1. Designare
Designing the meaning as a way to the
local competitivenes
Gabriella Martins - Msc Design student UFPE
Leonardo Castillo- PhD. Professor, UFPE
Recife 2013

2. Significado
Meaning
&
Aglomerações
Competitivas
Competitive
Aglomerations

3. Meaning theories ( Grosch, 1970/
Gotzsch,2000/Krippendor, 1989...)
“Design-Driven Innovation”
(Verganti, 2009)
“Buzz: the economic force of the
city” (Storper & Venables , 2002)

4. Symbolic value,
Design and
Competitiveness

5. Meaning & Myth (Barthes &
Baudrillard
Meaning as function(Jochem Gros)
De+signare (Krippendorff)

6. Gros : Product Language
Theory of Product Language
(Jochem Gros)
Product
Structure
Product Message
Semiotic Function
Indicative Function
Symbolic Function
Formal-Aesthetic Function
Based on the
Functionality of the
Product
Based on culture
( imaginary and
repertoire)
Based on
- Order and Complexity
- Additive, integrative
Objective: Understand
the Product(Product
Information)
Objective: Report on the Objective: Product’s
aesthetic appreciation
product owner
Direct Symbols
Product Symbols
(Association
Subjective (taste,
perception

7. "The objects have to fulfill their
functions, but the emotional
function is more important"
Alberto Alessi

8. Innovation of Meaning
and Competitiveness

9. Competitive Advantages
(Barney, 1991)
- Valuable- to exploit opportunities and neutralize
their environmental threats;
- Rare- when very few or none of the existing and
potential competitors the industry have it;
- Inimitable -difficult to imitate by competitors;
- Irreplaceable- by other equivalent resources that
can be exploited for implement the same strategy

10. DDI - Value Model (Verganti,2009)

11. Environment for
Projectual Emergence

12. Design Discourse:
“a process of
informal and
diffuse research and experimentation - similar to a
collective discussion between actors of several areas
that co-share interest to understand the changes in
society, culture and technology... A research
process in 360 degrees about the possible meaning
of things” (Verganti, 2009, 122-126)

13. Design Discourse
+
BUZZ
Collective of diffuse interactions that allow
the flow of information through networks,
and emergence of innovation.

14. Design Discourse
Advantage to individual companies strategy
X
BUZZ
Advantage to agglomeration (ie cities) economy.

15. BUZZ main motto: Face to Face as the main
communication technology among the social actors.
Transmit Complex Discourse (and information
spillover)
More quality -> “in-groups” (resultant “elite”)
More Commitment (trust based relation overcome
other relational incentives)

16. BUZZ/D-D=
Heterogeneous ,
Complex
and
connected (in and out)

17. Pernambuco’s Case

18. Stage1 Understand the Pernambuco’s production - Using
official documents and other support article, we’ve mapped
local production and analysed if the “signification process”
were a competitive advantage.
Stage2 Mapping actors and interpreters - Besides the use of
documents and support articles, we’ve used ethnographic
techniques and interviews in order to understand the
relationships between the actors and interpreters.
Stage3 Analyze strategic projects - We researched impactful
strategic projects (whether federal, state, municipal or even
private), and others initiatives that could encourage the
development of design-discourses and Buzz.

19. Stage 1
Clusters
Signification = little or no
competitive value
Hinterland - Product or Services Clusters:
Viticulture, Gypsum, Clothing and Furniture.
Coast - Petrochemical, Pharmaco, Naval MetalMechanical, Logistic, Touristic (South Coast),
Cachaça and Hardware.
State’s Capital (Recife)- Medical, gastronomy and
ICT

20. Stage 2
After analyzing the interaction between actors and
possible interpreters...

21. Stage 2
BUZZ / DESIGNDISCOURSE
A little F2F, in Recife a Buzz begining but yet
Homogeneous

22. Stage 3
Plans
Brazil Creative Plan
Science Without Borders
Bigger Brazil
Pernambuco 2035
Marco Pernambucano
Porto Media
In progress...
Initiatives
April pro Rock
Coquetel Molotov
Recife Fashion & Music
Music Port
Fenearte
TEDx
Movimento HotSpot
CampusParty
Manguezal
IxDA South America

23. Conclusions
New paradigm to
Environment
(Innovation Emergence ->
Economic Development)
Pernambuco = No Buzz or D-D
We can observe an effort
that might result on it

24. Obrigada!
gabriella@gabriellamartins.com