d4d lab
fieldwork itinerary
People often ask me what fieldwork is like. During this research trip we worked between 8 – 14 hours a day. Research site locations varied – some 1 to 2 hours from Carrillo. We drove 1211 kilometers or 752 miles – some of this on bumpy dirt roads. We had no major run-ins with topes (speedbumps), dogs or people on the road, and overall a very healthy, happy, and productive trip.
design and the elastic mind
What we’re witnessing today is the emergence of a singular design creativity. Taking their cues from sources as varied as nanostructures, biological systems, topography, and cosmology, designers are introducing new areas of study and influence to their field and endowing their objects with new types of functional gradients.
celso’s cited
“Yo se que mi producto es unico” “El publico me exige mejorar” “No me gusta copiar” “Yo vivo 100% de la artesania” “Hay que tenerla mente muy centrada y estar siempre trabajando” “Hay pensar a quien venderle” “Hay que salir y mostrarle al publico; yo estoy 50% del tiempo produciendo y 50% del tiempo vendiendo” “Siempre hay que pensar que se puede” “Me gusta enseñar a la gente” “Hay que tratar bien a la gent...
workshop brainstorming / small group activity
(Another post from Laila, brought to you by Morgan) Mike, Enrique, Mirtsa, Laila Both of them were very engaged, and after a little help on initial ideas they came up with different alternatives for products. Showed creativity. Felt more confident working with us, in a group. Great ideas for new products: Wine holder- stackable pieces that each would come apart for easy transportation. Pyramid shape structures...
enrique in noh-bec
(A Post from Laila, brought to you by Morgan…) He is very enthusiastic and has great ambitions. At the beginning he was very shy, but today, the second day he was a lot more extroverted. He shows a lot of interest in developing new projects, like opening a wood stand as part of a group project in Majahual. He was especially interested in the ‘resources’ section of the first day’s presentation. He...
I was trying to envision how the workshop would go before we got there, so I could prepare to run out of the nearest exit when things went south. No, I’m kidding, I would never bail. But seriously, I thought I could at least prepare mentally for the place or context of the workshop before I got there. I think I was expecting a workshop like the kinds of workshops we have at UF, in an academic setting....
First day in Mexico
I didn’t really know what to expect getting into Mexico yesterday. Maria kept telling us to write down our expectations, but every time I sat down and thought about it, I drew a blank. I felt like even if I did write some of my expectations down they would be contrived, because I really had no clue what it would be like. Its hard to envision a place you’ve never been, kind of like how I...
february 2009 fieldwork
Arrived in Cancún yesterday afternoon. It was a good trip – smooth, uneventful in terms of travel, and very pleasant. I attribute much of this to such a good group of people.
Field research: February 2009
In early February we’ll be working in Felipe Carrillo Puerto and the area around the Sian Ka’an Biosphere reserve. We’re currently developing materials for a hands-on artisan workshop. The majority of this visit will be to familiarize us with this project, participants, communities, and partner to tell their story.
ODID Program Model
The office of Design, Innovation, and Development promotes design thinking for innovation and development in an interdisciplinary and international context for entrepreneurial and sustainable projects. A locus for research, practice, and dialogue, this office advocates for the integration of art and design thinking across UF and in the world – including developing partnerships with other academic programs and...
Sian Ka’an Artisans
This project works to develop a culture and economy for sustainable handicrafts with the Amigos de Sian Ka’an (southern Quintana Roo). Project coordinator in QR: Elsa Torres Zapatafoci: design education, research, strategy, design 1 Creativity, Design Thinking, Design Workshops for artisans (Noh-Bec)2 Telling the story to position project, people, community, and products responsibly in a global...
the process of empowerment
The process which enables one to gain power,authority and influence over others,institutions or society. Empowerment is probably the totality of the following or similar capabilities:
Social Capital & Social Business: The New Definitions
by Social Edge Muhammad Yunusin his book “Creating a world without poverty” defines two possible kinds of Social Business:
Design for Development: Spring 2009
This course focuses on developing the skills necessary to work on complex social entrepreneurship and design research projects for social, cultural, environmental, and economic development in partnership with members of marginalized rural communities and other disciplinary experts.
Terminology
Agency / A philosophical concept of the capacity of an agent to act in a world; Human agency is the capacity for human beings to make choices and to impose those choices on the world.
making connections
It’s Wednesday (day 7). I followed up on three projects which are all going well. This trip has fostered progress and resolution.
reading: entrepreneurship, honey
>When Chocolate Is a Way of Life A group of cacao farmers in Ecuador have become the world’s most unusual chocolate entrepreneurs by making and marketing their own chocolate. All About Bees Green Porno from the Sundance Channel Haagen Dazs: Help the Honey Bees Imagine a world without honey bees? It’s a bad world. Thai Homecoming: OSU feature video on international study How to Live in the Moment. This...
space resources
LOST VALUES explores the beauty and melancholy of craft to challenge the aesthetics and function of smart fabrics and this way emphasize the emotional value of keepsakes, garments and toys.
Pantone Color Conversion
Great site that helps convert pantone colors to hex numbers and rgb colors so that we can use them on the web. There is even a way to test it to see if it will work. http://www.goffgrafix.com/pantone-rgb-100.php
Maria Rogal
Current Associate Professor of Graphic Design, University of Florida Research interests design theory, semiotics, ethnography, typography, intercultural design About Maria Rogal spent her formative years living in the US and internationally – traveling widely in southeast Asia, Latin America, and west Africa – living in Laos, Peru, and Liberia. Her trans-cultural perspective influences her work, which...
Potter Devoted to Clean Water
Ron Rivera, Potter Devoted to Clean Water, Dies at 60 September 14, 2008 in the NY Times Mr. Rivera pioneered ceramic water filters that cut in half the incidence of diarrhea, a leading cause of death in the third world, especially among children.Read the NY Times Article.
About D4D
D4D is a lab for codesigning with people in communities, valuing situated knowledge, and seeking to where and in ways not traditionally available to those who are trained as designers. Founded by Maria Rogal, its purpose now is to foster horizontalidad within design education and practice in order to aid students and designers to expand their knowledge base, skill sets, and mindset to approach our work with respect, reciprocity, and humility, decentering design. Since 2003, Maria’s design research has incorporated codesign and dialogue in an ongoing effort to address power imbalances, particularly among Indigenous and marginalized communities.
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D4D Documents on issuu.com
Copyright Maria Rogal, D4D Lab, and attendant authors 2006–present.