Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Artisans
A Practical Guide
Craft
Revival
Trust
Published jointly by the Craft Revival Trust, Artesanías de Colombia S A . and U N E S C O .
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Craft Revival Trust, Artesanías de Colombia
S.A. and U N E S C O concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or
boundaries.
Published in 2005 by
Craft Revival Trust
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India
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Artesanías de Colombia S A
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Colombia
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© Craft Revival Trust / Artesanías de Colombia S A / U N E S C O 2005
Designed by F A C E T Design.
Printed in N e w Delhi, India
Foreword
f l ^ m | % e guru of the 'global village' concept, culture itself and from the imagination and
:
4;ÍAs/Í|arshall M c L u h a n , predicted in 1966 skills of creative artisans.
^ p i i n a t 'in the future, the role of the
H e n c e the concerns expressed, across all
craftsman will be more important than ever
geographical borders, by craft promoters and
before'.
organizations for closer links between design-
Four decades later, there are s o m e interest- ers and artisans. Given the communication
ing signs sustaining this forecast: the grow- gap between producers and consumers, the
ing awareness by the public and private sec- designer is seen as an indispensable inter-
tors as well as regional and international mediate, a 'bridge' between the artisan's
cooperation agencies of the dual role of crafts k n o w - h o w a n d his knowledge of what to
in their blending of traditional skills and m a k e . Innovative approaches to crafts can
modern creativity, and in their economic and no doubt be triggered off by the introduction
socio-cultural impact on sustainable devel- of design in various aspects, for example as
opment; and the increasing preference of regards the choice of alternative materials
the public for eco-friendly, h a n d m a d e , qual- and appropriate technologies or the defini-
ity products" and the greater recognition of tion of n e w product lines.
the very qualities that w e take for granted in
However, if design intervention in crafts is
crafts—qualities of timelessness and perma-
most welcomed by s o m e as a necessity (the
nence, the adaptability of artisans and their
mother of invention, according to the old
materials to changing needs, and, above all,
saying), and an opportunity for n e w pros-
the spiritual dimension of crafts. These
pects, it is often considered by others as a
favourable trends are, nevertheless, counter-
threat. The reduction of the artisan's role to
balanced by s o m e disturbing contradictions.
that of a mere producer subservient to the
In today's 'global village', the artisan is, para- designer's influence, a n d the lack of
doxically, more and more disconnected from reference to the cultural context in products
consumer needs and tastes. With the exten- designed for an alien, volatile market, are
sion of markets and the spectacular growth a m o n g the c o m m o n l y expressed concerns.
of tourism, the traditional direct, personal W h a t is the nature of the loss and/or gain
contact between makers and users has been in the adaptation to market forces? H o w to
disrupted. The artisan can no longer assume, adapt and/or modify existing products or cre-
as in the past, the combined role of a de- ate n e w products from local design
signer, producer, and marketer. motifs without obliterating traditions? C a n
there be a well-balanced and mutually ben-
Another global paradox is the increasing exi-
eficial interaction between designers and ar-
gency of the consumer: the more choices, the
tisans?
m o r e discrimination in choice. There is a
growing market seeking out the unique and This book aims to address these issues in an
the authentic, the benchmark for authentic- objective manner and clarify the scope, pro-
ity being what is true to the artisan's cultural cesses, and modalities of a proper design
heritage. Globalization a n d the h o m o g e - intervention in crafts. Its originality lies in a
neous products that have resulted from cor- dual presentation of the experiences of two
porations developing global brands have, countries—Colombia a n d India—which
indeed, created a niche for creativity, inno- have a particularly rich craft tradition; it of-
vation, and uniqueness. In this context, there fers significant case studies at two distinct
is an increasing d e m a n d for well-applied levels, that of design students and of profes-
design, m u c h of which comes from the local sional designers respectively. In the light of
converging lessons learned o n the develop- by Artesanías de Colombia is the opportu-
m e n t of effective partnerships between de- nity offered to artisans to demonstrate their
signers and artisans, guidelines are proposed k n o w - h o w in developing n e w products,
that can be relevant and applicable to a broad which are distinguished both in the local and
spectrum of the crafts sector worldwide. international markets because they repre-
sent a living craft tradition with a high design
A large part of this publication is devoted to
content.
craft exposure courses in the curriculum of
design students' academic programme. In- Besides contributing to a strongly felt need
deed, to ensure the success of long-term in- in various geographical regions, Designers
teractions, it is indispensable tofirstdevelop Meet Artisans complements U N E S C O ' s initia-
a meaningful alliance between design and tives during the past decades to provide de-
crafts in formal training institutions. This cision makers and craft professionals in the
approach is strikingly in harmony with that m e m b e r states with working tools for the
of the founder of the Bauhaus, Walter advancement of the crafts sector. This practi-
Gropius, w h o believed that the best training cal guide is thus related to the previous ones,
for a young designer should include courses Data Collection on Crafts (1990) and Interna-
to free his individual creative ability and give tional Craft Trade Fairs (2001) respectively,
him a knowledge of a range of materials— since any correct design intervention must
stone, clay, glass, wool, w o o d , metal, and be based o n data collection, both quantita-
paper—for exploring three-dimensional tive and qualitative, and must have meaning
forms easily. Beyond the necessary exposure in the marketplace. As Patrick Ela, Director of
to the m e d i u m used by artisans and to their the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art M u s e u m ,
environment, the selected case studies in dif- once rightly pointed out, 'Craftspeople create
ferent regions of India illustrate h o w inter- because they need to create; like all of us, they
esting ideas and n e w intervention models must eat. To overlook the inescapable need for
can b e developed for several purposes, economic development as well as technical
whether for revitalizing a languishing craft and artistic development would be naive.'
or for developing n e w products to create live-
lihoods. It is therefore within U N E S C O ' s global ap-
proach to the cultural and socio-economic
In the same spirit, the case studies from the role of crafts that this book is proposed as a
Colombian Design Laboratory provide re- working tool for decision makers, artisans,
flections and strategies for innovation in dif- designers and design institutes, and craft
ferent trades practised by artisanal c o m m u - N G O s . The ultimate aim is to help all those
nities in various regions of the country involved in the promotion of the crafts sec-
through an interactive process respectful of tor ask therightquestions rather than to de-
their cultural identity. Crafts stem from a re- liver unequivocal answers.
lationship between h u m a n s and their envi-
ronment within their historical, cultural, and Indrasen Vencatachellum
social contexts. This intimate relationship UNESCO Chief,
should be understood and respected by de- Section for Arts, Crafts and Design,
signers attempting to develop crafts. The Paris, France
most significant result of this experience led
Acknowledgements
Ritu Sethi, Chairperson of Craft Revival Trust, N e w Delhi, India
coordinated research, consolidated the work, and contributed to
the editing, printing and translation process.
Contents
Section I: Theoretical Issues in a Practical Debate
1.1 Interventions: T h e W h y s 4
1.2 Interventions: Markets and Buyers 6
1.3 Interventions: Artisanal Creativity, Tradition, and Cultural Contexts 8
1.4 Interventions: Technology and Change 11
Theoretical Issues in a
Practical Debate
In looking for a piller understanding of the role of design, we have to take note of:
• Its direct relevance to the well-being and freedom of the artisan
• Its indirect role through influencing social change and
• Its indirect role through influencing economic production.
Amartya Sen
(Sen, 1999)
Artisanal products are those produced by artisans, either completely by hand, tools or even
mechanical means as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most
substantial component of the finished product. These are produced without restriction in terms
of quantity and using raw materials from sustainable resources. The special nature of artisanal
products is derived from their distinctive features which can be utilitarian, aesthetic, artistic,
creative, culturally attached and socially symbolic and significant.
1 India-born economist Amartya Sen w o n the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998. Professor Sen works in welfare
or development economics. The Swedish Academy of Sciences has said that by combining tools from economics
and philosophy, he has restored an ethical dimension to the discussion of vital economic problems. Professor
Sen is currently at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
Theoretical Issues in a Practical Debate
for artisans. This question is critical since an of clientele, which is emphatically not a mass
important raison d'être for design marketplace o n e . These aspects n e e d to
intervention is that designers can assist change.
artisans in either dealing with the 'alien-ness'
of the n e w markets to which they are trying
•the crux of the issue in tris context;t$ that design';
to cater (whether urban or export), or help
intervention musteraureanwt^eämand $&%»&&
t h e m in redesigning their products to
than what can b e supported fey m urban é f c
compete with n e w entrants into their existing diéntete, The interventionte,not a viable one if
local markets. arösanstosetheirtergerlocal markets by changing
their products in order to cater to Very: small martsts
• Design Intervention for Local Markets
at a distance. Design intervenions have to t o o »
Questions have been raised about the idea on catering in the long run to indigenoaswarfcets. If
of the 'designer as a bridge to alien markets'. design intervention makes artisans giveup ,#i#r
A differing view instead is that intervention tradiëonai waysforan efrasmeraf efe marfceÇ, îfiey
should be m a d e with local markets in mind, become completely dependent on f » middle«»/
not ephemeral urban a n d export markets.
something else, the artisan isfeftin the lurchi Ä s
According to supporters of this idea,
intervention is this a very temporary s ö l Ä a '
conventional design interventions have had
no space to address the problems at the local
levels with a view to making the products D e s i g n intervention h a s a responsibility; it
acceptable to the larger local market. While cannot t a m p e r with the artisan's training a n d
urban markets m a y provide artisans a creative vision with the purely aesthetic idea
breather for a short period, they remove them of developing his p r o d u c t for a t e m p o r a r y
from k n o w n customers. Even the shifts they market. Further, notions that equate
have to m a k e in terms of colours, textures handicrafts with backward or primitive
and patterns b e c o m e meaningless as they societies, and regard m a c h i n e - m a d e goods
n o w cater to ephemeral markets w h e r e as being representative or symbolic of
fashions change with alarming frequency. A n u p w a r d mobility a n d social striving b y
artisan m a y find that the market that provided certain sections, have to be countered with
h i m generous profits during one season will fairly vigorous campaigning.
d u m p h i m unceremoniously the next season
Thus, successful design intervention has to seek
as trends and fashions have changed.
to regenerate local markets, which seem to be
Adherents of this particular school of thought overrun with inexpensive machine-made
thus argue in favour of a form of design goods. Organic markets are more dependable
intervention that o p e n s u p organic local and lessfleeting,temporary and ephemeral;
markets to artisans. Supporters of this they are also large and can sustain craft activity.
viewpoint believe that it is a m u c h better idea T h e raison d'être of successful design
for designers to intervene a n d provide a intervention need not be to merely 'bridge'
design edge to the artisans' products in order the gap b e t w e e n artisans a n d u n k n o w n
to m a k e them m o r e competitive in the local markets but also necessarily to cover the
market. A designer, if exposed to local broader context of design intervention
conditions over a longer period, can learn to needs to focus o n re-establishing organic
merge design experience and education with markets. T h u s , a critical part of design
the needs of the local people, resulting in a intervention involves helping m a k e the
far more fruitful and long-term collaboration. connections, encouraging the questioning
However, in the conventional design context, of a s s u m e d notions of 'superior' a n d
urban designers often interact with craft 'inferior', and of 'modern' and 'traditional'; it
groups for short project periods, which is requires studying the tastes and preferences
unfortunate. Further, they often have a of local people a n d encouraging the
defined repertoire of design inputs a n d continued use of indigenous and local craft
aesthetics, usually limited to a certain type products.
