Open AccessNetworks of digital manufacturing of face shields and the Covid-19: design, maker culture and social mobilization
Author(s) -
Frederico Braida,
Mariane Garcia Unanue
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
strategic design research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 3
ISSN - 1984-2988
DOI - 10.4013/sdrj.2021.141.21
Subject(s) - covid-19 , face (sociological concept) , face shield , work (physics) , face to face , computer science , exploratory research , sociology , architectural engineering , engineering , business , political science , law , mechanical engineering , social science , epistemology , medicine , health care , philosophy , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
This paper addresses the issue of the configuration of a network for the digital fabrication of personal protective equipment to fight the pandemic of COVID-19. The main aim is to highlight how creative and innovative design practices, based on digital fabrication, have contributed to combat the new coronavirus in Brazil, concerning the design, production and distribution of face shields. The paper is the result of both exploratory, descriptive and qualitative research. In addition to documentary data and revisiting design literature, this work sought to understand the network formation modus operandi for digital manufacture of face shields, based on examples carried out in every region of the country. In conclusion, it argued that these social mobilization networks are based on the assumptions of the maker culture and reveal the potential for an open, distributed and resilient design to face this contemporary and future crisis.