BARROS, Mário; CASIMIRO, Ana 2012. A practical experience on acting local thinking global: design as the enabler of new sources of collaboration. In Farias ...
A practical experience on acting local thinking global: design as the enabler of new sources of collaboration BARROS, Mário /MFA / Polytechnic Institute of Tomar / Portugal CASIMIRO, Ana / MFA / Polytechnic Institute of Tomar / Portugal
Product design / Economic development / Cooperation / Innovation / Territory The paper describes a workshop, outlined in order to use design both as a strategic tool and a tangible outcome, in the context of the furniture and the stone industries of Portuguese Ribatejo region. The projects revealed a different kind of thinking, merging design knowledge that came from the specific level of professional activity and academic research. It was aimed to act local, but concerning global issues as well.
1. Introduction Design thinking (Brown 2009) can act as an approach to solve a problem by integrating the needs of people, the possibilities of the technology and creatively provide a framework of reflection about the interwoven issues of the design activity at different levels. Considering design both as the process of making things as the tangible outcome of the process (Best 2006), it is assumed that its application can contribute positively to the creation of value to society in different ways: by conceiving new products that solve a particular function; by (re) creating systems; or setting up services in order to respond to identified issues, as well as market and social opportunities. The research presented in this paper describes a workshop outlined in order to use design as a strategic tool and a tangible outcome, in the context of the furniture and the stone industries of Portuguese Ribatejo region. The novelty of the research is the promotion of the potential of design culture across the industries and the region; working on different levels of a specific contextual overview; and the gathering of different stakeholders to collaborate with multidisciplinary design teams during the process of ideas refinement. The present work refers to the workshop “Design and territory: furniture and ornamental stones” in Portugal and it is based on previous work developed in Italy (Lotti 2006, Frédout 2008). The general aims are similar, namely the aim of generating new concepts for the industry, the promotion made by a regional entrepreneurs association and an institution of higher education that teach Design, in the case NERSANT and the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (IPT) respectively. In the presented case the methodology was set up to create a framework in which the gap between designers and producers could be shortened and new collaborations could arise. Participants were producers of the aforementioned sectors and designers, coming from academia
and different professional fields. The goal was to develop a network which includes the variety of perspectives that exists concerning the sectors. The design management was used in order to provide conditions to actively involve individuals, professionals, private and public institutions into the design activity. These principles can be stated as an interpretation of managing the conditions of the two levels of the design activity; the corporate and the project level (Topalian 2002).
2. Methodology The need of conducting a workshop for creating products for the furniture and ornamental stone industries was interpreted as the need of reflecting upon the system of creating, delivering and consuming products, through planning for long-term growth. The goal of the envisioned methodology incorporated a degree of flexibility to become applicable to problems with similar variables such as: local identity, multidisciplinary teamwork, commitment of the stakeholders, industrial application and value for the community. In order to identify specific and latent needs, as well as to gather additional information about the design process, its management and results, visits to factories were made. Researchers and practitioners were invited to present themes and provide additional insights to the creation process. The workshop methodology encompassed three main phases: (1) presentation of the underlying principles for the workshop, territorial framework and new design scenarios for the sectors; (2) design development (ideation and prototyping); (3) presentation of results to regional entrepreneurs. The workshop was directed into the development of products, systems or services for the furniture and the stone industries of Ribatejo region. The development was carried out through design teams composed by designers and architects. Teams’ members were organized to fill the specific functions: academic research; 3D modeling and rendering; design profession; visual communication. Sixteen participants were gathered in five groups. Each group would be assigned with specific material – wood or stone – and a typology – interior or urban furniture. The field for project development was communicated to the teams at the beginning of the design process. The purpose of each project was to think upon issues that affect specific local groups of users as a resourceful way to overcome traditional business market positioning - still focused on mass production
BARROS, Mário; CASIMIRO, Ana 2012. A practical experience on acting local thinking global: design as the enabler of new sources of collaboration. In Farias, Priscila Lena; Calvera, Anna; Braga, Marcos da Costa & Schincariol, Zuleica (Eds.). Design frontiers: territories, concepts, technologies [=ICDHS 2012 - 8th Conference of the International Committee for Design History & Design Studies]. São Paulo: Blucher, 2012. ISBN 978-85-212-0692-7,. DOI 10.5151/design-icdhs-049
A practical experience on acting local thinking global: design as the enabler of new sources of collaboration
– to accommodate variables of a contemporary turbulent market environment. The structure of the workshop was divided into three moments, following the organization presented in figure 1 in which: pink areas refer to formal work and dark gray areas refer to cultural experience of the region. Theme seminars (1a) provided information for the design process (1b, 2a, 2c). Third moment consisted in the presentation of the results (3a, 3c).
of the cultural heritage can be incorporated in some aspects of the strategy, the process and/or the product itself. This added value can be stated in the final product and it is apprehended by the user, creating a relation with the production region, independently from the local of consumption. The presentation seminar concerning Ribatejo regional aspects, detailed previous concepts by showing design signs through time in different supports. Covering a broad characterization, from historical aspects to traditional and contemporary activities, from landscape proprieties to construction style and details, from craftwork to industrial production, it was communicated a wide scope of information that could be incorporated in the development of the design proposals. Subsequent presentations were concerned with expanding horizons to drive the areas of domestic and urban furniture. Changes that occurred during the last decades were mapped under social, political, market and technological issues.
