CEASING COPYCAT BEHAVIOUR: DEVELOPING PRODUCT-DESIGN IDENTITY THROUGH INDUSTRY AND HANDCRAFT INTERACTION

A história do desenvolvimento industrial brasileiro e a educaçao em design nao contribuíram para a construçao de uma cultura de design e para a preservaçao da herança cultural, apesar da riqueza e variedade da cultura brasileira, e da reconhecida produçao dos designers brasileiros. A urgencia em transformar esse cenário caracterizado por uma cultura da cópia em direçao a contextos inovadores tem sido relatada em diversas publicaçoes. Este estudo visa contribuir para o entendimento da mudança do comportamento de cópia na indústria moveleira do Brasil partindo da análise de dois casos práticos. Os casos mostram a interaçao entre indústria e artesanato rumo a construçao de uma cultura de design e a preservaçao do patrimônio cultural regional. O primeiro caso (Pedra de Minas) usa observaçao participante como principal método, o segundo (poltrona Corn) usa entrevista semiestruturada direcionada ao proprietário da empresa, observaçao e análise de materiais de divulgaçao e website da empresa. Revisao de literatura interdisciplinar foi utilizada para auxiliar o entendimento dos casos empíricos e dos contextos de cópia no qual estao imersos, abordaram-se os seguintes tópicos: desencadeadores e barreiras para a integraçao do design nas Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PME); o comportamento da cópia (tópico pouco conhecido na área de pesquisa em design); identidade do produto; sistemas de produçao industrial e artesanal e suas relaçoes com o design. Os objetivos deste artigo sao: contribuir para a análise de casos práticos em uma economia emergente, investigar as relaçoes entre artesanato, indústria e design propondo possibilidades de projetos bidirecionais como potencial fonte de criaçao de valor na empresa e comunidade locais, começar a compreender o comportamento de cópia relacionado ao design de produto na indústria de móveis brasileira assim como sua mudança rumo a inovaçao orientada pelo design, entender melhor a importância da viabilidade para a manufatura e da prototipagem assim como suas fronteiras neste contexto. A discussao e a conclusao apontam os impulsionadores e as barreiras encontradas nos níveis micro (da empresa) e macro (do ambiente externo), enfatizando a necessidade de desenvolver políticas de design efetivas e infraestrutura adequada para apoiar a construçao de uma cultura de design e a preservaçao do patrimônio cultural.The Brazilian industrial history and design education have not contributed to the construction of a design culture and to the preservation of cultural heritage, despite the richness and variety of its culture and renowned production of Brazilian designers. The urgency of transforming this scenario – characterized by a culture of copying – into innovative contexts has been reported in several publications. This study sheds light on the issue of copycat behaviour changes in Brazilian furniture industry through two practice-based cases analysis. These cases show the interaction between industry and craftwork towards design culture conception and cultural heritage preservation. Participant observation was the main method used to collect data in the first case (Pedra de Minas). The second case (Corn armchair) was based on a semi-structured interview addressed to the company’s owner, as well as observation and analysis of archival sources such as brochures, materials used in exhibitions, and the company’s website. nterdisciplinary literature review supported the understanding of the empirical cases and context regarding copycat behaviour. This research was focused on: drivers and barriers to integrating design innovation into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); copycat behaviour (under-researched issue in the design field); product identity; industrial and handcraft systems and their relationship to design. The purposes of this paper are to contribute to the analysis of practice-based cases in an emerging economy, to inquiry relations between crafts, industry and design, proposing possibilities of bidirectional projects as potential sources to create value in companies and communities, to start understanding copycat behaviour related to product-design in the Brazilian furniture industry and its changes towards design innovation, to better understand the feasibility and importance of prototyping as well as their boundaries for design development in this context. The discussion and conclusion point out drivers and barriers found at the company’s level and at the macro level, emphasizing the need to develop effective design policies and appropriate infrastructure in order to support design culture conception and cultural heritage preservation

The choice of design:From businesses’ conditions to businesses’ attitudes

This paper addresses a psychological approach to creativity use as a decision in order to understand design management capabilities absorption within small businesses throughout three design policy programs focused on the integration of design into MSMEs in the Brazilian furniture industry. The issue is: What are the different companies’ attitudes and prior knowledge (or conditions) that contribute to or block the absorption of design management capabilities throughout these projects? Literature review and participant observation were employed in a qualitative perspective. The integration of design into business has been more related to the organisational culture than to an economic reasoning. The main contribution is to start better understanding different businesses’ attitudes and prior knowledge that support the absorption or improvement of design management capabilities within MSMEs. The findings are summed up in a map that shows the perceived businesses’ conditions and attitudes and their impact on design management capabilities absorption

