Trajectory and Traits of Devigners: A Qualitative Study about Transdisciplinarity in a Software Studio

Contemporary software engineering requires multidisciplinary teams, organized in different roles to collaborate. Among the roles, two are consolidating as complementary opposites: the developer and the designer. These roles require different backgrounds and skills, which makes the developer-designer collaboration quite difficult sometimes. Intending to bridge the gap between these two roles, some students are pursuing a double background in design and development, trying to become what has been called a devigner. This research presents a qualitative study on the common trajectory and traits of students who fit the devigner profile in a particular place. The study was conducted in a software studio program focused on mobile app development in Brazil, following a combination of oral history and grounded theory methods. The findings are useful to identify devigners already acting in multidisciplinary teams, as well as in the construction or improvement of undergraduate courses aiming at supporting transdisciplinary professionals.