CRAFT-DESIGN COLLABORATION BETWEEN DESIGN EDUCATION AND THE LOCAL CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY

DS 83: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE16), Design Education: Collaboration and Cross-Disciplinarity, Aalborg, Denmark, 8th-9th September 2016

Year: 2016
Editor: Erik Bohemia, Ahmed Kovacevic, Lyndon Buck, Christian Tollestrup, Kaare Eriksen, Nis Ovesen
Author: Soares, Liliana; Aparo, Ermanno; Santos-Rodrigues, Helena
Series: E&PDE
Institution: 1Polythecnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal) and The Research Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Design - CIAUD (Portugal), 2Polythecnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal), Centre of Spatial Research and Organizations, Algarve University - CIEO (Portugal) and UNIAG APNOR (Portugal)
Section: Preparing Students for Cross-dsciplinarity
Page(s): 505-510
ISBN: 978-1-904670-62-9

Abstract

This proposal aims to investigate and validate the design action by interpreting a culture of making
(La Pietra, 1997) applied to the case of the development of straw articles, typical from Fafe region
(Northern Portugal), supported by the concept of design experience (Brown, 2005). The first part
explores the technique of straw utilization in order to understand their leverage on design method. The
second part presents arguments that sustain that the technique can reach a new existence, if framed in
connection with Academy and business reality. To support this idea, the authors present a project,
initiated with the participation of 30 undergraduate design students. As a result, the projects scope is
focused on the exploitation of the straw concept, moving towards its application in different scenarios.
Methodologically the authors use the logic of meta-design (Mendini, 1969), connecting the Academy
to the community. In educational terms it is intended to guide design student learn by design,
questioning certainties and promoting connections with other actors of the reality. In terms of
application the authors intend to validate the topic addressed by the students, analyzing and presenting
four projects representing the four thematic areas. The authors intent to prove that the role of design
can be the key in defining new product typologies, crossing design knowledge with the know-how of
the artisan. This means that the academic world can be the catalyst for innovation in a sector worn and
stopped in time, looking for new stimuli and renewed connotations.

Keywords: Craft-design collaboration, Culture of Making, System of Signification, Meta-design, Experience Design.

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