A model proposal adopting sustainable and participatory design approach for the scale of local production in Karabuk women's cooperatives

In this study, the participatory and collaborative approaches in local production-oriented 'new product development processes' in women's cooperatives, which are structured as an enterprise, business and production in Turkey, were examined in the Karabük province. In order to present a model proposal for product development for the members of a women's cooperative, the researcher first observed the product development and training processes in Safranbolu Women's Enterprise, Production and Business Cooperative for eight consecutive weeks. The participants observed in this first phase consisted of women with no design training at all. The purpose of this observation, in which the researcher was a participant-observer, was to determine the design intervention instances that can be implemented in future studies. As a result of the education-oriented cooperative observation, a workshop that lasted two weeks and comprised of three steps was held with six members of the Karabük Üreten Eller Cooperative. The workshop was documented with audio recording, field notes, online group discussions and photographs. The process and end product evaluations were made after each each step of the workshop. The workshops carried out with Karabük Üreten Eller Cooperative aimed to develop products in line with today's needs by preserving the authenticity of the local products, rather than breeding similar products that are associated with traditional women roles and skills. In this step, the designer-researcher designed the process which facilitated the participant's the new product development process in a collective manner and a process where the participants can visualize the end product. As a result of the workshop steps carried out, the intervention methodology that could be used in the product development process was presented in cooperation with the participant and the designer who were known to continue their local productions with traditional skills.