To allow for recently graduated designers to get in touch with professional market practices. This was the main goal of the Designers Specialization Seminar promoted in Curitiba in 2004 by the Design Center Paraná, with the support of the Science and Technology Ministry Studies and Projects Financing Agency (Finep). The event had the participation of 18 product designers - six from design offices, six working in companies and six independent contractors. From the total, 13 came from the capital city and 5 from other cities.

Activities took place at the Sebrae Paraná (Brazilian Micro and Small Businesses Support Program) and at the Pontifície Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC PR). The program covered 40 hours and was divided into two modules - the first from June 18-19, and the second from June 25-28. During lectures, workshops and a discussion panel, the participating designers had contact with professionals working in the market, as well as the methods used in the development of innovative and well designed products..

The program approached topics such as:

• Innovation and design in remodeling company;
• Businesses;
• Design management;
• Designer versus company relation;
• Efficiency in product sales and services;
• Product language;
• Palette of functional solutions;
• 3D representations.

The event had the following speakers:

• Martin Darbyshire, president of the office Tangerine Direction and Design, England;
• Eloi Zanetti, communications and marketing consultant;
  
• Roti Turin, semiotics teacher at the São Paulo University (USP) and Positivo University;
  
• Célio Todorico, director of the office Paradesign and professor of the Design Department of the Santa Catarina State University (Udesc);
  
• Alceu Muniz, managing partner of the Morpho Design office and professor of the product design course at the Tuiuti University of Paraná (UTP);
  
• Hélcio Fabri, marketing manager of the office Inove Design;
  
• David Niebuhr, director of Tec Design;
  
• Silvio Silva Junior, director of Lumen Design.