Participatory design and sustainability: Educational toys as tools for social transformation in partnership with IMOA

This article is a continuation of the study "Design Processes and Textile Waste from the Caruaru Fashion Industry" (Leite & Barbosa, 2024), exploring its results in partnership with IMOA. The objective was to create artifacts from textile waste that promote social innovation, education, and income generation for female artisans in vulnerable situations, providing them with professional training. The study discusses participatory design, social innovation, sustainability, and educational toys. As a methodology, it adopts the Participatory Design approach proposed by Sanders (2012), along with contributions from authors such as Brown (2008) and Pazmino (2015). The process was structured into different stages, including theoretical immersion, visits to IMOA, workshops, co-creation, and prototyping. Finally, the study presents its findings through educational artifacts such as books, games, and plush toys. The exhibition "Agreste Encantado" consolidated these results, highlighting the significance of university-community collaboration.