The critical question for design intervention is:
Whose creativity is the final expression—the
designer's or the artisan's? Again, there is a near
consensus that while designers have b e e n
taught to realize their o w n creative
imagination, a n d are given the technical
expertise a n d tools to d o so, yet w h e n
w o r k i n g with a n artisan they n e e d to
downplay their o w n individual creativity and
instead facilitate that of the artisan.
The reason that traditional crafts are usually social status more efficiently, than words ever
cited as examples of excellent quality and could. In unthinking intervention, symbols
taste is that they have usually developed har- and meanings that are very important s o m e -
moniously in a particular context, evolving times s e e m to have been deliberately dis-
in response to the changing needs of a par- carded. This needs to change. Products have
ticular society, and are directly related to the semantics that are rooted in specific contexts;
values of the people of that society. Insensi- without the particular context, the semantic
tive interventions, especially when linked with and an entire unspoken amalgam of history,
insensitive technological change, can cause culture, religion,ritual,tradition and thought
dramatic imbalances in the texture of a society, are lost. In any craft, even if the form remains
imbalances that cannot be easily corrected the same, differences in materials, colours, tex-
through traditional responses. Particularly in tures andfinishspeak of vastly different mean-
the arts, the needs that shape content are not ings.
simply felt but also reflect varying cultural
• C h a n g e and Adaptation: Ritual Crafts
attitudes at different social a n d individual
levels; s o m e are felt in a fundamental way, To preserve the validity of 'cultural contexts'
others are felt o n the basis of different kinds in crafts, it is important to discuss separately
of experience and learning, s o m e historical the issue of ritual crafts, here understood as
and s o m e mythical. W h e n a sudden interven- those used for a limited ritual and/or icono-
tion b y n e w technology or industry takes graphie purpose, for a special ceremony.
place in a traditional society, thefirstcasu- Does the craft remain a 'ritual' craft if people
alty is cultural literacy. Traditional societies begin using it for decorative purposes that
often find it difficult to absorb or cope with are not relevant to the context? Does the craft
these interventions. remain relevant if the cultural and ritual con-
text that initially underlay it changes organi-
'Superficial intervention' has to be avoided.
cally (the change m a y not be fostered by ex-
Clearly, w e should recognize that this urban
ternal intervention or be the fallout of an ex-
transformation of a product—that is, a shift
ternal intervention), making the craft irrel-
away from its original use, which is based o n
evant in the n e w context?
a cultural and social need, to its use as a n
object by s o m e o n e from almost a different The discussion is part of an 'aesthetics ver-
world, and certainly from a different class— sus culture' dilemma, that is, w h e n produc-
is just a superficial (and often irresponsible) tion shifts from a particular ritual purpose to
adaptation of the product's use. T h e use of a decorative purpose. A beautiful/aestheti-
every product is governed by a complex se- cally magnificent object m a y have n o rel-
mantics, w h i c h speaks m o r e clearly a n d evance today because rituals change and the
loudly, and expresses h u m a n relations and culture or society shifts or evolves in a differ-
ent direction. T h e solution perhaps is not to
seek to recreate or freeze externally those ritu-
als and practices that once underlay the craft
but are extinct today, but rather to view the
craft and the ritual elements separately. If the
core of a craft is ritualistic, take away the craft
element. If the ritual is of value it will sur-
vive; otherwise it will die. O n e cannot force a
ritual to continue indefinitely; lifestyles
evolve and change. T h e n ritual becomes a n
a p p e n d a g e a n d is n o longer necessary. A
change in cultural practices will naturally
change the w a y in which a craft is viewed,
that is, it is a natural process and it should
evolve—as a living craft.
Theoretical Issues in a Practical Debate
ery and equipment are high, and managerial Appropriate technology offers several impor-
and marketing abilities are not fully devel- tant solutions for the use of local resources;
oped. In this case, imposed technologies m a y maintenance of a n ecological balance; utili-
not succeed. Equally, advanced technologies zation of renewable sources of energy; re-
m a y b e completely appropriate to craft pro- moval of the drudgery of working with tools
duction if they fulfil needs such as removal and techniques that are laborious, unsafe
of drudgery, promotion of safety, and adop- and time-consuming; transfer of n e w skills
tion of processes that allow for m o r e time for and technical k n o w - h o w ; d e v e l o p m e n t of
the application of h a n d skills. local talent a n d ingenuity; preservation of
socio-cultural patterns; and development of
The introduction of appropriate technologies
organizational, managerial a n d marketing
as a part of design intervention can be ex-
skills.
tremely meaningful. Through the introduction
of improved craft tools and simple machines,
village artisans c a n greatly i m p r o v e their It Is essential to decide what we actually mean by
performance and their finished products can the terms "intermediate', 'appropriate' and 'adap-
compete well in the market. In terms of hard- tive'technologies.These should actually refer to
ware, the equipment, tools, appliances a n d technologies that show us the easiest, simplest,
machines that are regarded as representing least expensive, but most efficient ways of dealing
the introduction of 'appropriate technology' with everyday problems.
can b e simple a n d comparatively inexpen-
sive. T h e y can b e installed and operated with
little training to the local operators, and their Such technologies are affordable as the c o m -
maintenance and repair do not pose any spe- modities required are easily available a n d
cial problem. In the case of hardware of ap- so are the skills needed for the job. All that is
propriate technology, it is either a result of required is to m o v e a step further in dealing
upgrading traditional technologies, or is with the existing storehouse of knowledge of
achieved b y scaling d o w n sophisticated traditional techniques and add this to twenty-
m o d e r n technologies, or through innova- first-century experience to improve o n w h a t
tions. T h e software of appropriate technol- has already been accomplished. But this ad-
ogy includes the application of knowledge, dition should b e a contribution, not a con-
efficient use of e q u i p m e n t and appliances, tradiction. Living crafts thrive o n the basis of
training of personnel, suitable organizational appropriate assimilation and adaptation, a n d
structures for marketing, meeting the needs traditional patterns are not the rigidly struc-
of credit, business m a n a g e m e n t , storage and tured creations of individuals but the result
marketing, a n d distribution of the finished of the collective experience of m a n y genera-
products. All of these factors are very impor- tions.
tant in the rural context, where transport and
communication facilities are not well devel- T h e oft-posited dichotomy between 'science'
oped, maintenance costs can b e high due to and 'tradition' has succeeded in creating dis-
distances from industrial centres, a n d the dain for the richly diverse production pro-
replacement of parts is difficult for the o p - cesses that m a d e a fine art of marrying local
erators. Appropriate technology is particular resources to local needs, local technology,
and specific to local conditions; that is its local economics, and working within a local
strength. There are m a n y case studies docu- sustainability. To m a k e m o d e r n technology
menting h o w technologically 'modern' hard- work in an adaptive m a n n e r and be success-
ware has failed miserably in real-time situa- ful, there is a need to study and be sensitive
tions d u e to differences in socio-economic to the integrative w i s d o m that is at the core
structures, prevailing social taboos, inhibi- of craft practices. These are issues that need
tions, etc. careful thought.
Note: All illustrations in this section are by the courtesy of U N E S C O . The products shown are winners of U N E S C O
crafts prize.
SECTION II
What is the real significance of Handicrafts? No two are alike for each is afresh creation.
Standardisation is alien, in fact a negation of all that handicrafts stand for. Even the poorest
enjoy a variety in the articles of everyday use where a special article was assigned for a particular
use. .. All this broke the monotony which is perhaps the most deadening element in life... the
sentiment of traditionalism alone cannot, however, take us very far in efforts to rehabilitate the
Indian Crafts. The modern demand is for beauty as supplement to usefulness .. .
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
(Chattopadhyay, n.d.)
2 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay devoted her life to working with Indian crafts. She headed the All India Handicrafts
Board and the Indian Co-operative Union for more than twenty years. Hailed as the doyenne of Indian
handicrafts, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay's contribution to the revival of Indian arts and crafts has been
recognized nationally and internationally. She received the Watumull, Magsaysay and U N E S C O Awards for her
services in the cause of handicrafts, cooperatives and theatre. She was Founder M e m b e r of the World Crafts
Council in 1964 and Vice President for Asia for several years, as well as the founder of the Crafts Council of India.
The Indian Context
3 India's Artisans: A Status Report, Sruti — Society of Rural, Urban and Tribal Initiative. N e w Delhi, 1995, p. 7
2.2 Contemporary Realities at provided. Propelled by loss of markets, loss
the Macro Level of skill, or the inability to provide what the
market requires, rural artisans have
• The'Crafts Sector*
undertaken large-scale migration to urban
A n issue that should precede all discussion centres in search of low a n d unskilled
about 'intervention' in the Indian 'craft sector' employment.
is the recognition that 'crafts' is not a
homogeneous social and cultural activity or 2.3 The Crises in Indian Crafts
entity, a n d cannot b e treated as such,
especially for purposes of intervention.
ïî» erfste of %»JWo«ai craft* M ïndia is ihr m a n y
Without reducing these nuances to an
wiiy^.ft'ci&á of y^i^^lvÄt^..i^^iwNäee^^s'' of-,,
exercise in pointillism, it is important to view
industrialisation and modernity sweeping across the '.
issues a n d problems—and hence models
and solutions—as being particular to specific
jprieèr*»- JtseIR ' ^ ^ " s e n i p ö * Ä - t h e - crisis is' that
crafts, regions, activities, communities, "•'«raft', it^^'<Ä^r#l::'#Äp{l«-C(i»Be»aÄ peopte,
cultures and issues. 'ano, henoe-am«ofe|"'íííífe«t:'o}s^. times, any
• Cultural Diversity 'solution* must account for all these dimensions
simultaneously, which is perhaps w h y no single
Handicrafts a n d their regional setting are initiative to support or revitalise craft has succeeded
extremely complex. The variety is enormous, üawweiy {Locta. %oos),*
and artisans work with materials as diverse
as metal, wood, clay, paper, glass, grass, reed,
• Disappearing markets is one of the most
leather, and textiles, with enormous regional
pressing issues facing Indian crafts
and individual variations within each group
of specialization. There are a multitude of There has been a dramatic shift in consumer
characteristics and situations, materials and choice from artisanal goods to factory-made
processes, contexts and regional variations, products. Articles m a d e from traditional
each requiring a specific creative approach. vegetable-tanned leather have been edged
W e need to recognize that an approach that out b y those m a d e from c h r o m e leather;
was valid and successful for one category hand-woven cotton fabrics have lost out to
might not work for another. Each sub-sector mill-made synthetic textiles; plastic, china
needs to be looked at independently.
• Coexistence
Equally relevant w h e n talking about 'crafts',
craft production and intervention is the need
to recognize the existence a n d parallel
coexistence in India of isolated individual
family units, craft clusters, home/cottage
industries, a n d small-scale a n d m e d i u m -
scale industries.
• Migration to U r b a n Centres
In the Indian context, issues relating to the
migration of rural labour to urban centres,
u n e m p l o y m e n t and disguised unemploy-
ment are critical w h e n viewing the need for
interventions, as artisanal production cannot
be separated from contemporary economic
issues if sustainable inputs have to be Lac bangle making, Rajasthan
4 Arvind Lodya is a faculty m e m b e r at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology (Srishti), Bangalore,
Karnataka, India.
and glassware have wiped out the market
for earthenware. To some extent, this is due
to a larger variety of goods b e c o m i n g
available in the market, leading to the
shrinking of the market share of artisanal
goods. However, the extent to which consumer
choice has shifted away from artisanal goods
cannot be explained only on the basis of the
plurality of choice.
