Design estratégico e comunidades artesanais : co-design para transformação social

Abstract

The interventions of designers who, as consultants, interact with communities of artisans to qualify handicraft production and reposition it in the consumer market, are popular in Brazil - because of their potential to generate economic and social development for such communities. These interactions are investigated here through a strategic design's perspective, aiming at value creation through processes that involve multiple actors in the development of solutions. The objective of this research is to propose strategic paths for the qualification of design consultancies for handicraft communities, aiming to promote co-design processes that contribute to the community's greater autonomy in relation to the institutions that promote these interventions. As part of an exploratory investigation, three case studies are conducted, involving communities of artisans where designers helped to develop artifacts. The development paths and the artifact creation process of these groups are analyzed, leading to the description of a designing environment where the organizational structure and the relationships between participants have an influence on the designers work and the continuity of the project; and the introjection of the consultant's skills, and the strengthening of the community's value network contribute towards the artisan's autonomy. Four central propositions are therefore defined: 1) the role of the designer as a qualification agent in design culture; 2) the creation of a co-design space which conducts to an immersive experience while promoting interpersonal relationships and collaborative design; 3) the facilitation of the co-creation process and qualification of artisans through instruments that combine research on a metadesign level and the development of interpersonal relations; 4) the strengthening of the groups value network through horizontal intergroup collaborations.