Design in the edge. Strategies for enhancing self-innovation aptitude of fringes.

Abstract

In the actual scenario, which is deeply affected by information technologies, and characterized by the continuous growth of relational connections, the society is more and more like a wide global rhizome, wherein users are involved, toghether with objects, services and non-users. This audience network consists of various cultural sub-nets, which in certain ways are very similar to tribes. Since each one of them is always changing in therms of size and identity, design must constantly keep in touch with them, and learn through their relational ties in order to obtain effectiveness and relevance. Including insights from “Actor-Network-Theory” and relational assessments, the paper outlines some first research hypothesis, about the transfer of design process in the edge of the social, as a new custom design strategy. On one hand the peripherical sections become effective clusters for scientific survey, local production and diffuse design practices. “If the market is more and more searching for stories rather than products, it is necessary quickly gather changes in the culture. Since we can see only what we know, we belong in the [peripherical] culture” (Zurlo, 2012). On the other hand adopting reticular models in design means arousing interest in relationships. Fringes of the network model demonstrates an amazing adaptive capability towards markets, so we need to pay more and more attention to their relational environment.