5 Ashoke Chatterjee is President, Crafts Council of India, and was Executive-Director of the National Institute
of Design (NID), A h m e d a b a d , Gujarat, India.
Note: All illustrations in this section are by the courtesy of the Craft Revival Trust.
SECTION III
C a s e Studies:
The Indian Initiatives
Designers Meet Artisans
^¿srtÄev^ X^XX''::'.,"X'íf
New developments
The potential for market and business link- skills and capabilities, thereby enhancing
ages was explored by NIFT and Care India. earnings resulting from the investment of
T h e products were showcased o n t w o time and skill.
occasions in N e w Delhi and A h m e d a b a d
with the aim of inviting initial feedback • Exploit market niches offering distinctly
from consumer groups. The key apprehen- higher value realizations for the product.
sion was about realistically gauging the true
• Create d e m a n d commensurate with the
capabili-ties of the craft communities of de-
immediate and medium-term production
livering products possessing the requisite
potential given available artisanal stren-
quality and consistency within the specified
gth and production capacities.
schedules.
• Create product differentiation across func-
tions, uses, styles and material combina-
tions as well as customization based o n
buyer/consumer needs.
• Improve the overall quality of the exist- • Create a spirit of collective thinking and
ing products through refinement of pro- contribute to the process of product de-
cesses and materials in use. velopment by incorporating metaphors
and terminology drawn from the artisans'
• Develop design extensions of the present personal, emotional, social and cultural
product line to include a greater variety milieu.
and a wider range for both utilitarian and
non-utilitarian use. • Create an understanding and apprecia-
tion a m o n g artisans about specialized
• Develop a range of products that offer a markets, products, pricing, quality, consu-
higher perceived value with the existing mer needs, etc.
Designers Meet Artisans
but did indicate the possibility of de- dery, patchwork and quilting available
velopment. T h e critical under-stand- in the market.
ing offinishingtechniques and detail-
• Artisans should have an understand-
ing was not very good.
ing of the supply-chain functioning in
• To maintain consistency and repli- their respective craft areas.
cability, the entire embroidery process
• The development of the artisan's skill
was broken d o w n into several stages,
in visually interpreting a design is nec-
such as composition, transfer of de-
essary for the comprehension and ex-
sign, selection of appropriate material,
ecution of n e w design ideas for pro-
final embroidery and finishing, for
duct development and order imple-
which the required skills were not eas-
mentation.
ily available.
• The skills required in carrying out the
• Only s o m e of the w o m e n k n e w the
production of n e w designs need to be
process of construction and tailoring
divided among each group, so that
required for making utilitarian textile
they become self-sufficient, with little
products.
or no external inputs or processes re-
• Very few families o w n e d the sewing quired.
machines required for product conver-
3. Achieving Anticipated Results: As the ex-
sion. S o m e of the machines were hand-
isting market for the embroidery craft was
operated, limiting the product applica-
saturated and overcrowded with m a n y
tion to simple stitching, unlike the foot-
conventional and contemporary prod-
operated machines, which allow better
ucts, n e w product applications needed to
control while leaving both hands free.
be visualized with the aim of acquiring a
• There was a lack of understanding of vantage position in the market with the
subtle differences in colours, motifs, improved and additional skills of the
and proportions as d e m a n d e d b y craftswomen.
urban and export markets.
• Develop innovative product ideas in-
2. Determining Specific Objectives: In view volving n e w fabrics and materials in-
of the assessment, specific objectives were spired by current themes based o n the
determined for this area within the scope design forecast.
of the project:
• Envisage product possibilities based
• All w o m e n artisans involved in the on n e w skills.
project must be able to generate enough
• Upgrade and diversify the skills of ar-
skill-oriented work for themselves
tisans by equipping them with sewing
without having to resort to lowly means
machines and knowledge of construct-
of income-generation like physical
ing simple products.
labour.
• Enhance quality standards by adopt-
• Artisans should be able to upgrade
ing better techniques and an improved
their existing skills while simultaneously
knowledge base of fabric and yarn dye-
acquiring new skills like stitching and
ing, embroidery using knotless stitches,
product construction.
transfers and consistent repetition of
• Artisans should be trained in assess- designs.
ing quality standards wherever appli-
• STEP 2:
cable together with acquiring critical
judge-ment on how to achieve the re- Development of Skills, Capabilities and Ca-
quired quality. pacities:
• Artisans should be exposed to the dif- Skill-enhancement programmes and train-
ferent varieties and qualities of embroi-
ing modules were developed in consultation New Developments
with experts, a n d m a n y were conducted b y
M o d u l e 3: Stitching
them. S o m e of these were conducted before
the Design a n d Product D e v e l o p m e n t pro- • Objective: T o familiarize artisans with
cess began, a few during it, and the rest after pedal-operated sewing machines, and
the prototypes were developed. to train t h e m to achieve sufficient
speed required for quality production
M o d u l e 1: P r i n t - m a k i n g a n d Print- of small products.
transfer Techniques for Embroidery
• Methodology:
• Objective: T o develop infrastructure for
A series of exercises w a s conducted:
a n d skill base of individual artisans,
and to sensitize artisans to the impor- a) Operating the sewing m a c h i n e to
tance of better quality standards a n d achieve pedal coordination and con-
attention to detail. trol.
• Methodology: b) Stitching practice o n paper over dif-
ferent patterns to achieve better con-
A series of exercises w a s conducted:
trol.
a) C o m p o s i n g precise design layouts
o n paper b y using simple paper-fold- c) Stitching practice o n textiles with dif-
ing techniques to achieve s y m m e t r y ferent kinds of folds.
and balance.
M o d u l e 4: Pattern M a k i n g a n d C o n s -
b) Transferring the design from paper truction of Simple Products
to transparent plastic sheet by trac-
ing it correctly. • Objective: To develop knowledge of and
skill in pattern m a k i n g a n d cutting for
c) Converting the plastic sheet into a construction of simple products like
stencil using perforations over the draw-string a n d sling bags.
composition.
• Methodology:
d) Transferring the design o n to the
fabric using the stencil. A series of exercises w a s conducted:
b) Teaching finishing techniques for Inputs in Terms of Design, Product and Skill
braided cords. Development
c) Demonstrating the use of the above 1. Simple embroidery and motifs were used
in bags as shoulder straps and handles. to m a k e u p for the low skill level a n d to
generate cost-effective products. This
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
expectations o n the part of both traders distinct product-based identity within the
as well as consumers at w h o m the prod- craft and that there existed well-organized
ucts were targeted. systems of production and marketing. But at
the s a m e time it w a s also apparent that
• T h e artisans did not use any precision-
infrastructural resources required definite
measuring tools nor were they familiar
improvements in the fundamental tech-
with the nomenclature of measurement
niques and processes currently in use.
and technical communication.
New developments
• STEP 4:
• The artisans were complacent about con-
sistency and quality in dimensions, fin- Development of Skills, Capabilities and Ca-
ishing, sizes and materials. Issues relat- pacities
ing to the need for precision, and the im-
Skill-enhancement programmes and train-
portance of maintaining consistent sizes
ing modules were developed in consultation
and contours for drilling holes, emerged
with experts, and m a n y were conducted by
as significant areas requiring further ac-
them. S o m e of these were conducted before
tion.
the Design and Product Development pro-
• STEP 2: cess began, a few during it, and the rest after
the prototypes were developed.
Determining Specific Objectives
4. Travel knives were designed and custom- The craft was mostly practised within a
ized keeping in m i n d the requirements of family set-up, with specific roles assigned
travellers. Foldable knives for a craft- to individual members.
conscious market and single-piece knives
Women performed the less skilled tasks of
for decorative purposes were also devel-
preparing the clay and painting the fin-
oped.
ished products, while men did the more
An attempt was made to handle bigger volumes skilled tasks of throwing, beating and form-
while maintaining a consistent standard of ing of the main products.
quality. Higher standards of quality were de-
Overall, it was found that artisans were
veloped and maintained by making minute
poorly equipped; they lacked infra-struc-
improvements and refinements in the prod-
tural facilities, tools and storage facilities.
ucts.
The artisans lacked a sound technical
The collections were designed to m e e t the knowledge base in subjects like clay quali-
requirements of specific target groups like ties and firing techniques.
art and design students and travellers. New developments
The artisans were not conversant with the niques such as slip casting, press moul-
use of any measuring tools. It was gener- ding a n d m o u l d m a k i n g were intro-
ally observed that almost all terracotta ar- duced, which required lower skill-based
tisans did not use any measuring or fin- inputs and facilitated bulk production.
ishing tools.
N e w Product Development
STEP 2:
Based on the background assessment, it was
Specific Skill, Design and Product Devel- decided that the product development ap-
opment Objectives: proach should aim at bringing the women and
the lesser skilled artisans into the
1. Improving Production Processes and forefront rather than having them play a sec-
Skills ondary role.
2. N e w Product Development Improving • STEP 3:
Production Processes and Skills
Skill-enhancement Programmes and Train-
Raw material: The existing methods of clay ing Modules
preparation were laborious, time consum-
ing and lacked technicalfinesse.Since the Module 1: Technical Communication
quality of the product depended on the • Objective: To emphasize the importance
quality of the raw material, the effort was to of precision and consistency, and to
educate artisans about more effective meth- teach the ability to interpret simple two-
ods of clay preparation and also to build dimensional drawings into three-di-
the basic infrastructure required. mensional products.
• U s e of appropriate tools a n d equip- • Methodology: The exercises were built
m e n t : Simple tools were introduced. around learning to use simple measur-
Most were indigenously developed, and ing instruments and interpreting scale
their usage demonstrated. T h e use of drawings inflatview and perspective
these tools raised quality standards and into three-dimensional models.
ensured consistency and detailing in
production. • Conclusion: In the end, the artisans had
learned the effective use of scale, gained
• Firing offinishedproduct: The existing an understanding of units of measure-
methods offiringin both villages were m e n t (centimetres, millimetres a n d
extremely basic and non-technical, re- inches), and were able to apply these to
sulting in inconsistency a n d a large three-dimensional forms.
a m o u n t of breakage. Significant work
was required to demonstrate better kiln Module 2: Throwing
technology, and the artisans were in-
formed about the intricacies of the fir- • Objective: To acquire knowledge of and
ing processes. master technically correct throwing tech-
niques.