Figure 1. Workshop structure
Underlying principles for the workshop Seminars were presented to provide the information about the context in which the design teams would have to operate and the workshop general goals. It was introduced the importance of design in local cultures, elements of design in the region in different activities and new social dynamics and opportunities for interior furnishing and urban furniture. Ribatejo is a region located in the center of Portugal. Main social issues are ageing population facing increasing isolation and low income; and unemployment and layoff due the decrease of production and the exit of multinational companies to other countries. Social fabric is also composed by urban nomads that live in the region during working days, or live permanently in the region but work abroad every day. Cities and villages face increased desertification because of the construction of major retail centers and this reflects on the sustainability of local markets. These subjects were presented as issues that might be considered opportunities to explore and create value. Ageing population and unemployment can be tackled as available knowledge with time; existence of factories with low production as technological means for producing other goods; and transportation infrastructures – proximity to Tagus river, railway lines and highways linking to major Portuguese and Spanish cities – as the basics of global distribution for locally produced goods. The importance of design in local cultures was presented as a continuum process of creation that can provide the user several layers of embedded knowledge in the product. The interpretation
Design Frontiers: Territiories, Concepts, Technologies
The goal of the presentations, made by researchers and practitioners on the subjects, was to enlarge the scope of the context introducing several layers of variables and a deeper knowledge about the region and the subjects. This approach provided the space for presenting and debating specific issues on design aspects as well as existing and latent outside opportunities that could be explored in the projects’ development.
Design process The design process considering the ideation and prototyping phases was divided in six moments; 1) Presentation of group members 2) Themes presentation; 3) Brainstorming; 4) Ideas Analysis; 5) Concept selection; 6) Design Development ; 7) Internal Presentation; 8) Refinement. Presentation of group members was made through the assignment “The machine game”. Each group had five minutes to conceptually develop a machine and to perform its functionality with gestures to the other groups. Each group member would represent one structural function of the overall machine. The goal was to overcome initial social boundaries and to create a group spirit throughout the physicality of the exercise. The buildup of a social relation is an essential ground point for the good development of the projects. After the preliminary exercise, each group received the information about the material and typology of the object that they would have to develop during the workshop. Subsequent stage was the brainstorming session. In its 25 minutes duration each group would have to generate 20 ideas, according to the ground rules established (IDEO 2011): 1) Not judge ideas; 2) Have always the theme as goal; 3) One people talking at the time; 4) The amount of ideas; 5) Buildup ideas of one other element; 6) Communicate visually; 7) Generate two wild ideas.
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Figure 3. Workshop main phases
Figure 2. Outline of the design process
After this broadening process, focused on the subject, it was asked the groups to select and present three of the most capable ideas and the two wild ones (figure 2). The teams had to focus on a smaller group of ideas whilst having a wide conceptual range of ideas, and debate further about several aspects developed during the brainstorm session. The ideas were presented to other groups and submitted to an open discussion to provide additional insights about influencing factors for each concept design. With the input of the other workshop members on the selected ideas, the groups were then able to better evaluate and choose the idea that they would continue working on. In the design development stage each group would have to work on a single design proposal. At the beginning they would work on a conceptual level, defining the impact that the product could have in a system; and then refine it further to a functional product that could be fabricated or implemented in the region, creating value to different stakeholders. The output of the proposal developed in the workshop would have to include a graphic presentation of the concept, 3D renderings about the design in usability contexts, technical information and a *.STL file for 3D printing. The development of these projects was mentored by designers who made previous presentations and entrepreneurs of the region. There were two kinds of interaction: formal and informal. In the first moment mentoring group debated with each design team the ideas developed during the brainstorm session. Different insights regarding aspects of practical or academic experience was exchanged. The informal interaction period occurred during the remaining time of the design process. In the end of the workshop session the projects were presented to the other teams. The goal was to assess the degree of development of the proposal and improvements to be made. There was a month period separating workshop session from public presentation session. During this period 3D printing of the designs were produced and the groups worked online to refine the design proposal and prepare final presentation.