CEASING COPYCAT BEHAVIOUR: DEVELOPING PRODUCT-DESIGN IDENTITY THROUGH INDUSTRY AND HANDCRAFT INTERACTION

A história do desenvolvimento industrial brasileiro e a educaçao em design nao contribuíram para a construçao de uma cultura de design e para a preservaçao da herança cultural, apesar da riqueza e variedade da cultura brasileira, e da reconhecida produçao dos designers brasileiros. A urgencia em transformar esse cenário caracterizado por uma cultura da cópia em direçao a contextos inovadores tem sido relatada em diversas publicaçoes. Este estudo visa contribuir para o entendimento da mudança do comportamento de cópia na indústria moveleira do Brasil partindo da análise de dois casos práticos. Os casos mostram a interaçao entre indústria e artesanato rumo a construçao de uma cultura de design e a preservaçao do patrimônio cultural regional. O primeiro caso (Pedra de Minas) usa observaçao participante como principal método, o segundo (poltrona Corn) usa entrevista semiestruturada direcionada ao proprietário da empresa, observaçao e análise de materiais de divulgaçao e website da empresa. Revisao de literatura interdisciplinar foi utilizada para auxiliar o entendimento dos casos empíricos e dos contextos de cópia no qual estao imersos, abordaram-se os seguintes tópicos: desencadeadores e barreiras para a integraçao do design nas Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PME); o comportamento da cópia (tópico pouco conhecido na área de pesquisa em design); identidade do produto; sistemas de produçao industrial e artesanal e suas relaçoes com o design. Os objetivos deste artigo sao: contribuir para a análise de casos práticos em uma economia emergente, investigar as relaçoes entre artesanato, indústria e design propondo possibilidades de projetos bidirecionais como potencial fonte de criaçao de valor na empresa e comunidade locais, começar a compreender o comportamento de cópia relacionado ao design de produto na indústria de móveis brasileira assim como sua mudança rumo a inovaçao orientada pelo design, entender melhor a importância da viabilidade para a manufatura e da prototipagem assim como suas fronteiras neste contexto. A discussao e a conclusao apontam os impulsionadores e as barreiras encontradas nos níveis micro (da empresa) e macro (do ambiente externo), enfatizando a necessidade de desenvolver políticas de design efetivas e infraestrutura adequada para apoiar a construçao de uma cultura de design e a preservaçao do patrimônio cultural.The Brazilian industrial history and design education have not contributed to the construction of a design culture and to the preservation of cultural heritage, despite the richness and variety of its culture and renowned production of Brazilian designers. The urgency of transforming this scenario – characterized by a culture of copying – into innovative contexts has been reported in several publications. This study sheds light on the issue of copycat behaviour changes in Brazilian furniture industry through two practice-based cases analysis. These cases show the interaction between industry and craftwork towards design culture conception and cultural heritage preservation. Participant observation was the main method used to collect data in the first case (Pedra de Minas). The second case (Corn armchair) was based on a semi-structured interview addressed to the company’s owner, as well as observation and analysis of archival sources such as brochures, materials used in exhibitions, and the company’s website. nterdisciplinary literature review supported the understanding of the empirical cases and context regarding copycat behaviour. This research was focused on: drivers and barriers to integrating design innovation into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); copycat behaviour (under-researched issue in the design field); product identity; industrial and handcraft systems and their relationship to design. The purposes of this paper are to contribute to the analysis of practice-based cases in an emerging economy, to inquiry relations between crafts, industry and design, proposing possibilities of bidirectional projects as potential sources to create value in companies and communities, to start understanding copycat behaviour related to product-design in the Brazilian furniture industry and its changes towards design innovation, to better understand the feasibility and importance of prototyping as well as their boundaries for design development in this context. The discussion and conclusion point out drivers and barriers found at the company’s level and at the macro level, emphasizing the need to develop effective design policies and appropriate infrastructure in order to support design culture conception and cultural heritage preservation

The value of design:an issue of vision, creativity and interpretation

What is the value of design? Why should firms invest in design? The paper aims at clarifying the value of design, its dimensions and its variables (qualitative and quantitative) throughout a literature review and analysis. The premise is that firms invest in design to create value. Design has evolved, becoming closely related to innovation, and the need to clarify its dimensions and relationships to value within firms and society rises. Despite the global growing interest in design, it is not fully understood how it brings benefits to the company. The concept of value is found in a fragmented literature including economics, marketing, business, management, value engineering, design domains, social and environmental sustainability. In conclusion, the value of design still is under-researched and new dimensions emerge. It is shaped by designers and companies visions, creativity and interpretations. Better crossfertilization is required to identify the mechanisms of value creation by design

Estratégias de combate ao uso do álcool por adolescentes na comunidade Sussuarana, do município de Piripiri – Piauí

