPRO Consultation “The path to a green product – sustainability outside the box” Portorož. Organised by SRIPMAT and the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The lecture is available here.

2022 – The Story of Jute. Invited lecture as a public event at the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana, organised as part of the BIO 27 side activities.

2022 – participation in the international scientific conference Mediteranean Islands Conference-Vis 2022, Croatia, with the paper Sustainable Design in Practice at ALUO – Reducing Waste, Saving Resources, Minimising Costs by Developing and Making Multifunctional Units as Equipment for Students. Vis, Croatia, 14-17.9.2022

2020 – Invited lecture on The challenge for a circular economy; instead of the dump, the market. Time for innovation – “circular design” or “sustainable design”. Organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the framework of the Interreg Central Europe project, Coco4CCI.

2020 – Participation in the international scientific conference Mediterranean Islands Conference with the paper From Initiation to New Design Solutions Based on a Circular Economy. Organised by Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences and Grupa Vern. Vis, Croatia.

2020 – Sustainable Design, Invited lecture for members of the Rotary Club Triglav Ljubljana.

2020 – Organisation of a two-day student workshop on Co-Creation, led by Dutch invited expert Liesbeth Scholten.

2019 – Conducting a full-day Creative Green Action Workshop for students of the Creative Design Department, College of Design, Yun-tech, Taiwan.

2018 – guest invited lectures and workshop on Upcycling, Sustainability and Aesthetics at Tainan University of Technology, Fashion Design Department and National Chiayi University, both in Taiwan.

2018 – Our Responsible Journey, Invited Keynote Lecture at the International Conference on Cross-Boundary and Integration & Symposium on Sustainable Products and Industrial Management. Organised by National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

2018 – Invited keynote lecture on Ecodesign and Product Value Added at the expert workshop From Material to Ecodesign – Packaging in the Circular Economy. Organised by Fit media d.o.o., Celje.

2017 – Awareness of the importance of environmentally responsible design among designers. Invited lecture at the Plastics Symposium. Organised by the Museum of Architecture and Design, Fužine Castle, Ljubljana.

2017 – Practicing Upcycling-Oriented Projects for a Circular Economy. Invited lecture at the Retrace partners meeting in Ljubljana. Organised by the Slovenian Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy.

 

Mentorships, co-mentorships (diplomas and award-winning projects since 2015)

2023 – GIRANDON, Žan, GROLEGER, Pia, PLESKOVIČ, Luka. Planning proposals and solutions to raise awareness and eliminate the problem of water pollution in local communities with their own water intake: master thesis A. Ljubljana. Also recipients of the Daljnogled award, given by the Slovenian Designers Association.

2023 – JARH, Bor. Product design with geometry optimization : bachelor thesis. Ljubljana: [B. Jarh], 2023. 45 p., illus. Mentor Lidija Pritržnik. [COBISS.SI-ID 149620483]

2022 – Matic Čič, Žan Girandon, Pia Groleger, Vid Lebič, Tena Palian, Satya Pene, Luka Pleskovič, Daša Šešerko, Jo Zornik. Co-mentor doc. Boštjan Drinovec. Recipients of the ALUO Prešeren Prize for the project T-60 and Reflection.

2022 – DIETNER, Jan. Refillable packaging for sustainable use : thesis. Ljubljana: [J. Dietner], 2022. 77 p., illus. [COBISS.SI-ID 130263811]

2021 – MERŠE, Lea. Sustainability aspects of the problem of discarded textiles : thesis. Ljubljana: [L. Merše], 2021. 56 p., illus. Mentor Lidija Pritržnik. [COBISS.SI-ID 77386755]

2021 – Dea Beatovikj, Tino Duralija, Martin Pevec, Valeska Rimele, Jon Schwarzmann, Žiga Žalec; mentoring on the project Student Corner, for which they received the Daljnogled award from the Slovenian Designers’ Association.

2020 – LESNIKA, Alja. Sustainable furniture : bachelor thesis. Ljubljana: [A. Lesnika], 2020. 63 p., illustrated. Mentor Rok Kuhar. [COBISS.SI-ID 28387843]

2019 – Julija Karas and Neža Medved. Recipients of the Daljnogled award for their project “Potential uses of waste/residues from a selected (production) process”. Development of a new biopolymer.

2019 – Ajda Auer, Ajda Bertok, Jernej Kapus, Ambrož Močnik. Saddles from discarded cerados. Semi-finalist in Young Balkan Designers 2019: Circular Design. Belgrade. Serbia.

2017 – Valentina Arčan and Maja Grobler. Mentoring on the project Bio Seedling Pots. 1st prize winners at the festival (and competition) Reci:Design, Images of Recycling, Celje. Organised by Outsider magazine.

2017 – Špela Čuk and Katarina Merslavič. Mentorship on the project Travel bag made from discarded car belts. Winners of the 2nd prize at the Reci:Design festival (and competition), Images of Recycling, Celje. Organised by Outsider magazine.

2017 – Lin Gerkman and Jakob Koncut. Mentorship on the project Multifunctional light (also as a pendant) KLO. Winners of the 3rd prize at the Reci:Design festival (and competition), Images of Recycling, Celje. Organised by Outsider magazine. 

2016 – JERMANČIČ, Damijan. Siesta-moments : lounging entertainers and comfortable touchscreens : bachelor thesis B. Ljubljana: [ D. Jermančič], 2016. 96 p., illus. [COBISS.SI-ID 3560046]

2016 – SEVER, Maja. Induction plate in incandescent appliances : bachelor thesis B. Ljubljana: [ M. Sever], 2016. 43 p., [1] p. f., ill. [COBISS.SI-ID 3560302].

2016 – TURK, Katja. Modular caravan with an emphasis on the development of functional pull-out modules. Ljubljana: [ K. Turk], 2016. 131 p., illus. [COBISS.SI-ID 3519598]

2016 – ČERVEK, Katjuša. Fast food packaging : diploma thesis. Ljubljana: [K. Červek], 2016. 98 p., [5] p. f., ill. Mentor Vladimir Pezdirc. [COBISS.SI-ID 3545710]

2016 – KAKER, Jelka. Re-use of waste objects and materials : diploma thesis. Ljubljana: [ J. Kaker], 2016. 90 p., illus. Mentor Vladimir Pezdirc. [COBISS.SI-ID 3546734]

2015 – BARBARIĆ, Rina. Series of covers for Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong music albums : thesis. Ljubljana: [R. Barbarić], 2015. 35 p., illus. Mentor Ranko Novak. [COBISS.SI-ID 3431278]

 

Job functions at the Academy and the University

2023-25 Head of the Department of Industrial and Unique Design, ALUO

2023 on the basis of the decision of the Dean of ALUO on appointment – Member of the Working Group on Sustainability at ALUO

2022-2023 (October-February) at the request of the Head of the Parent Department Coordinator of the renewal of the Industrial and Unique Design study programme in accordance with the ALUE A1 strategy

2022 onwards on the proposal of the Rector of the UL Chairperson of the University Disciplinary Committee for 2nd cycle students

2022 onwards on the proposal of the Dean Member of the University Commission for Extracurricular Activities

2020-2022 Head of the Chair for the Development of Design Education

2019 onwards Member of the ALUO Quality Commission

2017-2019 Member of the ALUO Recognition Commission

2015-2019 Administrator of the study programme Industrial and Unique Design (also in the period autumn 2020 to spring 2021)

2015-2019 Head of the Industrial Design course