Cork Design: A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation

Cork Design: A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation

Mestre, A.C.C.M.

Brezet, J.C. (promotor)
Christiaans, H.H.C.M. (promotor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Design Engineering (DFS)

2014-12-02

The study Cork Design: A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation comprises the systematic implementation of sustainable product innovation within the Portuguese cork sector, through action research. Cork is a natural, recyclable, non-toxic, and renewable resource, which stems from the bark of the cork oak in the Mediterranean cork forest (Montado) and it has been proven to be an excellent material for sustainable product innovation. The research focuses on applied design research methodology, while exploring potential new applications for cork as a material beyond its conventional understanding through design interventions. The study involved multidisciplinary groups including the creative class (represented by product designers), the industry, cork experts, and the academia, all acting as agents of innovation under the faciliation of a creative entrepreneur (action researcher). The main body of the study was conducted in Portugal, home of the world’s largest cork-oak forests, with additional events in the Netherlands, as well as exhibitions throughout the world, including the USA, Brazil, Japan, Italy, and England, among others.

Cork Design
Design Intervention
Sustainable Product Innovation

https://doi.org/10.4233/uuid:82e423cd-2823-4252-9a6a-b703294359ec

9789065623652

Institutional Repository

doctoral thesis

(c) 2014 Mestre, A.C.C.M.