As possibilidades do design como estratégia para as pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs) da cidade de Maputo

Abstract

Due to the lack of an industrial production, distribution and consumption sector, and due to an economy totally dependent on foreign imports, in Mozambique, 98.7% of companies are constituted by Small and Medium Enterprises, which generate 24% of formal employment in the country. In this context, taking into account that teaching in design was introduced in the country until recently, amid several limitations such as teaching quality, it also happens that for various reasons, in the design market, companies often choose to hire professionals of design without any training, instead of trained designers. Based on these points, the research aims to verify how design can contribute strategically to Small and Medium Enterprises in the city of Maputo. For this purpose, an exploratory research, in which, during the data collection stage, in-depth interviews were conducted with design professors, design professionals, design students and company managers, in order to understand how design unfolds in the field of education, in the design market and in small and medium enterprises in Maputo. The content analysis of this interview cycle, allowed a clearer understanding about the reality of design in the context of Maputo, which served as a guideline that made possible, in sequence, the design of the material proposed for a design session. However, a group of four (4) participants carried out the design session, and a second interview script was subsequently followed. From the most significant results of the research, it was concluded that the interviews brought a rich opportunity to the research to generate a better in-depth knowledge about what kind of difficulties and limitations are faced in the context of design in Maputo, as well as, with what dynamics this area is related to the marketing area. In relation to the result of the project session, the research enabled the opening of a new possibility for different areas to interact with each other, generate discussion and collaborate for the benefit of each other. For research is not only about trying to insert design as a strategic resource in small and medium-sized companies, but also bringing the universe of organizations closer to the field of design.