Design, tradition and culture - past and future united to develop depressed regions

Abstract

Small economies need to adopt new practices and concepts to survive in an economic context driven by constant technological advances. Design, tradition, and culture can be linked to handcrafts, reshaping the traditional methods, and transforming them as a mean of self-production in a tendency of revivalism and value. This essay intends to highlight the benefits of a possible partnership between design and handcrafts, as a contribution to the economic and social development of depressed regions. In a bibliographic search, it is shown the point of view of several authors about cultural value and the tradition of “forgotten” regions, underlining the critical role of inclusion and at the same time turning evident their local value and entrepreneurship. The conclusion we intend to achieve is the understanding of how social design and hand-crafts can be a synonym of regional innovation, and through the creation of new products, how they may contribute to the economic and social growth of underdeveloped regions.