Priscila Lena Farias / Anna Calvera Marcos da Costa ... - Blucher

Design as strategy to improve wooden furniture production, through a
network perspective
NUNES, Viviane G. A. / M.Sc / Federal University of Uberlandia/ Brazil / Politecnico di Milano / Italy
ZURLO, Francesco / PhD / Design Strategy Unit / Politecnico di Milano / Italy
Strategic design for sustainability / Networks / Collaborative
actions / Furniture production in MSEs
This paper reports a Design Pilot Project that aims at promoting
sustainability within wooden furniture Micro and Small Enterprises
in a Brazilian context. By approaching the network capacity
for sharing knowledge, making evolve a fragmented local system
and supporting development innovation, the integrated work
entails to establish and maintain connections among different
actors, creating new possibilities of thinking and collaborating to
improve environmental, sociocultural and economic aspects, as
a whole.
1. Introduction
In literature, among other definitions, networks are considered
flexible spaces where organizations can exchange knowledge,
information, goods and services. These interactions are the
connection foci to encourage innovations and the relationships
compose a cohesive whole. (Marchica 2004; Tomael et al.
2005). Thus, strategies created from a network perspective are
a competitive factor within Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs),
enabling knowledge to provide innovation and to support local development.
(Van de Ven, 1986; Swan et al. 1999; Lopes and Baldi
2009; Mortati 2010). Therefore, connections between different
actors aim at achieving a new manner of collaborating and at
improving the environmental, technological, economic and sociocultural
aspects of context. (Hardy, Lawrence and Grant 2005)
For some authors, Pilot Projects are strategic collective experiments
for testing innovation and for scaling up processes (Latour,
1999); can motivate individuals, organizations or wider
groups (Schneider and Ingram, 1990); offer learning platforms to
develop constant perceptions (Pahl-Wostl, 2006). Consequently,
to investigate network capacity for increasing value and enabling
resources and knowledge, the MODU.Lares Pilot Project 1 , a partnership
including different institutions, as follows: ten wooden
furniture MSEs of Uberlandia, the Federal University of Uberlandia/MG-Brazil,
the Politecnico di Milano-Italy, the Local Association
of Furniture Industries (SINDMOB), Brazilian Support Institutions
and Local Government was proposed.
The paper reports the research process and the preliminary outcomes
of the Project where each entity assumed a specific role
to prototype serial production products. The experience aims at:
1 Móveis De Uberlandia para Lares Sustentáveis, in English - Uberlandia’s Furniture
for Sustainable Homes.
(1) visualizing the interaction potential and limits, to learn and
increase successful possibilities of innovation, (2) stimulating
opportunities for MSEs, Academic and Support Institutions and
Government to strengthen collaboration, (3) providing the sustainable
development and innovation of Uberlândia/MG.
The Local Brazilian Context
Uberlandia is located in the Minas Gerais State, Southeastern Brazil.
With about 634.345 inhabitants, the small industry is relevant
in the city. The furniture sector has about 800 MSEs working in
personalized productions and it is strongly characterized by an
inertia, either regarding to organizational, technological or knowledge
aspects. These firms lack control over raw material use and
waste disposal. Almost 85% of them are not officially registered,
and work in precarious facilities (FIEMG et al 2006). The unawareness
of good practices within both informal and official MSEs
characterizes a serious environmental problem. Therefore, for
these companies and professionals succeed, and for a balanced
city growth, an appropriate strategy becomes necessary.
2. The Action Strategy
The reduction of ecological impacts entails an approach that includes:
concept development; a pilot as a trial; optimization of
production techniques and distribution systems and reduction
of environmental impacts (Castro 2008). Hence, the MODU.Lares
proposes: (i) configuration of partnerships to try new paths; (ii)
more efficient processes through design; (iii) prototyping furniture,
industrially oriented to a new market 2 .
Research and Design Methodologies
The main methodologies used were: Case Study Analysis (Yin
2005), and the Action Research and Participatory Design
(Wadsworth 1998; Smith 2001). Action Research was adopt to
achieve qualitative strategies such as: (i) empowerment of participants;
(ii) collaboration through participation; (iii) knowledge
acquisition; (iv) and social change (Smith 2001).
The Case Study methodology was relevant to design assessment
parameters for evaluating the Project results, as well as to create
guidelines to replicate it. The Cases permitted the analysis of
collaborative practices, mass custom design, and environmental
solutions. They combined complementary sources of evidence
such as documentation, interviews, direct observation, and files.
2 Regards the Brazilian low income customers. The research uses the Prahalad’s
reference (2005, p119) that considers as low income in Brazil groups that pertain
to C, D and E strata of population and have income of up to ten minimum wages
(about U$3,500.00).
Design Frontiers: Territiories, Concepts, Technologies / Proceedings of the 8th Conference of the International Committee for
Design History & Design Studies - ICDHS 2012 / São Paulo, Brazil / © 2012 Blucher / ISBN 978-85-212-0692-7