APPROACH

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The development of this project was based on methodologies inherent to a strategic design approach.
“Strategic design applies some of the principles of traditional design to "big picture" systemic contexts. It redefines how problems are approached, identifies opportunities for action, and helps deliver more complete and resilient solutions. Strategic design is about crafting decision-making.”
When applying this type of methodology, the first step is to understand. Understanding the briefing and designing an effective solution implies a deep knowledge of the context, the place and its history, as well as its present, the people who live there, the people who visit and all things that compose the space where the intervention will take place. This approach also involves a macro-level understanding of the national and international context that envelops the project.
“Developing strategic intent benefits from an understanding of what drives value within a given context. It is also helpful to be aware of existing barriers, as is devoting time to discover prime opportunities for creating new value. Ultimately, this yields a more complete description of the problem, which then enables one to more readily develop actions that deliver positive impact.”
Strategic design always implies envisioning the future and designing for a time that we cannot foresee, but that we must anticipate. In doing this, we know that from the moment we create something; it becomes a part of that same unforeseen future.
“Design is a culture that blends the concerns of science and the humanities to search for outcomes that are balanced and opportunistic, grounded in the real world but driven by human aspirations.”
This was also a user-centred design project, or in other words, focused on the idea of better serving the user, presenting more and better services and transmitting information in an accessible way through multiple layers.
Once this approach was defined, a methodology framework was constructed, based on a multidisciplinary team that encompassed various different skills, including:

— equipment design
— interior design
— architecture
— scientific and museological research
— writing
— editing
— mixmedia design
— programming and coding
— sound design
— video
— graphic design

The proposal organized by the team was structured as follows:
This macro-level approach prioritized the optimization of the Tourist Office’s services, modernising the space and making it more comfortable for its staff, while also allowing for the integration of new functions to increase its attractiveness, such as the Surf Café and the Interpretation Centre for the World Surfing Reserve.