• Introduction of n e w production tech-
niques: Since the artisan c o m m u n i t y • Methodology: A master craftsperson
possessed different individual levels of worked with the artisans and d e m o n -
strated basic throwing techniques like
skill, uniform training for all did not
centring over the wheel, raising of even-
seem appropriate. Suitable work oppor-
tunities needed to be explored depend- thickness walls and lifting off from the
wheel with m i n i m u m intrusion.
ing o n individual skill levels. Tech-
6 A master craftsperson is an artisan w h o has been awarded recognition for his/her work by the President of India.
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
• D u r i n g intervention
• It is important to establish links a n d rela-
Designers Meet Artisans
tionships with the artisan communities; calls for m a n y artisans operating within
this calls for accessibility of the team rep- their skill levels and the available equip-
resentatives, accompanied b y wit and ment with a high level of motivation that
h u m o u r , along with funds and logistical impacts on both the process and the out-
support. It is also important to constantly come.
evaluate the artisans' responses to and
feelings about n e w ideas and innovations, • Constant evaluation and redefinition of
and to gauge the extent of their under- design ideas, product concepts, and in-
standing and acceptance of n e w concepts tended outcomes through a process of
and techniques. idealization, exploration, sampling and
prototyping, while keeping in m i n d fac-
Sustained dialogue and focused interac- tors such as quality, consistency, materi-
tion aimed at building a proactive and in- als, processes, finishes and finishing, con-
volved relationship around the different s u m e r and market segments, costing,
aspects of crafts based o n the opportuni- value perceptions as well as anticipation
ties available. Identification of responsive, and planning for the entire supply chain
open-minded and influential representa- within the prevailing reality.
tives from craft communities for building
on possibilities that have immediate and • Induction of n e w skills, insights, exposure
long-term implications. and capabilities that enhance the artisans'
flexibility, work practices, processes and
Developing a m i n i m u m c o m m o n ground comfort levels.
for initiatives at the level of processes,
materials, product ideas, uses and func- • Creating a m i n i m u m visible presence
tions, and their potential both in terms based o n continuity and qualitative inter-
of saleability as well as increased earn- action with craft groups.
ings.
• Maintaining product specifications, in-
Exploring potential avenues of product dicative c o m p o n e n t and material lists,
development that create a higher-value indicative prices, time investment and re-
perception based o n market opportuni- lated details with each process.
ties.
• In the future
Emphasizing the need for intensive and
The following issues need to be addressed
purposeful product development, which
in order to realize a mature, independent and
proactive responsiveness initiated through
the intervention:
• Mobilize craft communities to adopt col- of decision making, in both the areas of
lective and ownership-based structures, risks as well as benefits.
capable of self-governing and possessing
• Create the requisite understanding of and
self-evolving potential.
engender insights into contemporary
• Inculcate capabilities for sourcing raw market opportunities in the form of prod-
materials, undertaking specialized pro- ucts, uses, functions, occasions, consumer
cesses and incorporating inputs with a values, and related aesthetic and style
critical commercial sense. preferences within which the craft c o m -
munities have to find their niche.
• Create an understanding, appreciation
and application of supervisory as well as
3.2 SUSTAINED STUDENT
quality-assurance capabilities as a system,
INITIATIVES: BRIDGING
attitude and knowledge that responds to
PRODUCT A N D DESIGN
contemporary norms in best market and
DEVELOPMENT TO CRE-
consumer contexts. ATE LIVELIHOODS
• Increase awareness and sharing of the
learning and experience amongst larger
3.2.1 Weaving Peace in
groups to increase the n u m b e r of benefi- Bongaigaon, Assam
ciaries.
A Project by the Action
Northeast Trust (ANT)
• Develop forms of long-term patronage;
• The Project: Weaving Peace
seek sustained support from government
as well as non-government agencies to • Design Student: Smitha Murthy, Srishti
fund activities of a collective nature cater- School of Art, Design and Technology,
ing to larger interests such as marketing, Bangalore, Karnataka
trade events, etc.
• Location: Bongaigaon, Assam
• Pursue multi-layered market positioning • Duration: Six months: M a y to November
with product/pricing strategies designed 2002
to exploit various levels of skill applica-
tions, and which will sustain the increased • Sponsor: The A N T (The Action Northeast
participation and economic security of Trust)7
beneficiaries. • Background
• Adopt a distinctive image/brand for the The work of the A N T , based in the small re-
initiative that leverages the unique char- finery town of Bongaigaon, in lower Assam,
acteristics and features of the craft c o m - is concentrated o n two levels—direct inter-
munities and their products both in socio- vention a m o n g village communities, and as
cultural as well as ethno-contemporary a resource organization involved in capacity
contexts. building and training of other development
• Ensure the sustained involvement of and organizations and socially committed youth.
inputs from various experts and institu- The A N T has programmes running in about
tions to achieve the above objectives. thirty villages located in thirty g r a m
panchayats, all of which are within cycling
• Adopt a pragmatic exit strategy that en- distance from Bongaigaon.
courages collective ownership, and there-
fore responsibility, as well as controls all • About the community
activities, based on commitments from the T h e Bodos, a tribal c o m m u n i t y in A s s a m ,
craft communities involved in the process have been involved in a political struggle
7 The A N T , a registered charitable trust, was set up with the mandate to work towards development in the north-
eastern region of India.
against the Assamese for the last two decades. • To enhance and build a positive image of
The ethnic conflict has been exacerbated by the Bodo people by promoting their rich
the erosion of farming land of the tribal c o m - weaving tradition to counter the current
munity by the main rivers, thus leading to a public image of them as militants.
struggle for resources a m o n g different c o m -
• Methodology
munities.
The methodology and the process to be fol-
M a n y landless families survive on the men's
lowed to achieve the objectives were left to
daily wages and the sale of vegetables by the
the designer.
w o m e n at the local haats, but neither of these
is a reliable or steady source of income. Phase 1
Reaching the markets takes m u c h time and
energy, as the w o m e n have to walk m a n y A n attempt wasfirstm a d e to spread the idea
miles. behind the Weaving Peace project to the resi-
dents of all the villages involved. Textiles
Almost all Bodo w o m e n can weave, as the woven by weavers of other states were shown
craft is passed from generation to generation. to the stakeholders. This boosted their inter-
As weaving is a household activity, every est in the project. The idea of urban people
h o m e has a throw andfly-shuttleloom. Tra- wearing and using textiles w o v e n by them
ditionally, the w o m e n wove textiles for them- fascinated the Bodo w o m e n the most.
selves and their families in their spare time.
Using acrylic yarn, which was easily avail- Simultaneously, the designer, Smitha Murthy,
able, the w o m e n w o v e items such as the undertook a thorough research study into the
dokhna and chaddar, a traditional unstitched variety of traditional motifs, colours, raw
garment about 50 inches wide and 3 metres material, and the origins and stories con-
long, which is draped from the chest to the nected with the creation of each motif. With
ankle and is tied above the chest and at the this knowledge in hand, the acceptability of
waist. traditional motifs and colours for a probable
market was identified and studied. D o c u -
• The Mission menting the traditional motifs and designs
of the Bodos in order to create a reference
W o m e n weavers, especially those from land-
point for future development b e c a m e an
less families, needed a market to transform
ongoing process throughout the project.
their weaving activity into a significant source
of steady income. This required a market that A n u m b e r of villagers and people dealing
appreciated handwoven products. This also with different issues relating to the Bodos
called for product diversification and adap- were consulted in order to gain information
tation of colours and designs to suit customer and understanding about them and their so-
preferences, a risk that individual landless ciety.
weavers were unable to take.
Phase 2
It was hoped that through this project the
w o m e n w h o otherwise supplemented their The designer studied and learned the weav-
family income by selling vegetables would ing technique practised by Bodo w o m e n so
be able to secure a steady source of income. that developments could be demonstrated
on the loom rather than being conveyed ver-
• Objectives bally or through drawings. While she was
there at the request of the A N T , the designer
The project was called Weaving Peace. nevertheless had to gain the trust of the weav-
• To promote the traditional weaving craft ers and establish her o w n equation with
of rural Bodo w o m e n with the aim of cre- them. In her o w n words, she was completely
ating a significant and sustainable source paralysed due to the language barrier.
of livelihood by design and market inter- The process began with Smitha Murthy c o m -
vention. municatingfirstwith the m e n of the c o m m u -
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
nity, establishing her credentials and gain- and garments similar to those worn by
ing the confidence of the w o m e n . W h a t Manipuri w o m e n , a people with whose cul-
helped was the fact that she was from Banga- ture the Bodos are familiar.
lore, where m a n y of the Bodo children were
The next stage was the production of gar-
studying. She ate and drank whatever they
ments; prototypes of the stitched and c o m -
offered, anxious not to give offence. She w o n
pleted products were made, including jack-
the villagers' respect w h e n they saw her daily
ets and skirts. This excited the w o m e n , w h o
struggle to commute 30 k m . on a bicycle to
admired and tried out each garment. H o w -
reach their communities as well as her will-
ever, the production of ready-made gar-
ingness to learn the weaving technique and
ments was a different matter altogether, and
m a k e the prototypes—and all this without
it was imperative to find somebody close by.
knowing their language.
Eventually, a boutique in Guwahati, Assam
Phase 3 that could undertake the stitching of the gar-
ments was located.
After studying the old heirloom dokhnas and
chaddars, four main motifs that the weavers Phase 6
were familiar with were chosen; these were
The textiles and products were exhibited and
mixed and matched to create n e w designs.
sold at Nature Bazaar, an exhibition orga-
The traditional colour palette was retained
nized by Dastkar in N e w Delhi in November
because it was closely identified with the
2003. The products received a very good re-
community. Each of the five traditional
sponse.
colours—ranging from lemon yellow, orange
to deep red—had its o w n significance and its Phase 7
o w n local n a m e .
The designer, Smitha Murthy, returned
The borders used were traditional, and were to work with the weavers after her gradua-
applied on both striped and plain cloth. Ex- tion.
perimentation was carried out with uneven
'It didn't take m e m u c h time to realize that
borders, and different patterns were created
m y involvement with the A N T and its weav-
using the same warp.
ing programme was not going to end with
Phase 4 m y student project, and that just giving them
a range of designs and prototypes was m e a n -
Sampling Stage: Four months
ingless. A more continuous support was re-
A beginning was m a d e withfiveweavers in quired, and therefore I extended m y support
one village using cotton yarn. This was diffi- as a designer even after m y graduation.'
cult as the cotton yarnfrequentlybroke and
faded more easily w h e n compared to acrylic
or synthetic yarn, to which the weavers had
grown accustomed. T h e cloth was w o v e n
slowly. The w o m e n were paid for their time
and effort, receiving an amount that was
m u c h higher than that paid to other
Assamese weavers.
Phase 5
• Period: 1996
• Duration: Six m o n t h s
• Background
Phase 2
solutions along with potters from other began to be reflected in the execution of
parts of the country. bolder ideas. The designers m a d e objects
alongside, and this was also an important
• Working tables, boxes for transportation
source of learning. Firing and arranging
and storage, and clay-modelling tools
wares in the kiln were also m a d e part of
were m a d e available. Electric potters'
the training. S o m e objects were fired
wheels were ordered.
black.
The M o c k Shop
Phase II
3. Create a product range that took into • Explain the rationale and theory behind
account the aptitudes and skill levels of the items developed, and the relationship
all potential beneficiaries, rather than of this with the guidelines laid d o w n by
only those w h o were most highly the design intervention.
skilled.
• Encourage the embroiderers to under-
4. Ensure that the price point of the prod- stand and develop the design process fur-
uct guaranteed a fair wage to the e m - ther.
broiderer.
• Aim at eventually making expensive out-
5. Create a product range with a varied side design interventions unnecessary.
price range, to gain credibility and ap-
peal. • Develop a product range that incorpo-
rates the differing skill levels of the e m -
• T h e Initial Study broiderers.
The initial study revealed that S E W A • Keep the product usage and price appli-
Lucknow needed: cable to the widest possible market and
consumer base.
