Diagnóstico da participação do designer nas micro e pequenas empresas calçadistas de Campina Grande

This study it is the end result of a master ́s research aims to carry out a preliminary analysis of the designer's participation in the footwear industry of Campina Grande/PB by characterizing their training as well as assessing the perception of businesspeople about the importance of this professional in the production process. The research is justified because the city occupied the 3rd place in the ranking of the most representative states in the national footwear production in 2015, besides holding a substantial higher education course in Design at UFCG, a professional certificate program in footwear designer at SENAI, and organizations that offer support to micro and small enterprises such as SEBRAE. To this field research, data were derived from audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with businesspeople, containing qualitative and quantitative questions divided into 4 categories: 1) general aspects; 2) the designer in the company; 3) the role of a designer; and 4) agents involved in the footwear industry. Of the 75 micro and small companies classified as footwear manufacturers of “modinha” type, which were registered both in SEBRAE's and SENAI-CTCC's lists, it was noticed that only 45 are active, being represented by 34 businesspeople. Of this number, 21 participants were available to engage in the study. The results thus show that the designer is placed in only 19% of local businesses, being only half of them qualified by a specific degree for the function. Most businesspeople associate the designer with the creation of new products, disregarding them as potential managers of the production process. The lack of integration between the abovementioned organizations, along with the unawareness of the qualities and skills distinctive of this profession, weakens their inclusion in the area. Therefore, it is suggested actions as a way of improving the participation of the designer in this rising sector, aimed at further integration in the footwear production process of this city