Handling the Complexity of Design Support Programmes. An interpretative framework for barriers and drivers to introducing design innovation into Brazilian MSMEs

This chapter is based on Fonseca Braga’s PhD research which looked into broadly applied design support programmes that aim at introducing design innovation into Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) with little or no design experience in Brazilian traditional industries. The need to better understand how elements at diverse levels support the conditions and influence the decision to use design (as along with its intensity of use) or to not use design, making empirical barriers and drivers to design innovation evident, represents the motivation behind this study. The research approach is inductive, exploratory and qualitative. Few barriers and drivers were new and distinguished from others in prior research focused only on the rationale used to address them by the interviewee or the lack of empirical evidence within design studies or regarding design support programmes. This analysis showed that barriers and drivers differ according to: (1) the context in which each project is embedded, including the economic and political priorities and orientation, as well as cultural aspects; (2) the way programmes and their projects are crafted, managed, implemented, and evaluated; (3) the background and mindset of key stakeholders who take part in these projects. The main contributions to the design policy field are: (1) an interpretative framework at three levels to identify barriers and drivers to design innovation, contributing to underpinning strategies in order to harness drivers and overcome barriers; and (2) a design support metamodel which aims at an experimental and participatory approach to tackling design support programmes’ creation, and development.