A model of cultural inclusion through the interaction between artisans and product design students

Although handicrafts are recognized nationally and internationally as part of the identity and popular culture of Mexico, artisans, due to their condition of economic, educational, and geographical penury, find themselves in unfavourable conditions to sell their products in attractive markets or negotiate important contracts, normally carried out in spheres inaccessible to them [1]. Artisans are forced to sell their handicrafts at very low prices in the streets of the country s tourist cities, suffering discrimination from potential customers who have the economic capacity to buy their products, allocating insufficient value to their work because usually handicrafts design does not satisfy their functional or aesthetic needs, haggling over the price. Tecnologico de Monterrey is a private educational institution ranked number 1 in Mexico [2] which has a high social commitment and seeks to reverse these types of situations. Therefore, professors and our courses can be agents of change and promote healthy and productive relationships. This article describes a proposal to motivate inclusion and cultural co-habitation, with a teaching-learning model developed in the Design and Handicrafts course, which is part of the minor in Art, Object and Fashion of the 2017 programme of the bachelor’s degree in industrial design, that was taught at Campus Querétaro in the semester of August December 2022. The course promotes that artisanstra teaching the basics of traditional techniques to future designers, to letting them know the origin and tradition that artisan work represents while appreciating the cultural heritage and manual dexterity, generating a relationship of respect and empathy, which could trigger healthy and fairer future working relationships for artisans and future designers. © 2023 Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Responsible Innovation for Global Co-Habitation, E and PDE 2023. All rights reserved.