The national context, with progressive economic transformations, defines challenges and new opportunities for design. In order to create the national system of this sector, Decree 88 of the Council of Ministers on Industrial Design and Visual Communication was approved in 2023.
Reaching this milestone was possible thanks to the work developed over decades. "We were pioneers in having an office that is itself considered the first public policy. Thanks to Fidel's strategic thinking, in 1980 an organization was created with the mission to evaluate, develop, train and promote design. It was a truly daring exercise," says Gisela Herrero García, director of the National Design Office (ONDI). The creation of the Evaluation System and the constitution of the Registry of Designers were also steps prior to the current context, the fruits of almost 45 years of work.
The approval of the Policy and the System, specifically, responds to processes that, among other activities, demanded the participation of professionals from various disciplines. Because of its nature, it implies the need for permanent updating.
"The National System is under construction, and I would go so far as to say that it is constantly making itself. Disciplines change, new technologies influence and thinking is transformed. That's why we designers must be prepared to take the tools that allow us to transform a problem in its context."
Although this policy is one of the youngest in the Industry sector, it has a transversal presence in each of the others led by Mindus: Industrial Development, Automation, Industrial Maintenance, Recycling, as well as Packaging.
This relationship, in Gisela's opinion, is a strength for the national economy. "We have to be at its service. We have to be busy putting design in value, once society is able to assimilate it naturally, from its understanding by the industrial interweaving, entrepreneurship, and decision-makers. This also depends on the change of paradigm in its conception and implementation. It is important that it be seen as an investment, and to achieve this it must become a process that adds value. When it is not properly invested, with the strategic thinking that it implies and with the capacity to study how much impact that benefit has had, it is much more likely to be seen as a cost".
Transforming concepts and practices enables new benefits for society. "In an economy of resistance like ours we have to see things in context. The design that is needed in Cuba is the one that allows, more and more, citizens to have access to higher benefits, to a better quality of life, to a culture of detail... And to clear improvements in their daily lives, from objects and productions that are better and better solved", Gisela points out.
RESULTS AND CHALLENGES IN THE NEW PHASE
Almost a year after the approval of the policy, it is possible to speak of results, made possible by the road built and the current actions.
"There are new dialogues with entities and we have achieved more partnerships. The agencies have begun to understand how important the evaluation is as a strategic tool that places them in better conditions, especially commercial ones. The close relationship with Industries has given us the possibility to relate more with this sector from the courses to managers, heads of development, communicators... We also have excellent experiences with the new forms of management that have established dialogues with the Office for different purposes."
The results extend to other sectors. One example is the Cuban Apiculture Enterprise (Apicuba), where transformations were carried out in response to elements detected in the evaluation of the entity and its production. In this way, it was possible to transcend consultancy to place the entities in better conditions. "With a small twist, with small improvements, it is incredible how the result changes and the dimension it reaches is different. These interventions add value to the product and enhance the organization's strategic management capacity."
Other positive aspects are related to the greater understanding, in all sectors of the economy, that communication and branding strategies are essential. It also has an impact on the conception and execution of constructive spaces for production and services.
The priorities on the road ahead are as wide-ranging as the System itself. "It is a priority to continue and further develop activities ranging from the introduction of these notions in the early ages, to the creation of adequate solutions for the elderly. At the organizational level, we must ensure that both design and communication are seen as key areas in the development of companies".
In all scenarios, different forms of relationships are essential to provide superior solutions. "That is where the systemic look lies: in articulating ourselves, in knowing what each one of us can do, always with an eye on processes.
Beyond the challenges, there is a willingness to achieve new results. Gisela confirms: "Without political will we would not be where we are. This is a reality. There is a clear will, seen even in how the design policy itself has managed to see the light of day. It is a strategic tool for conducting training processes. With this view and systemic work, design will follow a less rugged path. Sometimes as a mediator and always as an enhancer of economies, in our case it is even more important that it is not seen as an option, nor that it happens by accident".
