The challenge was to explore how design could support traditional craft practices while respecting their social, cultural, and territorial context. Initially, I felt disconnected from the project, questioning its relevance to my training in Equipment Design. This perception changed through direct contact with Portuguese black pottery artisans. Living with them, understanding their daily routines, and listening to their challenges reshaped my understanding of design.
Service design · Portuguese black pottery · cultural mediation
I actively pushed against the idea of asking artisans to leave their communities to conduct workshops elsewhere, recognizing the ethical implications of such an approach.
The service was designed to bring people to the artisans, emphasizing proximity, dialogue, and shared experience. The service is structured as a weekend journey connecting participants with black pottery artisans in their own communities.
With the service, I developed Occo, a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Bilha dos Segredos, translating its hidden logic into a modern object.
This project represents a shift in my perspective: design as a human practice rooted in care, respect, and connection. It reinforced my desire to design for people and with people, rather than from a distance.