Briefing Presentations (power points) are available, as well as in person/ni video support from Volta27 to assist with the brief and along the project development. Simply get in touch to discuss your needs.
Stefano Riva and Tommao Lorenzini from Cantiere Ernesto Riva interviews can be found here
27 Users and some of their pain points… for inspiration
This list gives examples of the questions to potentially address and follows conventional human-centric design model. It is by no means exhaustive nor prescriptive. We invite the students to consider the different lives, practices and interdependent relations around the lake - residents, workers, visitors and institutions, but also aquatic life, habitats, shorelines, water flows, etc. - without necessarily turning all of these into “users”.
Overtourism, ecological degradation, mobility, infrastructure and competing interests are complex conditions rather than discrete problems with straightforward design solutions. In this context it might be useful to question your niitial reaction to the brief. The outcome doesn’t necessarily have to be a new vessel, product or service; it could involve retrofit, repair, maintenance, changed practices, governance, restriction, reduction, or strengthening something that already exists.
Your own analysis and field research, either in Como or in lakes closer to you, are likely to identify needs with economic and social or ecological impacts that will be similar to those in Lake Como and a good basis for Navigation 5.0 concepts exploration. The choice of topic to address, from a more conceptual exploration, or practical solution design such as "how can we have autonomous vessels that are safe to dock in any weather condition?" are your own decision.
We wish to thanks Pr Elio Caccavale from Glasgow University, Tommaso Lorensini, of Cantiere Ernesto Riva and Harry Miesbauer from HM Yacht Design, for their insightful suggestions.
Businesses & Workers
Public Ferry Captain
Navigates dangerously overcrowded waters filled with unpredictable recreational watercraft, making docking schedules hard to maintain and increasing collision risks during peak tourist season.
vessels used for the public transport service operated by Navigazione Laghi, there are some beautiful historical examples—some of which have now been decommissioned—of boats that produced very little wake, were well suited to short routes, and had more elegant and graceful lines that blended more naturally into the lake environment. There are also many examples of vessels built throughout the 20th century and specifically designed for the characteristics of the lake. These could provide a valuable starting point for imagining a contemporary reinterpretation.
Water Taxi Driver
Faces intense frustration from narrow, unregulated pick-up zones and lack of dedicated smart-docking infrastructure, forcing them to waste time idling while waiting for clients.
There are currently no Electric Water Taxi, which would require designing a fast charging infrastructure, and converting many classic, sometimes ancien taxis.
Luxury Hotel Owner / Manager
Struggles to secure reliable, high-end water transport options for VIP guests looking to bypass congested road or enjoying sightseeing, while also facing high energy costs to run climate-controlled luxury facilities sustainably.
Charging points are increasingly available at luxury hotels, who sees this as a way to both fulfil their sustainability ambitions and attract luxury tourism and e-boat owners on the lake
Lakeside Restaurant Owner
Suffers from supply-chain bottlenecks because delivery boats and food suppliers face unpredictable docking congestion
Lack solution for residents eager to come with their boat, with limited parking space along the waterfront and complex disembarkment manoeuvres.
Local Artisan / Shop Owner
Experiences a severe drop-off in local resident customers during peak season because locals avoid the congested lakeside shopping districts entirely with no alternative for on-lake bypass or on-lake markets
Shipyard & Boat Mechanic
Lacks modern local facilities equipped to service, maintain, or safely dispose of specialized batteries and zero-emission electric propulsion systems for commercial vessels.
Construction & Cargo Transporter
Finds it difficult to move heavy building materials or equipment to lakeside properties via water due to a shortage of heavy-duty, clean-energy cargo barges and recharging facilities.
Municipal Sanitation Worker
Challenged by the volume of floating plastic waste and litter left behind by high-density tourism, with slow traditional cleanup boats unable to cover enough area.
Struggle to collect floating woods debris after heavy rainfalls and floods, which cause severe navigation hazards.
Residents & Commuters
Cross-Lake Daily Commuter
Routinely gets shut out of fully booked public commuter ferries during the tourist rush, causing them to be late for work.
Lakeside Resident & Homeowner
Suffers structural damage to private docks and historic seawalls caused by heavy, unmitigated wave action from passing Ferries and high-speed luxury rental boats.
Hesitates to adopt e-yachting solutions due to the lack of recharging facilities and specialised services, to make feasible a "normal day on the lake"
Local Student
Faces unreliable public transit schedules between smaller villages and larger education hubs (like Como or Lecco) due to systemic transport congestion.
