Design In and From the Periphery: Building a Praxis of Resistance through Collective Investigations

Abstract

This article presents notes resulting from qualitative research with a participatory approach, carried out in person and remotely with a group of young people from the Terra Firme neighborhood, in Belém-Pará, northern Brazil. The aim was to analyze how the engagement of designers in emancipation processes managed by socially oppressed groups can promote transformations in the practices of designers in participatory projects. The theoretical foundation is based on the Latin American critical thinking of authors such as Paulo Freire and Orlando Fals Borda, demonstrating how their legacy influenced designers in participatory projects. The theoretical framework and qualitative research allowed us to consider that the engagement of designers in popular struggles not only influences the change in the scope of projects, but also allows solidarity to emerge as their main element.

From Social Impact to Collective Knowledge and Skill Building: Committing and Valuing in Design Research that Makes a Difference

“…Doing so can help them grasp the limitations of relying solely on narrow measurable outcomes. In recent years design research has focused on more expansive design orientations that articulate practices preoccupied with the complexity of representation, sustainment of life, and complex social change processes, responding to necessities and realities beyond those of the global north and capitalist economy Garduño, 2017;Schultz et al, 2018;Van Amstel et al, 2021;Batista e Silva;. Moving away from the mere collection of data on unique perspectives, experiences, and knowledge from historically excluded communities and territories to diversify academic inputs, it is encouraging to note that design research from the peripheries has been positioning design research and practice to play a critical role in supporting these communities' local, grounded practices and necessities.…”