Presentation of workshop results Third phase of the workshop was composed by a meeting with team members and workshop coordination team to discuss the
Design Frontiers: Territiories, Concepts, Technologies
overall methodology to provide additional insights for future initiatives. SWOT analysis was made towards each project by the entire group, collecting necessary information to future refinements. Presentation of the results session was organized in order to follow the predefined goals of future developments under the two levels of the design activity; the stakeholder level and the project level. After design associations presentations each team presented the project and could discuss the results with the audience. From these discussions proposals for new sources of collaboration arose, since some companies revealed the interest for producing three of the five projects.
3. Developed scenarios The developed scenarios during the workshop responded to object typology and material of construction defined in the initial briefing. NUA (domestic furniture – wood) is the naked chair. This object intends to be a structural base of a chair that people buy and create their own custom version. The system around the object would consist on an online platform in which users could buy other users’ designs, DIY tutorials or just the original NUA chair. The chair can also be acquired as a standard version by craftsmen to accommodate its work, or by social institutions to reintegrate unemployed people, prisoners, or other groups of people. The goal of NUA is to become an open system of creation and added value to a standard item. Mocaplac (domestic furniture – stone) aims to facilitate the connection between house and work by the development of a system of objects composed by a mobile wooden device that may be connected to stone supports installed in the home, public spaces and local businesses. The supports can be installed in spaces that need revitalization and it can enhance social experiences to a population that is usually lonely. As an example of the approach, it was developed a wooden object that can be used as a table when attached to the stone supports and can be transformed to a cart to transport groceries or other items, from local business to home, as well as other places. CSS (urban furniture – wood) is a sound system developed to be implemented in city gardens or public squares. This system consists in different exercise machines that produce sounds/music when used. The different equipments were developed in order to present a museographical approach to the history of musical
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A practical experience on acting local thinking global: design as the enabler of new sources of collaboration
equipments. Its leisure and educational components encourages the meeting of different generations and knowledge, the use of public space and space identification. Produção na Praça (urban furniture – stone) is a system of urban design in which the public oven is the central piece. It is a contemporary approach of a Portuguese traditional use of public ovens. The geodesic dome inspired design is constructed using traditional Portuguese craftsmanship. It would be used by the city population for making food such as bread, clay pieces and its use can be promoted and secured by local associations and city halls. This project revitalizes the different heritage and knowledge that exists in the region and intends to pass them to younger generations. The use of this public urban design system will create knowledge meeting places based on pro-activity of older generation. Nature Stone (urban furniture – stone) is a project aimed to create value to waste of material. Large percentages of laminated material are considered waste due to the existence of fossils or minor cracks that occur during the cut phase of limestone. The goal of the project is to use computer aided design and manufacturing to scan individual pieces and to use them to create custom versions of selected typologies of urban design. To illustrate the envisioned idea it was developed a public bench that uses CNC cut laminated stone, assembled to create the overall shape. This project predicts that the urban design piece can accommodate several layers of information, such as city maps, that can be engraved using the similar numerical control techniques.
4. Conclusion and future research The developed projects revealed that an approach to design as a system rather than just as a product can lead to the inclusion of several issues surrounding the activity. It can transform threats into opportunities, and create value to the region in cultural, economical and social terms. The inclusion of these variables can lead to the development of solutions to particular cases and stimulate new forms of collaboration needed to revitalize industry and craftsmanship. The platform of collaboration and the need to think upon issues in practical terms are some of the achieved goals. From the analysis of the methodology used, we believe it can be
Design Frontiers: Territiories, Concepts, Technologies
extended to projects working with the community, and be adapted to the number of participants or the sector to work with.
Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank Clara Amaro, Joana Chambel and Tânia Silva for their support organizing the workshop sessions, as well as all the participants, companies, and seminar speakers.
References Best, K. 2006. Design management: managing design strategy, process and implementation. Lausanne: AVA. Brown, T. 2009. Change by design: how design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation. New York: Harper Collins. Frédout, F. 2008. Design territoire : le cas des matériaux pierreux. Marseille: ESBAM. IDEO, 2011. The Rules of Brainstorming. accessed 18 Apr.2012. Lotti, G. (ed). 2006. Design e territorio. Firenze: Alínea Editrice. Topalian, A. 2002. Promoting design leadership through skills development programs. Design Management Journal, 13(3): 10 - 18.
About the author(s) Mário Barros is a product designer working as a professor at the Design Department in the PI of Tomar. He is a PhD candidate at TU Lisbon researching on shape grammars, digital design process, mass customization and furniture design. His work aims to combine academic research with industry application. Ana Casimiro is a post-master performance artist, with background in film, engraving and graphic design. Her current research interests are focused on Portuguese ethnography. Her work combines different groups of population in the development of art projects concerning social contemporary issues.
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