O consumo abusivo do álcool por adolescentes é alto, levando a vários problemas sociais. Assim, este projeto de intervenção objetiva conscientizar os adolescentes sobre os malefícios do uso do álcool e garantir o acompanhamento dos alcoólatras da comunidade por uma instituição terapêutica. As principais estratégias foram mapear os usuários em condição de dependência ou de risco de dependência na comunidade; promover atividades educativas nas escolas e espaços comunitários; realizar acompanhamento mensal dos usuários na UBS; iniciar tratamento dos dependentes que desejam ser tratados e encaminhar os pacientes dependentes para o acompanhamento com o psicólogo e do psiquiatra. Os resultados mostraram que os usuários de álcool não procuravam a UBS para tratamento por não terem consciência de sua doença e que as ações de prevenção ao uso de álcool precisam de planejamento para médio/longo prazo, não podendo esperar resultados imediatos, apesar das demandas dos gestores e da própria sociedade

Amazon's Alexa critical genealogy through the imagery of women and machine in science fiction cinema

In order to better understand the phenomenon of genderization of consumer technologies, such as digital voice assistants (DVAs), present in the market today, this dissertation examines the possible sociocultural intersections between gender and technology present in the imaginary of science fiction cinema. To do so, a Foucauldian discourse analysis was conducted on ten feature films in this artistic genre, which is very dear to feminism, especially as of its third wave, drawing an intertextual parallel with the responses programmed into some of the most popular DVAs available today, such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. This dissertation challenges the argument that the genderization of technology is a phenomenon as recent as these new technologies and that it can be explained only from a user experience point of view. With this objetive in mind, we trace a genealogy of Alexa based on the ideas proposed by Michel Foucault, in an attempt to expose the power games behind these gender constructions inside and outside of cinema. In this sense, we identified and examined three main categories of discourse analysis that are present and repeated not only in the filmic sample, but also in the DVAs used daily by millions of consumers around the world. The study points to the need to overcome gender barriers in not only technical, but also sociocultural, access to technologies in general.Com o objetivo de melhor compreender o fenômeno de genderização de tecnologias de consumo presentes hoje no mercado, como as digital voice assistants (DVAs), esta dissertação examina as possíveis interseções socioculturais entre gênero e tecnologia presentes no imaginário do cinema de ficção científica. Para isso, foi realizada uma análise de discurso foucauldiana em dez filmes de longa metragem deste gênero artístico, que é muito caro ao feminismo especialmente a partir da sua terceira onda, estabelecendo um paralelo intertextual a partir das respostas programadas em algumas das mais populares DVAs disponíveis atualmente, como Alexa, da Amazon, e Siri, da Apple. Esta dissertação desafia o argumento de que a genderização da tecnologia é um fenômeno tão recente quanto essas novas tecnologias e que pode ser explicado apenas do ponto de vista da experiência do usuário. Para este efeito, traça-se uma genealogia da Alexa com base nas ideias propostas por Michel Foucault, expondo os jogos de poder por detrás dessas construções de gênero dentro e fora do cinema. Nesse sentido, foram identificadas e examinadas três categorias principais de análise de discurso que estão presentes e se repetem não apenas na amostra fílmica, mas também nas DVAs utilizadas diariamente por milhões de consumidores ao redor do mundo. O estudo aponta para a necessidade de superação das barreiras de gênero no acesso não apenas técnico, mas também sociocultural, às tecnologias de forma geral

Design thinking for public good:moving towards change?

This paper analyses the experience of a co-funded European Commission project that aimed at diffusing design thinking methods, particularly from the toolkit (IDEO, 2014), across libraries in three countries: Italy, Portugal and Romania. Aarhus library (Denmark) development and practices were taken as the main reference (or best practice). The key issues explored in this manuscript regard: continuity of networks and sustainability of the design approach learnt. In order to better define this analysis’ contributions, we suggest the following questions considering this specific project experience: - What aspects hinder and which ones contribute to carrying out the project among different countries afar? - Which are the critical factors that can support design thinking approach implementation and sustainability? - Will the networks be kept and evolve towards more innovative scenarios after the end of the project? We point out our learnings, positive implications for public libraries, and criticisms faced. From these, we start drawing on best practices, and suggestions for scaling up a human-centered approach across European libraries in order to contribute to building the legacy of this kind of project

Rheology as a tool to follow hybrid nanocomposites preparation

Hybrid nanocomposites were prepared using two polymeric matrices and the one inorganic precursor. Rheological measurements were performed in order to characterize and follow the reactions and to assess the effect of temperature and time on the nanocomposite structure. The experimental results evidenced that crosslinking occurs for both polymers. Higher crosslinking density and well dispersed nanoparticles morphology were achieved with EVA.The authors acknowledge the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) Project SFRH/BD/39085/2007 for the financial support