The Design Center Paraná coordinated in May 2002 a series of workshops for the participants of the Empório Metropolitano program, focusing on the creation of new products. An initiative of Curitiba's City Hall, the Empório Metropolitano has the goal of qualifying craftsmen and small producers to make their products more competitive.

Participants of the program were divided into groups of 8 to 10 and each group participated on a 3 to 4-hour workshop. This was the program:

• Presentation of each entrepreneur's business area;
  
• Exhibit with finished products with an innovative feature;
  
• Debate to identify ideas;
  
• Follow up after the event to evaluate performance of the entrepreneurs.