Local Shopper / Errand Runner
Unable to find parking or navigate waterfront areas near town centers
Local fisherman
Face increasing environmental pressure and heavy commercial boat traffic from tourism, which disrupt fish populations, damage traditional fishing zones, and threaten their generational livelihoods.
Environmental Local Activist
Watches the degradation of local fish spawning grounds and water quality or above and under water noise due to heavy boat traffic and inadequate greywater management infrastructure from older vessels.
Tourists & Visitors
Day-Tripping Sightseer ("TikTok Route")
Spends hours trapped in endless ticket lines and overcrowded ferry queues, missing out on actual sights because transit connections are insufficient. Concentrate on the most advertised places adding stress on infrastructures and services not conceived for high tourist volumes
Recreational Sailor / Windsurfer / Swimmer
Feels unsafe and squeezed out on the water by large wakes and reckless driving from high-powered, untrained tourists renting motorboats.
Lakeside Cyclist / E-Biker
Difficulty to take public navigation at critical points along their road to avoid dangerous roads sections, and being constantly forced onto narrow, winding coastal roads with no dedicated path.
Luxury Vacationer (Boat owners, Renting a No-licence small Motorboat, or larger ones)
Frustrated by a lack of efficient digital support for navigation guidelines, geofenced alerts for protected natural areas
Misses easy access to sustainable navigation with Full day trip capable boats or reliable high-speed charging infrastructure on the lake.
The non-licenced boat renters, misses autonomous boating solution who could bring them from any point to any other point on the lake safely, day and night.
Foiling technology is used by a large ferry. for its energy and speed efficiency. However, given the specific characteristics of Lake Como and the amount of occasional floating wood debris, foils are challenging for smaller, more vulnerable boats and would require innovative solution to make them safe to use all the time.
Cultural Heritage and Eco Tourist
Has difficulties identifying and discovering historic villas and gardens from the lake, has little opportunities for affordable boat tours and traditional boat experience losing the authentic "slow tourism".
Off-Season / Winter Traveler
Encounters closed tourist infrastructure, very limited public boat schedules, and a lack of indoor hospitality options because most services only cater to the summer peak.
Public services and institutional stakeholders
Lake Security & Guardia di Finanza Officer (Law Enforcement)
Struggles to intercept illegal or speeding boats who can escape, and need to maneuver quickly through tight, congested tourist bottlenecks without causing dangerous conditions and excessive wakes themselves.
State Police / Carabinieri Water Patrol Officer (Fire/Police/Medical)
Response times are severely compromised during peak season due to radio blackspots in deep mountain valleys and the physical gridlock of tangled recreational boats surrounding accident or rescue scenes.
Face complex interventions with hard to find victims, during heavy weather or at night
Lake Como Authority (Autorità di Bacino / Regulatory Official)
Lacks real-time, data-driven monitoring tools to enforce speed limits, geofenced nature reserves, and boat-density caps, forcing them to rely on reactive, outdated spot-checks.
Need of protected or restricted-navigation areas, both in more environmentally sensitive parts of the lake and near hotels and other particularly sensitive locations. This could provide greater protection for certain areas, while on the other it could reduce boat traffic and the presence of curious visitors in front of hotels. Control and boundary systems could be developed for these areas, potentially allowing access only to electric or low-impact boats.
Environmental Scientist / Limnologist (Monitoring Ecosystem Health)
Finds it difficult to gather accurate baseline data on water pollution and habitat degradation (Studying water quality, fish spawning habits, microplastics, and the ecological impact of human activity on the lake basin.) because constant, heavy motorboat traffic and aggressive wave action disrupt delicate sensor equipment and churn up sediment.
Local Tourism Association / PromoLake Director
Overwhelmed by "overtourism" complaints from residents and visitors alike, lacking a unified digital infrastructure to disperse crowds away from overloaded hotspots (like Bellagio or Como center) to lesser-known villages.
Yacht Club President/ Sailing Federation Representative
Safety hazards for youth training and regattas have skyrocketed because reckless, untrained tourists driving high-powered rental motorboats frequently ignore race boundaries and create dangerous, disruptive wakes.
Lake Como has very limited accessible space along its shoreline and, historically, many of the sports that brought local communities together were precisely those practiced on the water. There is a need to develop concepts related to the world of sport, imagining new systems and spaces that facilitate access to the water and encourage participation in water sports.
Civil Protection & Fire Rescue Commander (Vigili del Fuoco)
Heavy transport and firefighting vessels struggle to access remote, road-deprived shorelines quickly due to inadequate deep-water mooring infrastructure and narrow, congested local docks.