DESIGNERS + aRTISaNS

192 Pages·2015·15.92 MB·English

DESIGNERS + aRTISaNS
SOLUTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT
POLITECNICO DI mILaNO
DESIGN SCHOOL
master course:
Product Service SyStem deSign
Student:
enrica Battiston
814792
mentor:
valentina Auricchio
a.a. 2014/2015

DESIGNERS + aRTISaNS
SOLUTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT
by
enrica Battiston

We have a moral duty, an obligation on our
fellow humans and to other living creatures...it is
possible to outline a design scenario built on a
culture that joins the local with the global.
EzIO MaNzINI
i
aBSTRaCT
iii
THESIS STRUCTURE
v
FOREWORD
part 1
SOCIaL DESIGN? 1
Let’s be clear from the beginning!
ROLE OF THE DESIGNER 23
mediator between discontinuous realities
DESIGNER mEET aRTISaNS 33
(know-how)²
TOOLS aND mETHODS 49
how to use in the right way the right tools
BUSINESS mODEL 61
Trade not aid
KENYa CaSE STUDIES 71
Products & Services
FUTURE STEPS 89
(GLOBaL CHaNGE)
Cooperar para ganar!
WHERE? 95
Kenya > Nairobi > Kibera
WHaT? 103
Kenya Bamboo Centre
HOW? 109
three steps work

143
PHOTOS OF THE CaTaLOG
POST-ExPERIENCE aNaLYSIS
161
strength & weakness
168
BIBLIOGRaPHY
173
aCKNOWLEDGEmENTS
i
02
aBStraCt
eng
Living in today’s world means facing
a daily choice between remaining
enclosed within the geographic and
cultural barriers which surround us, or
taking advantage from the phenomenon
of globalization, becoming an active part
in the global dynamics.
The general objective of this thesis is
to think about and, when necessary,
re-think the meaning of design and the
role that designers can, and should,
assume in our world today.
my research is devoted to the context of
developing countries, with the specific
focus on the figure of the craftsman.
my ambition is to analyse the potential
development of a given developing
context thanks to the collaboration
between local artisans and designers.
after a general presentation of the
history of the idea of design applied to
social field, and to the meaning given to
these words, the focus will turn to the
role of the designer and to the approach
when dealing with developing countries.
This first theoretical part will be followed
by a description of the experience on
the field that I personally have made,
working on a project in Kenya.
ii
ita
Oggi, in quanto cittadini del mondo, sentiamo
di essere connessi al resto pianeta a diversi
livelli.
L’essere parte del fenomeno della globalizzazi-
one ci da l’opportunità e ,allo stesso tempo,
la responsabilità di essere parte attiva delle
dinamiche mondiali.
Siamo pronti in quanto designers ad avere un
ruolo a livello internazionale o siamo chiusi
nelle nostre barriere geografiche e culturali?
L’obiettivo generale dI questa tesi è di pensare
e, quando necessario, ripensare al significato
del design e al ruolo che esso assume, o
dovrebbero assumere, nel mondo di oggi.
Il contesto specifico di riferimento è quello dei
paesi in via di sviluppo dove, un’attenzione
particolare, sarà data alla figura dell’artigiano
e al ruolo che esso può assumere nello nello
sviluppo economico locale.
La volontà è di andare ad analizzare lo
sviluppo potenziale che potrebbe esserci in
un dato contesto grazie alla leva economica
dovua ad una collaborazione fra artigiani locali
e designers.
Dopo un excursus generale sulle fasi storiche e
sui significati che design applicato nell’ambito
sociale ha avuto, il focus della tesi si orienterà
sul ruolo del designer e sui metodi progettuali
in una collaborazione che metta in contatto
centro e periferia.
Dopo la prima parte di ricerca, seguiranno dei
capitoli legati ad una esperienza sul campo
che ho svolto nel corso di due mesi nel contesto
della baraccopoli Kibera di Nairobi, in Kenya.
iii
tHeSIS
StrUCtUre
The thesis is divided in two parts: one
theoretical, and a second one dedicated
to the presentation of a personal activity
of social design carried out during a
project in collaboration with a Kenyan
artisan workshop.
In the following pages we will introduce
the concept of social design through
the thought of several charismatic
personalities of the history of design
and architecture, who were part of
the discussion around the potential
and effective role of design for social
innovation, along the last decades.
Later, once analyzed the possible inter-
pretation and role that design can have
nowadays, we will try to focus on its
utility in the developing countries and,
specially, in the collaboration between
the designer and local craftsmen.
The second part of my thesis is dedicated
to the two months I personally spend in a
project in Nairobi (Kenya) in collaboration
with the Kenya Bamboo Centre. Starting
from the presentation of the context
where I worked, I’ll will show the steps
of my activity and the results of this col-
laboration.