Banana fiber and its potential for socially sustainable innovation through design
Abstract
Which key questions should design be addressing in a context of rapid environmental degradation and social inequality? Prompted by this question, the present article investigates reflective practice (Schön, 1983) and its potential for socially sustainable innovation when applied to an experience with a banana-fiber craftworker located in Brazil's southern region, in a town known for its tourist industry. Our reflections here are based on a literature review and fieldwork visits to focus on aspects arising from qualitative, participant-observational, dialogic research. Further research questions are posed in terms of exploring the socially sustainable characteristics of a product-development approach to this natural fiber and related craftwork in Brazil, aligned with empowerment-driven design practices to generate new products and services with higher levels of socially sustainable potential.
Keywords
design; craftwork; banana fiber; socially sustainable innovation
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3384/ecp203047
Citation
Mariani, B.,and de Sousa, C.(2023) Banana fiber and its potential for socially sustainable innovation through design, in Carla Cipolla, Claudia Mont’Alvão, Larissa Farias, Manuela Quaresma (eds.), ServDes 2023: Entanglements & Flows Conference, Service Encounters and Meanings, 11-14th July 2023, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://doi.org/10.3384/ecp203047
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Banana fiber and its potential for socially sustainable innovation through design
Which key questions should design be addressing in a context of rapid environmental degradation and social inequality? Prompted by this question, the present article investigates reflective practice (Schön, 1983) and its potential for socially sustainable innovation when applied to an experience with a banana-fiber craftworker located in Brazil's southern region, in a town known for its tourist industry. Our reflections here are based on a literature review and fieldwork visits to focus on aspects arising from qualitative, participant-observational, dialogic research. Further research questions are posed in terms of exploring the socially sustainable characteristics of a product-development approach to this natural fiber and related craftwork in Brazil, aligned with empowerment-driven design practices to generate new products and services with higher levels of socially sustainable potential.