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PUBLICATION: CUMULUS conference
As Design is gaining traction globally different observation models were developed to map the Design landscape. However, the application of these models in contexts with a slower maturation of Design culture and no institutional Design infrastructure can be difficult. With this challenge in mind, this paper presents a new distributed approach to support Design observation.
Research
Mission
Designobs.pt is a national project that looks at design as a factor of innovation, cultural and socio-economic development. The project collects and interprets data from the Portuguese Design ecosystem to promote its knowledge and influence public policies.
NEWS
The case of design companies in Portugal: extending the representation loop to design students [interviews]
Master students from the design course at Aveiro University participating in the “Representation of Knowledge” course were challenged to work with the “design companies in Portugal” database, for one semester. Their objectives were to create representations and metaphors; and convey carefully thought messages about the sector. The course resulted in five posters, presented in late February 2021.
Publications
Costa, N.; Branco, V.; Costa, R.; Borges, A.; Modesto, A.; Cunca, R.; Silva, A.,
In Europe, Design Centers and Associations are considered as key infrastructures to efficiently promote and represent the discipline. However, in some countries with a lower maturation of Design culture – such as the case of Portugal - there are no official actors fully dedicated to these activities. Previous research indicated Design schools as a potential alternative infrastructure to promote and represent Design, but further research is needed to understand what they can learn/adapt from the activities currently undertaken by Centers and Associations. This paper maps the European landscape looking in particular at BEDA (Bureaux of European Design Association) members. Based on these insights and recent infrastructuring literature, it develops adapted strategies for observation activities to test with Design schools in the Portuguese territory. The results obtained are a first step to bring countries with lower maturation of design culture under the EU Design Ecosystem radar.
