Abstract
The following study presents a participatory tool proposed to foster sustainable social innovation in rural areas and enhance crafts-based transdisciplinary practices through design. The proposed method explores the possibilities offered by a conceptual framework for co-creation and community solutions based on the power of crafts, cultural heritage, ancestral knowledge and local resources. The paper includes the methodology and results achieved during three pilot workshops implemented in academic context with designers, design students, researchers and other experts during design research conferences held in Málaga, Valencia and Lisbon between November 2023 and April 2024. The workshops were implemented by using a toolkit including a canvas and a deck of cards. Through the activity, participants discovered a method to design solutions based on particular situations with specific crafts resources, tools, skills and agents involved. Also, the activity served to train participants capacities to frame solutions in rural areas based on specific challenges and complex scenarios. The participatory method was developed in the framework of a doctoral research which aims to promote sustainable and innovative solutions in rural areas through collaboration and to raise awareness about the role of design in conducting positive change and impact. The workshops served to test the transdisciplinary and collaborative method proposed and provided insights on how to bring the tool into real scenarios and promote collaborative practices in rural areas. The paper shares the primary insights obtained during this design research applied activity to receive inputs that will contribute to the final results of the doctoral research.
Presenters
Dalia Sendra RodriguezStudent, Ph.D. Candidate, Unidade de Investigação em Design e Comunicação (UNIDCOM/IADE), Portugal Carlos Duarte
Vicerrector, Unidade de Investigação em Design e Comunicação (UNIDCOM/IADE), Portugal Ana Margarida Ferreira
Assistant Professor with Habilitation in Design, Arts - Design, LabCom and Universidade da Beira Interior, Castelo Branco, Portugal
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Thinking, Learning, Doing: Plural Ways of Design
KEYWORDS
DESIGN METHODS, COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOP, CRAFTS, SOCIAL INNOVATION, RURAL AREAS
