Design and handicrafts: The importance of interdisciplinarity in collaborative design practice

Abstract

The focus of this article is on the relationship between design and craftsmanship in the Brazilian scenario of social projects with craft production. It presents the importance of collective and collaborative actions as forms of mediation in this scenario. The article argues that in order to develop a design mindset that expands beyond projective practices and takes into account the social and political context for more sustainable solutions in environmental, social and economic levels, the mediation has to be collaborative. In the paper, a parallel is outlined between this collective, collaborative and complex work of design and the multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. To address the complexity of this subject, practical examples are identified to show the important strategic role that the designer plays in these social innovation processes.