Design Support for Small -to- medium-sized Enterprises in Design-emerging Countries

Abstract

Small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SME) have limited number of employees and assets; nevertheless, they make up a substantial part of a country’s economy given their capability to respond to market and technological changes. However, one of the main obstacles that hinder the exploitation of SMEs’ advantages in emerging countries is the difficulty they face in linking their products with their strategic business objectives. This impedes the development of long-term solutions. Various studies assert that design could support the vital link between product development and strategic business objectives. Unfortunately, in emerging countries the role of the design discipline is still very unclear, thus prevailing a perception that design is an unnecessary expense. This research investigates the application of design discipline in SME’s in the context of emerging countries. It aims to provide government and other industry-related organizations with a framework that enables and facilitates the understanding, adoption and use of design within small-medium enterprises in emerging countries such as Colombia. More specifically, this research aims to: *Promote and facilitate the successful understanding and application of design in emerging countries while making design part of the holistic business support framework in a given organization. *Increase the accessibility to design for SME’s in emerging countries. *Facilitate the understanding of design not just as an isolated activity but also as an economical factor in the development of SME’s; altering the viewpoint that it is an expense rather than an investment.