The role of digitization of historical-artistic heritage, in relation to safeguarding, activation ad enhancement is now truly consolidated. Digitization has gradually enriched the amount and the variety of objects stored in digital archives, which according to UNESCO are recognized as Digital Cultural Heritage (DCH) themselves and, therefore, in need to be safeguarded and enhanced. This study is rooted in the awareness that a design research in cultural heritage, whether physical, intangible or digital should be focused on its use and, moreover, in the ability to put it into production processes of new culture. DCH stored in archives, needs to be related to the community to exist and manifest itself as a cultural identity; in this scenario design culture applied to the dynamics of cultural participation can be able to find new meanings in the use of those digital archives. In cultural and creative industries such as fashion or design, digital archives have proven to be instruments capable of reconstruct or reactivate the know-how of companies and designers, becoming a driving force for innovation. Hence, the aims of this paper are on one hand find how, considering archives as an open system of knowledge, designers can use them as a project tool to encourage participation. On the other hand, this paper wants to discuss about how a design research focused on the meaning of digital archives can be a driving force for innovation.
