The present research addresses empirical evidence of the predominance of a macroscopic, canonical narrative in design: it argues that design education and research may benefit from a substantial expansion and diversification upon this traditionally prevalent narrative. Furthermore, we posit that this diversification of design may begin by acknowledging and addressing its multiple narratives at a local level, upon which a global web of detailed knowledge may emerge complex, global discourses and paradigms may require articulations of the intrinsically contextual. With this premise in mind, prior research has been held in Porto, Portugal, from 2018 to 2021, through in-person interviews with retired design teachers and professionals, and field work with local crafts and industry; these actions have confirmed the above hypothesis within the context of the case study. We now aim at further reverting these findings into higher education curricula and propose a working dynamic between the intrinsically contextual and a scalability of enquiry and relevance.

Background/Objectives: This article addresses an exploratory design study in the framework of the REMIND research study, which is focused on the importance of cultural and biographical components for the cognitive and sensory stimulation of persons with dementia. Through a case study conducted at a Day Centre from the Alzheimer Portugal association, it aims to demonstrate the relevance of including cultural elements in sensory stimulation artefacts for persons with dementia. It is hypothesised that the inclusion of cultural elements central to the biographical stories of these persons will have greater potential to stimulate their senses and reminiscences. In the context of this study, this hypothesis was explored through textile artefacts. Methods: Methods included participant observation, sensory and visual ethnography, interviews, focus groups, and a participatory design approach involving women with moderate and advanced Alzheimer’s disease and health professionals. Due to the severely compromised verbal communication abilities of some of the women, beyond-verbal communication strategies were adopted. Results: The results showed that textiles with a cultural presence tended to elicit greater reactions and reminiscences of events associated with the women’s life stories. Crochet artefacts were of particular relevance: women’s involvement in activities with crochet artefacts was substantially higher and, in certain cases of women with moderate dementia, these artefacts activated positive memories of the person, suggesting the potential of crochet for sensory stimulation. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis; however, further research exploring other cultural elements and involving a broader demographic is needed. Based on the results obtained, a sensory blanket was developed, which is already in use at the Centre.

This article’s purpose is to demonstrate the ASPEN method (from the acronym in Portuguese Algorithm to Solving Problems in Teaching), developed to help teachers solve problems in design teaching and establish the relationship between unmediated creative methods and heuristics adapted to this context. The long-standing relationship between teachers and students has been under transformation into an increasingly complex knowledge ecosystem and it has been driving teachers to take on new roles and communicate in ways they have not done before. Now, as opposed to merely passing on knowledge, teachers must guide their students’ learning process. Due to the societal challenges that we all face nowadays, teachers must be able to articulate across multiple disciplines, have a global understanding of the matters and be timely up to speed with technology. Taking an innovation ecosystem that includes all agents of teacher education into consideration, these professionals must be prepared to the fast-changing social scenarios that have been recently presented. The ASPEN method emerges from an ethnographic and exploratory investigation of the behaviour of teachers in the classroom, observation and analysis of interviews, and the analysis of pedagogical influences through curricular plans. The observation results found that older and highly experienced teachers claim that they do not need to participate in continuing education courses primarily because they do not have enough time and because they are often more involved with their own investigations. The classroom is no longer a priority. They believe that their pedagogical techniques still work. The ASPEN method is structured to enhance teacher’s experience in anticipating and solving possible problems in the classroom, as well as helping address specific issues that could occasionally arise during the learning process. The expected outcome of this research converges around the guidelines resulting from the practical implementation of specific pedagogies in design education grounded on the ASPEN method. This pedagogical model has been tested in the design field, but it can be applied in multiple areas.

Portugal has a rich and diverse culture of artisanal arts and crafts, embodying significant symbolic and historical value. However, due to factors such as resource limitations, apathy from younger generations, and a growing incompatibility with the digital world, many age-old industrial techniques, traditions, and practices are ebbing away. In response, Anti-Amnesia, a design research intervention, intends to contribute to the revitalization of such artisanal heritage through leveraging digital technology as a means for dissemination and monetization. In particular, a component of the project is dedicated to the development of an online premise catering to the needs of the craft sector, including an embedded marketplace. This virtual market consists of a platform that functions as a commercial intermediary, where vendors are allotted a space and a set of tools to support publicity and sale of their products. This chapter discusses the feasibility of implementing the proposed output in relation to market research conducted and the inceptive outcomes accomplished.