1. Better planning of stocks and quantities
of specific selling items, that is, market • Incorporate the typical and representative
analysis alongside the study and break- motifs, colours and shapes of the tradi-
d o w n of salesfigureswas necessary. tion/region harmoniously into the n e w
2. A better quality and wider range of fabric. product range.
success has proved that craft is still a viable Both the quality of workmanship and the
and effective tool for employment and in- rates paid for embroidery in the C h o w k are
come generation today. It has also confirmed slowly improving. But m u c h still remains to
the large and growing market for quality craft be done. S E W A is one module showing that
products . . . Profits go back into a crèche, a change impossible if there is a will.
school, health and social^ awareness
• Postscript
programmes, and eye camps. S E W A workers
coming from the most backward purdah and It is exactly twenty years since S E W A Lucknow
poverty-ridden communities of Lucknow to- first started, famously 'with twelve w o m e n ,
day travel all over India, and work, interact one tin trunk and ten thousand rupees'.
and live with export buyers from Habitat, Dastkar began its design and marketing in-
leather workers from Rajasthan and tribals tervention with them a year later. By then,
from Orissa, with ease, warmth and indepen- the group consisted of a hundred or so
dence. They participate in every aspect of w o m e n . At that time, a chikan-embroidered
S E W A planning and production, from fixing kurta was something that people wore to bed.
wage scales to cutting and stitching cloth, and Most of these so-called chikan kurtas were
dealing with issues of quality control, pric- actually crudely embroidered shadow-work,
ing and sales. Rigidly stratified notions about rather than the complex combination of knot-
religion, male supremacy, personal law, mar- ted, pulled, under- and over-laid stitches that
riage and birth control have been cast aside comprise genuine chikan embroidery.
along with their burkas.
In the interim years, S E W A L u c k n o w has
But what of the other chikan workers? The grown to an ever increasing number of 7,500
impact of what S E W A is doing has had a w o m e n and their annual turnover is in
knock-on effect in a number of ways: crores. It still continues to be both a major
centre of chikan production and marketing,
• A chikan product of better quality and as well as a catalyst for social development
better design, which c o m m a n d s higher and w o m e n ' s empowerment.
wages and leads to more sales and more
employment, which in turn results in a Meanwhile, hundreds of traders, designers,
higher standard of living. exporters and boutiques, nationally and in-
ternationally, have jumped onto the chikan
• S E W A , while paying appreciably higher b a n d w a g o n launched by S E W A . Chikan is
wages, can still sell well enough to pro- seen regularly on the fashion ramp (with fash-
vide regular employment, to m a k e other ion gurus A b u Jani, Sandeep Khosla and
chikan workers aware of the value of their
skills, and boost their self-confidence in
demanding higher wages.
• T h e w o r k s h o p - c u m - c o m m u n i t y centre
atmosphere fostered by S E W A encourages
dialogue and discussion, and leads to a
growing social awareness a m o n g the
w o m e n , w h o are otherwise cut off by
purdah, about social issues and matters
of health and hygiene, etc. In turn, they
spread this information and awareness
a m o n g their families and friends.
Muzaffar Ali as its major proponents), at the night wear, formal m e n ' s wear, blinds and
Oscar awards (modelled by D a m e Judi curtains. In addition, it is unfortunate that no
Dench), and is w o r n by style icons ranging one has fully explored the huge variety of
from Jaya B a c h c h a n and Chérie Blair to traditional Indian fabrics o n which chikan
Jemima K h a n and Bianca Jagger. But thanks can be applied. S E W A Lucknow and Dastkar
to its huge producer base (Lucknow and its pioneered the use of kota, tussore silk and
environs n o w have m o r e than 75,000 organza, and m a n y designers n o w use these
craftswomen engaged in chikan production) materials, as well as georgette and crepe, in
and inexpensive raw materials like cotton addition to the traditional muslin and voile.
thread and cloth, it still manages to also be a India is a treasure house of fabulous
popular and affordable style for the middle- handloom weaves that could enhance and
class urban consumer. add n e w dimensions to this age-old yet ex-
traordinarily versatile craft.
There are dangers: over-saturation of the
market, as everyone uses chikan in more or There is also a huge scope for innovation in
less the same way, and o n more or less the the designs and motifs used in chikan e m -
same products. Fashion trends persuade ev- broidery. Beautiful as they are, the old floral
eryone to b u y the s a m e clothes, but then jais, paisleys and butis have b e c o m e rather
m o v e o n to something else the next season. stereotypical, and the craft could do with an
However suitable a chikan sari or kurta is as injection of n e w design.
feminine and cool s u m m e r garb, there will
inevitably be a glut. People will tire of chikan, Styling, finish and presentation are also be-
and it will slip downmarket again, with trad- coming increasingly important to today's
ers and producers lowering both prices and quality-conscious and trendy consumer, w h o
the quality of the workmanship in order to has m a n y more shopping options than were
hold o n to their customers. available twenty years ago. N G O s must pro-
fessionalize themselves if they want to main-
S E W A L u c k n o w itself, having succeeded in tain their place in the market. People n o
making chikan a hotly fought-over fashion longer buy out of compassion.
statement at a time w h e n it was almost u n -
k n o w n in most parts of India, has n o w settled Both chikan and S E W A Lucknow need to re-
into bulk production of middle-range kurtas, invent themselves if they are to successfully
saris and dupattas, sold through exhibition- survive another twenty years.
sales all over India, targeted at young work- - Laila Tyabji
ing professionals, students and housewives.
Its success now—as then—has been in c o m -
bining good-quality embroidery, using tra-
3.4 NGO DESIGN INTERVENTION
ditional motifs and designs that are distinc-
IN THE REVIVAL OF A LAN-
GUISHING CRAFT
tively Lucknavi, with simple wearable styles
and affordable prices. But with competition 3.4.1 The Embroidered Art of
and market saturation an ever-present threat, the Chamba Rumal
S E W A Lucknow n o w needs to take another
leap forward—targeting different, upper-end • Location: C h a m b a , Himachal Pradesh
consumer markets and diversifying its prod-
• Duration: Began in 1995, and is continu-
ucts and styles.
ing
It is surprising (and disappointing) that no • Sponsors: Delhi Crafts Council (DCC)
one has explored the huge potential that
chikan has in other areas apart from w o m e n ' s • Project Coordinators: U s h a Bhagat,
wear, for instance, for baby and children's Purnima Rai and Manjari Nirula of Delhi
garments, table and bed linen, lingerie and Crafts Council
13 The Delhi Crafts Council (DCC), is affiliated to the Crafts Council of India. Its concerns include securing
better livelihood for artisans and preserving and promoting their craft skills.
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
Phase 1
Embroidered art
Several visits were m a d e by D C C to C h a m b a
• Background to study the work currently being done, to
The embroidered art of the C h a m b a rumal acquaint the m e m b e r s with the area and to
emerged in the princely hill states of Chamba, develop a working relationship with the e m -
Basoli, Kangra and adjacent areas in present- broiderers. O n surveying the existing situa-
day Himachal Pradesh. T h o u g h practised tion, D C C identified both the drawbacks and
throughout the region, it came to be associ- the positive aspects of the rumals being e m -
ated with C h a m b a because of the continued broidered at that time:
patronage by its rulers, and because the style • The base cloth used was mill-made poly-
and colours of the rumal were influenced by ester, not the original mulmul or fine
the miniature painting tradition of C h a m b a . handwoven fabric used traditionally. This
The rumal is the image of the painting in fabric with its machine-finished sheen did
embroidery. not add value to the embroidered piece,
It is apparent from the rumals, which have unlike the h a n d w o v e n fabric that pro-
existed since the eighteenth and nineteenth vided a pleasing dimension.
centuries, that the drawings were m a d e by • The embroidery thread required was un-
miniature-painting artists and embroidered twisted floss silk. D u e to its unavailabil-
by w o m e n of the nobility, w h o had devel- ity, the embroiderers were using
oped a high level of sophistication and styl- twisted yarn after untwisting it. This prac-
ization. The themes of the rumal were mainly tice produced an unattractive effect.
religious, with special favour given to the
raasmandal and scenes from the life of • T h e yarn colours used were garish and
Krishna. The fabric was usually hand-spun lacked balance and harmony.
or handwoven unbleached mulmul or fine • T h e rumals, n o longer inspired by the
khaddar. T h e embroidery w a s done in a
original patterns, were cruder in their de-
double satin stitch using untwisted pure silk sign and execution, having lost their
yarn. The rumals were used as covers for of-
unique connection to the tradition of
ferings m a d e at weddings, festivals and reli-
C h a m b a miniature painting.
gious occasions.
• O n the positive side, the w o m e n had not
C h a m b a rumals were being m a d e until the lost their skill of specialized C h a m b a e m -
early twentieth century, but had suffered with broidery, and the artists continued to draw
the decline of the feudal system of patron- the patterns.
age. The original designs and colours were
lost; the rumals were being embroidered on Embroidery continued to be a popular pas-
low-grade fabric with chemically dyed time for the w o m e n , w h o n o w were selling
specimens m a d e on ordinary items like pil- mote the rumal as a work of art, to accept
lowcases, etc. orders and to monitor both production and
quality.
Phase 2
Phase 4
Sixteen designs from various m u s e u m s , in-
cluding the National M u s e u m , N e w Delhi, the D C C decided to take orders on the created
Buri Singh M u s e u m , C h a m b a , the Indian pieces. They are expensive, and it takes as
M u s e u m , Kolkata, the Crafts M u s e u m , N e w long as two to four months to make one piece.
Delhi and the Victoria & Albert M u s e u m , Lon-
The rumals have been exhibited in impor-
don were identified and photographed.
tant cities like M u m b a i , Kolkata, Hyderabad,
The next step was to source the material used Bangalore, A h m e d a b a d and others during
to m a k e the rumals. This was traditionally 2003 and 2004. A n important breakthrough
difficult to do because with the passage of came in M u m b a i where an order of twenty
time machine-made materials had replaced rumals was placed for a m u s e u m in Surat.
h a n d m a d e materials. A close substitute— Following this d e m a n d , D C C established a
handwoven fabric/khadi as the base cloth— centre in C h a m b a . They rented a room and
was selected. hired a person to oversee the work of the
embroiderers, w h o also initially trained other
The local markets were scoured for the e m -
young girls. The trainees were given a sti-
broidery yarn. Attempts to source naturally
pend and the embroiderers were paid for
dyed, untwistedflosssilk yarn proved futile.
their work by D C C .
A n alternative to the untwisted but synthetic
yarn dyed in a wide range of colours w a s The centre is still in the process of evolving,
eventually found in a local market in N e w and efforts are being m a d e to involve the lo-
Delhi. cal people to take an interest and participate
in helping it grow.
After the patterns, the fabric and the yarn
were finalized, a few w o m e n embroiderers • Future Plans
and an artist specializing in miniature paint-
D C C is re-examining their marketing strat-
ing in C h a m b a were chosen to execute the
egy to identify n e w markets and n e w meth-
rumals.
ods of distribution for the rumals. They plan
D u e to the distance, absence of communica- to organize exhibitions outside the country
tion facilities between C h a m b a and Delhi and as well as promote the artistic, social, and
initial teething problems, the pace of work cultural worth of the exclusive art of C h a m b a
was slow. However, eventually the concept, rumal embroidery.
the quality standards required and the level
of excellence expected from the embroider-
ers and the artist were achieved, and over a
period of three to four years, sixteen rumals
were produced.
Phase 3
• To encourage artisans to engage with de- • Exercises to develop the skill of 'looking'
sign in order to equip them with the skill in a different way.
and understanding that they would use
• Visits to shops and showrooms to observe
and build on progressively.
what is currently available.
• To reach a shared understanding between
• Observing an urban h o m e and talking to
artisans and designers; to encourage a
family members about their living habits
two-way learning process along with the
in order to expose artisans to different
spirit of cooperation.
lifestyles.
