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Resumo:
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Based upon the experience of research and applications in social innovation, this article seeks to present, relate, and discuss experiments carried out in conjunction with social entrepreneurs, traditional communities, and the mariculture sector in Santa Catarina, Brazil. This study was carried out at the Design Management Nucleus of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, integrated with the graduate program in Design. Based upon the phenomenological method, which concerns itself with direct descriptions of experiences, and support from the theoretical references within this theme, it was possible to better comprehend the contribution of design in social innovation through a qualitative approach, exemplified in the three cases described above. Complementary to this, the use of direct observation techniques, interviews, accompanying activities, as well as photographic and video registries permitted a detailed description of each situation considered, which was represented by an individual in the case of social entrepreneurs who presented the action of reutilizing vegetable oil as fuel for maritime vehicles, as soap, and organic fertilizer. The traditional communities were represented by the Taboa action, which reunites a group of women located in Guarda do Embaú, SC, Brazil. The mariculture sector was represented with an association of mariculturers from the south of “Santa Catarina Island” (Ilha de Santa Catarina) called Amprosul, composed of 27 members. Social innovation may be defined as changes in the manner in which individuals or a community act in order to resolve its problems or create new opportunities. In this sense, design presents itself with an important role with respect to sustainability with its ability to design alternative solutions to be applied to a sustainable future. This is fortified further with the consideration that one of the auxiliary principles of design is to improve the quality of life of people and to promote well-being. Others are to look at social innovation, identify promising cases, utilize sensibility, capacity, and the abilities of the designer in order to design various artifacts, and to indicate new directions in technical innovation. The results of this study permit us to visualize design’s contribution in social innovation, referring as much to social processes of innovation as social interest innovation. |
