Redesign of the logo and design of a new ergonomic hand tool enabled by systemic analysis of the Serra da Estrela PDO cheese uni

The work reported on this paper was aimed at improving the efficiency of a semi-artisanal cheese production process. A systemic design analysis, presented in another paper (Carrola, Couvinhas & Coelho, 2014) triggered the development of design work. A discursive analysis aimed at creating alternative logos for the Serra da Estrela PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese was developed. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to feedback product development.