This article makes some considerations about the handcraft productive activity, more specifically about the production of soapstone pots, and points out some of the impacts produced on the environment. Discusses yet how the act of the designer can be beneficial for the business and for the society in general. The data presented here were collected during a scientific research developed in the Research Center in design of Gems and Jewelry, of the University of the Minas Gerais State, with the goal of enhancing the handcraft in the region of Ouro Preto and Mariana.