• To encourage capacity building by m a p -
• Exercises to allow artisans to make a con-
ping the problems that block the artisans'
nection between the products they design
growth.
and the lifestyles of the customers they
Short term have analysed by visiting their homes and
through observation of market trends.
• To generate and execute a m i n i m u m of
twenty n e w designs (the designer was to • Study methods of marketing existing
have these ready before the c o m m e n c e - products; study their packaging and
ment of the workshop). point-of-purchase aspects.
• To develop utilitarian designs geared for • Fill out export forms—artisans fear this
n e w markets. process as they do not understand it—in
14 Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology is a leading design school based in Bangalore, Karnataka.
order to help demystify them and enable Day 2-10
artisans to decide if they individually
• Discussions: Discussions were encouraged
wanted to pursue the export market.
throughout the ten days. Enthusiastic par-
• Activities ticipation demonstrated that learning
happens w h e n stereotypes are chal-
Day 1
lenged. Discussions covered the issues of
• Ice-breaker. The artisans drew the things form, function, market, tradition, the role
that they liked and didn't like o n small of the artisan in society, success, values,
pieces of paper. This served to introduce etc.
each artisan, w h o then stood up and talked
• Material analysis: Detailed discussions
about himself through the pictogram he
took place on the properties of stone, o n
had drawn. It also gave the facilitator
its sizes and proportions, its manufactur-
an opportunity to draw out the artisans'
ing capabilities, its geological attributes,
ideas and expectations from the work-
etc.
shop, and what they meant by the words
craft, m o n e y and work. These ideas were • Collaboration: The group cooperated, dis-
captured o n a board through a m i n d cussed, drew, analysed and m a d e prod-
map. ucts. They learned from each other and
drew inspiration from the resource mate-
• Analysis: The R T D C design centre had set
rials that was provided to them. (These
up a display of products geared for the
included magazines, design catalogues,
urban market. The artisans analysed these
books o n form theory and images from
products along with the facilitator. As most
temples, and textiles and products from
of the artisans were n e w to the idea of
different cultures.)
'functional products' (they were trained
in the making of religiousfiguresor real- • Skill upgradation: Each artisan learned to
istic sculptures), they began by question- turn stone on the lathe. Most of them had
ing the need to make a new kind of prod- never done such turning before.
uct. 'Why should I carve a salt container
• Specific inputs: A n informative talk en-
when people can use a cheaper plastic prod-
titled ' H o w to Export Stone Craft' was held.
uct?' 'Why should I think of making ten such
products when I can earn the same amount • Concepts learned: Artisans gradually saw
by carving a single idol for the same that different products could be created
amount?' 'I need to invest in more stone ini- by understanding the context and the
tially to make these kinds of objects. Should user's needs. This idea was reinforced by
I do that?' This kind of analysis is an im- viewing a film o n the methodology of the
portant cognitive skill; the artisans could design process.
then engage with the idea of 'function' and
discuss h o w it related to market and cost
considerations as well as to customer ex-
pectations.
• H o m e w o r k : As h o m e w o r k , the artisans
were assigned drawing and measuring
exercises. They also h a d to build a
terracotta product that was musical.
D a y 5:
• T h e user: T h e next exercise attempted to
m a k e the artisan understand the concept
of the user. W h o is the user? H o w d o y o u
understand the user a n d the user's needs?
W h a t are the steps involved in this task?
| ¡ ^ | ^ ^ ^ : jtels^$£ttraalK^/lift #««<& eí
• Supervisor: Meenakshi Singh, IICD, • Namda sales were restricted to the low-
Faculty end, price-conscious market segment, and
the artisans were unable to attract the
• Participants: Eleven namda artisans, stu- high-end buyers.
dents and experts/faculty
• Market linkages were weak, with sales
• Background conducted mainly at exhibitions and
fairs.
Namdas, felted floor coverings, have tradi-
tionally been crafted in Tonk, a village in • These problems were further c o m -
Rajasthan. A wide range of products are made, p o u n d e d by the lack of cohesiveness
the most popular being floor coverings of amongst the artisans, w h o tended to re-
different sizes, door mats, tablemats, bags, sist any offer of assistance from an out-
bedroom slippers, wall hangings and maga- side agency, and hence were unable to
zine holders. A limited variety offloralpat- generate the quality, quantity and stan-
terns are repeated in the namdas, with the dardization demanded by the export mar-
entire cluster of artisans replicating similar ket that they wished to tap.
patterns. The traditional colours are also lim-
ited to specific shades of black, m a r o o n , • Objectives
green and brown. • Improve the quality of the raw material
The problems facing the craft prior to the used in namda making.
intervention: • Give a n e w look to an old craft.
A field survey conducted by the students re- • Develop a marketable range of easy-to-
vealed: produce utilitarian products.
• A deterioration in the quality of the prod- • Link the artisans to n e w market avenues.
uct due to the employment of inferior raw
material, which leads to the shedding of • Improve livelihood.
the felt fibre during use, and the presence
• Design Brief
of insect infestation in the namda, result-
ing from the presence of soap residue in • To develop different colour palettes and
the felt that had not been washed out prop- design concepts in keeping with market
erly. requirements.
• Year: 1999-2000
New Developments
• Sponsor: U N D P - N L D P and Rural N o n -
F a r m Development Agency ( R U D A ) ,
mojaris are sold in local haats and weekly
Jaipur
markets.
• Guide: Rajeev Mathur, IICD, Faculty
• Mojaris do not have an urban market,
• Background since the hard soles lead to shoe bites and
difficulty in walking.
Mojari is a traditional footwear of embel-
lished leather popular in Rajasthan, employ- • Objectives
ing a unique construction technique. M a n y
artisans in different craft pockets in Rajasthan • Widen the market for mojaris to include
practise this craft. The sponsors felt that the urban consumers.
time was ripe for this footwear to receive con- • Create designs and finishes suitable for
temporary design inputs in order to trans- the urban market.
form it into a fashion accessory, which it once
was. The village of Udaipuria was chosen for • Methodology
this project as it is h o m e to around 500
19 Phase 1
Raigar families, w h o practise this traditional
The designs were worked out o n locally
craft.
available vegetable-tanned leather, a mate-
• 'Operation Mojari' rial with which the artisans are entirely fa-
miliar and which has the added advantage
The Existing Situation
of having excellent thermal insulation. The
• Mojari making is a traditional and heredi-
designs were created in such a manner that
tary craft.
they could also be translated on to chrome-
• T h e entire family contributes its skills, tanned leather, which is softer.
with the w o m e n doing the surface embel-
The bonding of the upper portion of the foot-
lishment.
wear with the sole w a s done with cotton
• Vegetable-tanned leather and other raw thread, which further strengthened the prod-
materials are purchased from Jaipur city, uct.
Agra in Uttar Pradesh and N e w Delhi.
The following inputs were given to the arti-
• The main market is in rural areas, where sans:
1. Need to conform to patterns to ensure 7. Stencilling of motifs, with the dyes being
more accuracy and increased comfort. mostly vegetable.
2. Need to adopt contemporary styles and 8. Using differently coloured leather pieces/
designs that dovetail with the existing strips for creating woven patterns on the
skills. upper.
3. Need to adopt appropriate mechanization Phase 2
for the processes of stitching and finish-
ing. Phase 1 ended in August 1999. It was fol-
lowed by Phase 2, during which the product
4. Need to use alternative materials.
was produced and marketed successfully in
5. Need to understand the concept of pack- the urban market.
aging for the urban market.
The artisans received orders, which led them
6. Need to adopt standardized sizes through to hire outside workers to meet the additional
providing polymer lasts with standard- d e m a n d . T h e improved product, and the
ized sizing and fitting conventions. price asked for it, has in turn improved the
financial condition of the artisans. They n o w
7. Need to initiate and establish linkages
participate in fairs all over the country and
with markets.
are developing linkages with wholesalers.
The designs were divided into different
groups: • O n Reflection
ish, and led to shorter production sched- and copper wires cut from sheets are laid into
ules. the grooves in geometric patterns and floral
motifs. A bolder version of the s a m e tech-
• The discomfort of wearing the tough and
nique using metal-sheet inlay is called
long-lasting mojaris w a s overcome
pachhikari. The metal sheets and wires are
through improved finishing.
inlaid in a n extremely intricate m a n n e r ,
• The n e w mojaris were brought into con- seeming almost to have been embroidered
formity with the internationally accepted on to the surface of the w o o d . The products
sizing convention through the single most thus crafted include miniature chariots,
important technical input comprising w o o d e n footwear, doors and w i n d o w s ,
plastic shoe moulds (lasts). jewellery boxes, etc.
• The standardization of sizes improved the Tarkashi, though an ancient craft, is not na-
artisans' ability to service distant markets. tive to Rajasthan; the artisans w h o practise it
had migrated to Jaipur from Mainpuri in
• A n understanding of design methodology Uttar Pradesh. In 1962, the All India Handi-
and an ability to transform drawings into crafts Board, in an effort to further develop
products helped expand the artisans' abil- the craft, initiated a training programme that
ity to induct changes into their work prac- was run by a Master Craftsman. Since 1962,
tices. the number of artisan families has increased
fromfivetofifteen.Now there are four families
3.6.3 Tarkashi / Metal-wire in Jaipur that currently practise this craft.
Inlay on W o o d
• Problems
• Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan
The initial survey of the craft revealed that
• Year: 2002-03 the artisans faced the following problems:
• Books were referred to for the history of 3.7.1 Jawaja - The Rural
this craft and to identify n e w trends. University
National Institute of Design
• Based o n observations, an analysis of (NID), Ahmedabad and
colour, style and design trends w a s car- Indian Institute of Manage-
ried out. ment (MM), Ahmedabad
Phase 2 • Background
• A n e w product range was designed. Jawaja is a small village block in Rajasthan,
• Inspiration for patterns was sought from with a population of approximately 80,000
the history of blue pottery and Mughal in 1975. It was the first major institutional
architectural and decorative styles. project that N I D undertook in partnership
with IIM(A), in August 1975; it w a s then
• The existing moulds, with a few changes, steeped in age-old customs and its residents
were used to develop the n e w forms. followed traditional strictures on caste, oc-
cupation, livelihood and gender. Termed the
• Colours were adapted and their usage
'Rural University' by Prof. Ravi J. Matthai,
extended.
Jawaja was an effort to link action groups that
• The products manufactured were costed, would deal directly with rural development
priced and m a d e available for marketing. and academia. The work was initiated by a
group of faculty and students from N I D and
• M e a s u r e m e n t techniques were intro-
IIM. Though this project did not start out as
duced for the standardization of raw m a -
an experiment in craft development or in de-
terials.
sign, craft turned out to be the window of de-
To eliminate the problem of iron content in velopment opportunity, and designers
the quartz powder, a simple and inexpensive emerged as the most effective and trusted
apparatus, which could be m a d e by local communicators because they could work
blacksmiths, was designed. with their hands.
tionally acceptable forms of academic ac- and financial inputs are. People m u s t learn
to design projects, that tivities. to help themselves, to help others, to help
oftnnng to tm the de- their community, a n d to help other c o m m u -
velopmental models • There are m a n y other agencies, both gov- nities. Self-reliance a n d mutuality are basic
baseden thetzmmunMy: ernmental and private, that have been cre-
to the idea of the Rural University.' Ravi
participatory approach, ated for action, a n d have this as their pri-
Matthai {The Rural University: The Jawaja
rattier than the tradl* m a r y objective.
