INTERDISCIPLINARITY, DESIGN THINKING, AND INNOVATION IN PUBLIC SPACES: A TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN FLORIANOPOLIS BOTANICAL GARDEN PARK.

Authors

  • Maria Collier de Mendonça Federal University of Santa Catarina http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2352-4520
  • Eduardo Trauer Federal University of Santa Catarina, State University of Santa Catarina http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0446-952X
  • Richard Perassi Luiz de Sousa Federal University of Santa Catarina
  • Eduardo Costa Federal University of Santa Catarina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23925/2179-3565.2019v10i2p86-97

Keywords:

interdisciplinarity, design thinking, knowledge management, innovation, public spaces

Abstract

Abstract:

Innovation of public spaces requires dense management efforts. Interdisciplinary studies must be conducted to raise needs of stakeholders. Then, potentialities, problems, and opportunities are explored. These works require interdisciplinary knowledge to carry out a broad analysis of the social, technological, economic, environmental, political, and legal spheres to understand influencing factors in the management of such spaces. In this context, one important challenge faced by professors is to promote the development of strategic skills among students. This work has arisen from the specific need of designing an active learning method, to motivate business administration undergraduate students to think strategically while dealing with complex problems. To achieve the objectives of the course – Change Management and Business Consulting –, we have created a nine steps study guide based on design thinking. Our proposal is to reflect upon key learning outcomes provided by this teaching experience. We argue that future managers need to learn how to explore, and frame problems before solving them, since the highest risk they might encounter is to misdiagnose complex problems. The paper is structured into five sections. The introduction describes the research problem and the object of study. The second section presents theoretical references, which integrates authors and concepts from different management fields. The methodological section explains how design thinking was applied, by describing each step of the experience. It has followed a study guide developed for the exploration of Florianopolis Botanical Garden Park, combining fieldwork visits with in-class lectures and debates. Next, we present results and learning in three subtopics: conceptual aspects, related to the purpose of the studied space; infrastructural needs and management challenges. To conclude, we indicate possible ways of exploring this public space, and also recommend the development of future didactic experiences with similar scopes.

 

Keywords:

interdisciplinarity, design thinking, knowledge management, innovation, public spaces.

 

Author Biographies

Maria Collier de Mendonça, Federal University of Santa Catarina

Maria Collier de Mendonça works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in Florianópolis, Brazil. She has 23 years of experience in qualitative research and brand strategy. She is skilled in applied semiotics, strategic planning, and qualitative projects. Her market experience includes a variety of industries; and her professional expertise includes projects such as advertising campaign pre-testing, positioning and brand imagery studies, products and services evaluations, consumption trends, among others.

Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. and a Master's in Communications and Semiotics, obtained at PUC-SP (the Catholic University of Sao Paulo) and a visiting research stage at York University, in Toronto, Canada. She is currently researching on Semiotics, Brand Management, Design Thinking, and Knowledge Visualization at the Media Knowledge Area at UFSC.

  

Eduardo Trauer, Federal University of Santa Catarina, State University of Santa Catarina

Ph.D. Student at the Knowledge Engineering and Management Graduate Program at the Federal University of Santa Catarina

Lecturer at the State University of Santa Catarina

Richard Perassi Luiz de Sousa, Federal University of Santa Catarina

Full professor at the Knowledge Engineering and Management Graduate Program at the Federal University of Santa Catarina

Eduardo Costa, Federal University of Santa Catarina

Professor at the Knowledge Engineering and Management Graduate Program at Federal University of Santa Catarina

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Published

2019-08-16

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Section

Papers