A prototipagem como meio para projetar modelos de negócios

Abstract

The advent of new technologies has raised questions about how new businesses are developed. Demanding consumers and global market access are some of the transformations of contemporary business that make traditional plans and projects unable to keep up with these changes. If, on the one hand, society shows a markedly accelerated development in several fields, on the other, organizations, which are supposed to thrive in the midst of this social scene, do not satisfactorily follow these transformations. Issues such as business models, innovation and strategy become emerging for both management and design disciplines. And, therefore, new interpretations and views are necessary for the construction of business models. Under this prerogative, design is able to collaborate with this process of building new business models. Much by his way of acting, which is related to a greater propensity of taking risks, as well as by his multidisciplinary approach, both for problems, as for projects. Regarding the way designers act, this research will put a lens in the prototype perspective, as an element capable of revealing new knowledge on a thematics. The work used the prototyping procedure with center point, since the design is distinguished by the way it operates. Therefore, the objective of this research was to explore the role of prototyping in business modeling. Thus, in order to make the study viable, a workshop was developed with management and design specialists, with the challenge that the participants build a business model from the available materials. From the proposed workshop two focus groups were held, one with managers and the other with designers, in addition to the recording of the two working groups that enabled a discussion on the role of physical materials, as well as the advancement in sophistication and a better understanding of the possibilities of the practices of design. The results obtained suggest that, although the professionals see different advantages, both glimpse the productive activity in the construction of business models. For managers, this activity has greater potential associated with an idea of finalization of what is being produced, with the potential to reveal new ideas and sophistication of the model. Yet, the designers understand that this activity is part of the nature of designing and collaborate at different moments. Being a great option for people with different skills to understand from the handling of materials for a more plural and rich communication. It also has the potential for a creative process, so that ideas can be realized through the use of three-dimensionality, providing discussions that would not be accessed if the representation of the idea were from another visual resource.