Experiment in Educational Innovation, P o p u -
tional assumption that
'we'knQwbe&tr anew» • Academic faculty have not been recruited lar Prakashan, 1985, p . 10) T h e aim w a s to
consequence mtefy took for their action capabilities, a n d should m a k e the villagers self-reliant a n d outside
at end for altenwtive& not duplicate these efforts a n d so dissi- interveners dispensable, gradually but as
Several development pate limited resources o n inappropriate soon as possible.
agencies had been us- and ineffective operations.
ing this approach for 1. All activities w e r e to b e based o n local
many years M dealing • It w a s also asserted that the experiences physical resources.
with Issues of empower- thrown u p during such experiments m a y
ment it was tried out at 2. The ideas were to b e generated by the vil-
b e restricted to personal experiences,
Jawap in a craft context lagers themselves, with the experi-
without the methodological rigour re-
and thenphMd up as an menters acting as catalysts.
approach by other indi- quired of research a n d experimentation
viduals and AIGQs over in their accepted academic sense. 3. T h e activities were to b e decentralized as
the years. "The Rural far as possible, with only s o m e craft pro-
The counter argument w a s that in both insti- cesses d o n e at a centralized location.
Jawaja Inspired NGOs tutions resources w e r e indeed spent o n
consultancy a n d research. T h e difference 4. T h e educational system w a s to b e c o m e
the Tata-Dfmn Academy here w a s that the 'client'—a village c o m m u - the supplier of skills.
In Madurai. It has be-., nity—could not afford design service. T h e 5. The activities were to be aimed at adding
omesomethingofamlte- faculty involved w o u l d have to find the o p - value to the basic local resources, and the
stone In development portunity cost worthwhile in academic terms: added value would be retained by the vil-
thinking and action. the learning that students a n d teachers m a y lagers through their capability and e m -
(there w a s n o guarantee) derive from the ex- powerment.
Replication: The #»« periment, a n d the opportunities to take this
portant point here »as learning into the classroom. 6. T h e villagers were to learn to b e c o m e self-
that all of us learned reliant a n d m a n a g e these activities t h e m -
quickly that the only Premise: T h e Rural University a s s u m e d that selves.
thing you can tepocate? the development of rural India w o u l d occur
perhaps® the effort at not merely through target-oriented plans but 7. T h e pattern in one block w o u l d not nec-
learning. The situation also through the development of its people. essarily b e reproduced in another, but
itself could not te repB- learning (rather than replication) could be
It w a s thought that d e v e l o p m e n t activities
caled. You cannot cm extended.
should b e the vehicle of learning. 'Develop-
bomcopy commmßes;
locations or attitudes. e n t activities without the deep involvement
m 8. T h e aim w a s for the villagers to act as cata-
But you can extend the of people are without foundation. Involve- lysts in spreading the activity to a wider
teaming, taM^gffmm^ m e n t is not susceptible to the imposition of area.
dm of experience and time-bound targets in the w a y that physical
applying it to new situa- 9. In the course of developing n e w activi-
tions. This was a huge ties, the villagers were to learn the techni-
learning, whkà mtsêw cal, managerial a n d social aspects of the
its relevance fh a time n e w activity.
Activities:
23 Helena Perheentupa, a textile designer from Finland, was Head of Textile Design at NID for m a n y years. M s
Perheentupa led die N I D team at Jawaja. She worked witíi the artisans of Jawaja for m a n y years, a m o n g
other projects. She n o w works in Finland.
24 Raigars are traditional leather workers.
25 Local trader and wholesaler.
Designers Meet Artisans
,-00l^n v _ _
• S o m e Points of Analysis
• Achievements
have shared and have learned together, and b e c o m e trainers at the n e w Indian Institute
have jointly created a n d used learning of Craft and Design in Jaipur.
spaces. They learned technologies, h o w to
• Issues to be Considered
m a n a g e their affairs, h o w to create bridges
of mutual help b e t w e e n individuals a n d A n issue that remained unresolved in Jawaja
groups. They learned about institutions and is the involvement of w o m e n craftspeople.
processes, which will enable t h e m to estab- The w o m e n do half the work involved in the
lish links with the world beyond their i m m e - craft processes, but the artisans d o not ac-
diate environment. They learned about ur- count for that in their costing and pricing. D o
ban and metropolitan markets, about sup- they even pay them for the work that is done?
ply and d e m a n d , about products, design and Earlier, there were n o w o m e n m e m b e r s in
pricing. They learned h o w to cost their ac- the Jawaja Weavers' Association. This attitude
tivities and keep accounts, about financial reinforces the stereotype of w o m e n as being
institutions and the banking habit. They also 'technologically incapable', thus ensuring
learned about their o w n immediate circum- that technology itself remains socially
stances, their economic vulnerability, the gendered.
pressures of caste a n d social customs, the
structures and processes of social, economic, The 'sanctity' of tradition? Before we start giv-
political a n d religious systems, a n d h o w ing people lectures about their ancient tradi-
these systems influence their lives. T h e y tions, let us ask what is in it for them to stay on
learned the value of working together. with the tradition. In the case ofJawaja, many
of the heritage problems for leather workers
- Ashoke Chatterjee were things that they wanted to run away from.
Their caste elders told them that they must not
be identified as leather workers, that they must
have some other identity. When they stopped
flaying animals, they were left stranded with-
out raw material, but with an old, persistent
identity. We often look at tradition and hered-
ity as one exquisite artefact, but for them it was
a centuries-old discrimination. What we can
thepurneytoWDês arnaffyand mther daunting, )
do is to encourage young persons who want to
stay within their tradition to do so—not by
making it a burden, or imposing it at the cost of
their own progress as human beings, but rather
by supplementing this progress through their
tradition. Why should artisans not be able to
have an option of also becoming accountants
and computer operators? Interventions should
not make them think that there is something
Ripple Effect: Earlier in the project, an obli-
inherently wrong with wanting to shift out of
gation w a s imposed o n the artisans to train
craft.
others. They were required to teach artisans
in another village what they themselves had Self-reliance also proved to be a concept much
been taught. This w a s not easy as the arti- more difficult than we had imagined. We our-
sans had to cross caste and other social bar- selves who were so dependent on the support
riers. N o w they have b e c o m e part of a train- of a range of systems were expecting the raigars
ing p r o g r a m m e for income-generation ca- and weavers to be 'self-reliant'. Can any of us
pacity building at the rural level in Rajasthan. ever achieve self-reliance? Perhaps what we
M a n y of t h e m are n o w recognized as train- can achieve is the ability to do for ourselves
ers. N I D has also r e c o m m e n d e d that they tomorrow things which others are doing for us
26 The Taj Mahal Hotel, M u m b a i (earlier Bombay) is part of a luxury hotel chain in India.
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
• In Retrospect
27 Craft Revival Trust (CRT) is part of a m o v e m e n t working towards the revitalization of Indian crafts. Its concerns
include the creation of an information infrastructure for craft, artisans and design.
28 Dhurrie: aflatcotton-weave floor covering.
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
• StudyArea
• Objectives
• Observations • Recommendations
W h y has he not benefited from the technological • Exposure to living alone in another part
interventions made in thefield,even though he is of the country outside the security of the
aware of them? What has brought the craft to its campus, and/or the parental or guardian
present state? Is it the competition from cheaper home.
and more durable Industrial products, or the com-
petition from other, simitar crafts, or is it the result • Exposure to a methodology of data col-
of the artisan's incompetence? A similar craft is flour- lection and fieldwork, which so far had
ishing at another duster. Then why is it dying in the been purely academic.
place where it originated? What insecurities made
• A learning experience in h u m a n relation-
the artisan's family keep the technique a secret? Is
ships with artisans at w o r k ; a b a r o m e t e r
this the reason behind the craft's decline? Had there
of personal maturity in empathizing with
been more artisans practising the craft in Delhi,
a n d sensitively reflecting o n the situation
would the situation have been better? What Is it
that needs to be dore now? faced b y artisans a n d their c o m m u n i t i e s .
There is demand for blue pottery, which is evident • Understanding the issues at stake for the
from the flourishing craft clusters in Rajasthan. W W » artisans in taking time off from a regular
the adoption oftead-freegtazes, is design develop- working day to explain processes and
ment the answertothe problem? Wilt the artisan be making prototypes or samples for the
able to relate to the new contemporary designs in design part of the project, and their
the same way as he does to traditional designs? expectations of what all this investment
H o w does one preserve or enhance the craft's iden- of time and knowledge sharing will bring
tity if it does not suit market demand? What ts more to them.
important—the craft or the artisan's livelihood?
This offers a more intensive format of learn-
The survival of the blue pottery of Delhi calls for ing than any other because it involves people
strategic policies and immediate steps. Otherwise, and real-life problems. This 'reality check'
this craft will be tost forever.
experience can actually translate into an un-
- Aarö Yadav derstanding of the w a y in which 'other'
people in the same country live, and an ap-
preciation of their needs, aspirations, and
STUDENT-ARTISAN INTERAC- dreams. T h e craft exposure course can,
TIONS AND INTERVENTIONS therefore, be a catalyst that can send link-
ages and connections spinning off in all
• Student Interventions: The Debate
directions. If handled properly, it can be
The debate about the validity and meaning the pivot u p o n which the student's entire
of student interventions—both for product perception of design as a profession can
development and craft documentation—ex- turn.
Case Studies: The Indian Initiatives
SHORT-TERM STUDENT-
ARTISAN DESIGN INTERFACE
• A n Analysis
However, there are people w h o argue that a • Widening of the product range
'field' experience should not be mandatory,
at least not withoutfirstestablishing whether • Artisan's exposure to a n e w w o r l d / n e w
the student actually wants to go into this field. markets and to the design profession
This argument is based o n the premise that • Designer's exposure to the artisan's world
perhaps not everyone possesses the inter-
est, temperament, or ability to work effec- • Questions/Limitations/Suggestions
tively in the field, in an environment that is
• At the end of the interface, one gets n e w
very different from what they are used to. In-
products, but does one also get a change
teraction with artisans is seen as an extremely
in the understanding or mindset of the
specialized activity, requiring several at-
artisans? H o w does one quantify a
tributes: sensitivity, curiosity, the ability to
changed understanding of design and an
empathize, to keep an open mind, to eschew
increased confidence in the artisan's abil-
preconceived notions. To be effective, stu-
ity to design?
dent-designers need to be able to c o m m u n i -
cate meaningfully with the artisans, respect • The ability to process design, technique
their skills, understand their limitations and and skill is not enough. The capacity for
engage with them in an interactive format. designing must necessarily be an inher-
Not every good student-designer, aver some, ent attribute.
can be a craft designer. For those w h o hope
to be, this is thefirstexposure towards a ca- • A training p r o g r a m m e must start with a
reer direction. For others, it is Indian educa- basic outline. A good outline should be
tion in the best sense. supported by a sound and progressive
approach. T h e approach should be an
There are certain methods of developing the a m a l g a m of learning drawing elements
students' ability of working in the field. T h e from adult pedagogy, from the artisan, and
institutes need to train and prepare them for from changing market needs. It should
undertaking fieldwork. It would also be also reflect concerns about social, politi-
worthwhile for students to undertake a recce cal and ecological issues, and should en-
before committing to a project; perhaps to compass the notions of stewardship, c o m -
visit the place for two or three days to see the munity welfare, social dignity and well-
area and familiarize themselves with the m a - being.
terial, technique and context, and then to
decide whether they really want to do the • T h e interaction should be based o n the
project or not. There should necessarily be a conviction that it will be a two-way learn-
dialogue with the artisan, w h o should b e ing process. Group activities and discus-
asked h o w he/she wants the interaction to sions should be organized for arriving at
be positioned in order to create value from a shared understanding of the important
it. The critical factor is the preparation re- issues, by clarifying, describing and
quired for an important exposure. contextualizing them.
