Protocolo Integrado de Educomunicação Sustentável (PIES): recomendações para o desenvolvimento de materiais educomunicativos baseadas em design, ergonomia e gestão da qualidade

Abstract

The growing concern about the environmental impacts resulting from disordered production and intensive exploitation of natural resources has driven the study of productive practices aimed at sustainable development. In the field of Environmental Education (EE), Educommunication integrates education, communication, and design in order to generate alternatives for behavioral change. This proposal highlights the need to create educommunicative materials that can reconcile quality and socio-environmental responsibility. However, a gap is observed in the literature regarding the proposition of integrated models that guide the conception of educommunicative materials from this perspective. Given this scenario, this research aims to propose recommendations for the development of sustainable educommunicative products, based on the integration of quality management, ergonomics, and design, aiming at improving quality and reducing environmental impacts. The research is exploratory, descriptive, and applied in nature, with a mixed-methods approach. The investigation was conducted through a case study with the ECOA Movement, an environmental education program developed in partnership between the Municipality of São Luís-MA and the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA). The methodological approach comprised the identification of quality management criteria applicable to eco-efficiency and relevant to educational communication products; the survey and analysis of the requirements of eight producers of educational communication materials considering ergonomic and design principles; the application of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) tool to support the prioritization of requirements and structure the prioritization matrix; and the elaboration of systematized recommendations in the Integrated Protocol for Sustainable Educational Communication (PIES). The results showed that the requirements related to the visual organization of information, the adequacy of language, and legibility occupy a central position in the development of these materials, while the dimensions of sustainability and quality management still lack greater practical incorporation by producers. The contributions of the study are situated in the academic field, filling a theoretical and practical gap related to the interdisciplinarity between quality, ergonomics, and design in the development of educational communication products; and in the social and practical sphere, by offering applicable tools that guide educators, organizations, and design professionals in creating more effective and environmentally responsible educational communication materials.