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

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

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

The Fifth Order of Design

Failures in achieving sustainability are being recognised worldwide. Approaches to tackling sustainability challenges often fail to address the roots of these challenges. This paper contributes to a necessary discussion of an emerging necessity, a research agenda that encompasses the transformative strategic role and value of design in (co-)shaping sustainable and equitable futures. It draws attention to drivers of unsustainability and their complex interplay of design, environmental, economic, societal and individual values that govern our modern society. Richard Buchanan’s four orders of design model is reviewed in the process, with a fifth order being suggested to deal with the change of paradigm that sustainability requires. This comprehensive view is critical to tgetting to grips with global challenges (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) since the shift towards sustainability needs to address the root causes of systemic and interrelated problems that cannot be overcome by reactive marketing and technocratic approaches. Implications for design value, education, skills, and ways of designing are pointed out

A Gestão de Desenvolvimento de Produtos em uma indústria seriada de móveis

Este artigo foi motivado pela importância da Gestão de Desenvolvimento de Produtos e Processos(GDP) nas organizações, sobretudo no que diz respeito à ampliação do mercado de atuação da empresa e ao atendimento das necessidades dos consumidoores que exigem, cada vez mais, sistemas produtivos flexíveis. Assim, o artigo busca caracterizar a GDP em uma indústria seriada produtora de móveis e, por meio dela, propor sugestões para o robustecimento do sistema de desenvolvimento de produtos e processos da organização. A GDP foi caracterizada em termos da avaliação de desempenho de novos produtos; orientação estratégica da organização; processo de desenvolvimento de novos produtos; organização do trabalho e liderança; e métodos, técnicas e ferramentas utilizadas pela empresa. Conclui-se que a empresa necessita de intervenção em todos os pontos supracitados de forma a obter vantagens competitivas e consolidar a GDP na organização

Design boundaries in Brazilian SMEs:A case study in the furniture sector

Most design approaches have their foundations in the United States and European western countries (e.g. Design Thinking; Design Culture, Strategic Design). When dealing with different contextual frameworks we face diverse constraints and problems as we explore the design potential in enterprises. In this paper, we clarify some design constraints in a Brazilian enterprise through a case study, aiming to provide an initial framework for further discussion about design in this context. We suppose that different conditions for design development in a firm, such as the lack of product strategy, portfolio development and management, commercial skills, the difficulty to reproduce design into production, and the informal way of framing its business, lead to the need of situated design practices that require design know-how. The implementation of the new design into production and market does not rely only on “good” design practice by itself. It requires considerable effort from other areas of the company on diverse levels