Designers Meet Artisans
the private sectors, and between social causes To promote ecological awareness and en-
and commercial brands. courage the sustainability of natural r a w
materials for the sector.
To enhance the country's image, to raise the
craft sector's public visibility, to dignify T h e proposed objectives are achieved
artisanal/craft activities, and to emphasize through the following strategies: adopting
both traditional values and n e w contempo- design preservation and innovation; pursu-
rary expressions—these are some of the chal- ing resource management and international
lenges faced every day by the Artesanías de cooperation; maintaining the sustainability
Colombia. The growth of the craft sector is of natural resources for the craft sector; i m -
one w a y of sustaining productive employ- proving and enhancing the image of the C o -
ment, generating n e w sources of work for the lombian artisanal sector in the national and
m a n y people w h o find in the craft traditions international arenas; developing appropri-
a means of creative expression, and foster- ate information systems for the sector, and
ing n e w forms of coexistence and peace- adopting effective marketing policies and
building initiatives. strategies.
• Objectives
4.2 COLOMBIAN DESIGN
To honour the craft traditions, enhance the LABORATORY -
image of the sector, and reinforce and ARTESANÍAS DE COLOMBIA
strengthen national identity.
To link endogenous knowledge, technology, a positive effect on the conditions of the craft
and the artisans' techniques with the use c o m m u n i t y and o n the functioning of the
of n e w technologies in order to introduce enterprise.
into the market products that are represen-
O n e of the activities undertaken by the D e -
tative of the craft tradition and culture of the
sign Laboratory is the work done in rural ar-
country.
eas, carried out directly in the concerned
communities. Another is the generation of
4.3.3 Integral Growth of Human horizontal interactive processes, instead of
Talent vertical ones, in the development of activi-
To strengthen organizational culture and ties pertaining to artisans, during which the
raise quality standards. participants are placed at the same level and
share their skills and experiences.
To contribute to the development of h u m a n
capital with skills-upgrading programmes, as 4.5 METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS
m u c h as for artisans as well as for profes-
sionals, so as to guarantee the sustainability 4.5.1 Creativity Workshops
of the results obtained in all aspects of the
work. A creativity workshop contributes to the ex-
change of knowledge, guided by the designer,
aimed at stimulating the artisan's creativity,
4.4 THE W O R K DYNAMIC IN beginning with his or her surroundings. It is
THE DESIGN LABORATORY an effective tool because it leads to high level
T h e Design Laboratory's goal is achieved results of a high level, bringing about prod-
through the adoption of dynamic processes uct achievement as well as the artisan's ac-
and efficient and effective methodologies. tive participation in the process of change.
The work is interdisciplinary in nature, based Creativity workshops are intended for a
on the structuring of teams including profes- group of artisans from the same craft tradi-
sional and craft criteria, so that it comple- tion, and are planned with the purpose of
ments the process of product development creating a n d recreating craft products
and production and marketing activities. collectively, strengthening identity-based
values, encouraging the imagination and cre-
The designers work in teams formed o n the ativity of the group, teaching the artisans to
basis of each craft. This generates efficiency deal with the realities of the market, and ad-
since the designer is not alone in the task of dressing the subject of personality develop-
realizing the assigned project. A n y doubts ment.
that might arise as far as technical, formal,
and aesthetic areas are concerned, or regard- During these workshops, the artisans discuss
ing the actual functioning of the process, are their doubts and uncertainties, technologi-
evaluated jointly through coordination meet- cal limitations, ideas about market appraisal,
ings. This procedure leads to results that have and their surroundings a n d environment
with the aim of producing creative work as a
team, with the designer's assistance.
Case Studies -
Artesanías d e Colombia:
The Design Laboratory
Designers Meet Artisans
All the work for the first collection, Casa Living room, exhibition of a line of cotton and wool
Colombiana 2002 (Colombian House 2002), cushion covers
Case Studies - Artesanías de Colombia: The Design Laboratory
The forms are also based on elements re- • Employ a c o m m o n theme in the concep-
lated to the theme and concept of the collec- tual development of the collection:
tion. - Establish an entry point (coffee flower
• Design Strategies and bean)
- Analyse markets and competition for • Use raw materials and gain a better u n -
derstanding of their qualities and charac-
trends according to the market niche
teristics:
- Redesign products
- Gather and classify existing informa-
- Safeguard existing successful products tion o n the subject
- Consult the commercial contacts in the
list of existing providers in order to in-
volve t h e m in the Production Chain
Programmes.
- Each designer should prepare a writ- Proposals were prepared for each space: gar-
ten proposal describing his/her abili- den, living room, dining room, kitchen, study,
ties and strengths for the purpose of bedroom, and bathroom.
achieving a better distribution of du-
ties and assignments within the design T h e Design Laboratories of Armenia and
group. This report should include de- Pasto followed the process along with the
tails regarding the individual's design Design Laboratory of Bogotá; they presented
speciality, materials handled, and their proposals based on the craft materials
knowledge of the same. and techniques peculiar to their regions.
enced by the kinds of raw materials avail- Apart from enjoying the display, visitors also
able in the country. These include different place orders. Surveys are carried out every
kinds of w o o d ; guadua (a type of b a m b o o day to gather information about enquiries
found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela); m a d e by visitors regarding products, prices,
vegetable fibres (wicker, pita fibre, banana purchase motivations, and the economic
fibre, iraca, esparto grass, sugarcane); cotton, strata to which they belong. This informa-
wool, and silk; ceramic; leather; ivory; nut tion is collected in order to create consumer
palm; bone; coconut; copper and other met- profiles and hence cater to their needs with
als; rocks, etc. more precision and care.
• Work in the Communities At the end of the fair, and based on the vol-
u m e of sales m a d e , a rigorous evaluation of
O n c e the items to be produced have been
the collection is done to identify factors that
chosen and the materials and techniques
need to be improved or corrected.
have been selected, the communities that are
to be assigned the work are determined.
5.2 Case Study: Guadua (vari-
According to their work profiles and areas of ety of bamboo native to
specialization, the designers travel to differ- Colombia, Ecuador, and
ent regions to follow up the work directly with Venezuela)
the concerned artisans.
• Geographic location: Quindio, Risaralda,
W h e n working with artisan communities it and Caldas districts
is important to keep in mind that the work
must be interactive and should be respectful • Trade: Working with guadua
of traditional methods. T h e design propos- • R a w material: Guadua
als should be technically feasible, and the
artisans should be able to appropriate them • Historical a n d Socio-economic Back-
in order to ensure the completion of produc- ground
tion and achieve a commercially viable re- Since 1985, Artesanías de Colombia has been
sult. organizing counselling and training sessions
During this stage, prototypes are prepared through the Design Laboratory of Armenia
and technical instructions are given for the aimed at product development in different
products, which are sent to the head office of handicraft trades. In the coffee-cultivating
Artesanías de Colombia. regions of the country, the tradition of work-
ing with guadua has existed for so m a n y years
The prototypes are analysed by the Techni- that it has n o w become a permanent m e a n s
cal Committee, which makes the necessary of subsistence for m a n y workshops and for
assessment. O n c e these recommendations the m a n y people w h o work there.
are approved, the Commercial Department
places orders to ensure sufficient availabil-
ity of stock at the event.
In these regions, there are m a n y kinds of ar- sans did not earn what they deserved for their
tisans' workshops, which employ different work.
techniques of handling guadua and create a
The costs and prices calculated by the work-
variety of original and utilitarian products.
shops were based more on the emotional and
The Design Laboratory of Armenia has been
sentimental factors attached to their prod-
working with artisans from the coffee-culti-
ucts rather than on factors such as the actual
vating regions since 1998. Their work is fo-
time involved, the cost of raw materials, and
cused o n trying to market guadua products,
all other components of production costs,
sold normally only o n a local level (where
that is, the variables that ensure that the sale
their only displays are at local fairs) and on a
of products is profitable and productive.
national level, with the eventual possibility
of being exported. Moreover, the workshops did not promote
their products in any way, and since they did
• Related Products: Problems and Solu-
not k n o w the processes involved in deter-
tions
mining the actual cost, the rise and fall in
After the earthquake o n 25 January 1999, prices depended completely o n what the
Artesanías de Colombia S.A., with the sup- buyer was willing to pay for a particular craft
port of the Corporation for the Development item. In the majority of cases, these p r o m o -
of Small Industries, began holding a fair ex- tions and sales usually gave the buyer the
clusively for the craft workshops located in advantage, since he/she would get an excel-
Guadua raw material the coffee-growing areas, in the 'Plaza de los lent handicraft at a price that often did not
Artesanos', in Bogotá. The intention was to even cover the basic fabrication costs.
help craftspeople w h o were in some way af-
The handicrafts produced in these work-
fected by the catastrophe. Thanks to this ini-
shops are influenced by the nature of the
tiative, the Colombian Design Laboratory for
market, the environment, and the low prices
Crafts (CDLC) was able to carry out a census
of the products o n which most workshops
and survey of the affected workshops in the
depend. The products cater primarily to re-
region, with the aim of linking these
gional and tourist markets, to customers with
craftspeople to this fair, and hence giving
low purchasing power, hence with little ag-
them the opportunity to market their prod-
gregate value being attached to their design
ucts at extremely low costs.
and utility. Generally speaking, the products
C D L C began an intensive training progra- lack quality and their finish leaves m u c h to
m m e for the craftspeople to ensure that mar- be desired, at least in the minds of buyers.
keting efforts would be successful. Training
• Development of the Counselling Ses-
and counselling sessions o n product diver-
sions
sification, creating product lines, improving
quality, costing, and natural finishes a m o n g C D L C worked with the guadua workshops for
other topics were held, along with creativity three years at the fairs in the coffee-cultivat-
workshops to generate n e w proposals and ing regions. During this time, activities di-
identify alternatives for the use of guadua. rected towards improving four basic aspects
of handicraft production were carried out:
The pricing 'strategy' of guadua products is
generally focused o n the regional tourist 1. At the costing level, the artisans of the
market. D u e to this, handicrafts m a d e in these workshops received training and techni-
workshops are sold at relatively low prices cal assistance from the designers at C D L C
(between 5 and 10 U S D ) given the nature of in the basics of costing, which allowed
the market, the fabrication time, and the size them to understand clearly their costing
of the piece. However, the majority of work- structure and organize their accounting
shops did not possess the proper methodol- system. They also learned h o w to deter-
ogy of calculating product costing, and there- m i n e their break-even rate for any n e w
fore the determination of a sale price was project being considered, and to calculate
quite inaccurate. The result was that the arti- the internal rate of return on their invest-
Case Studies - Artesanías de Colombia: The Design Laboratory
ments. Most importantly, they learned sales, quality, and efficiency. In this way,
h o w tofixproper prices, which would ben- through an interaction between design-
efit both the workshops as well as the buy- ers and artisans, C D L C has proposed vari-
ers. ous n e w product lines targeted at the high-
est segments of the market in the most
2. Similarly, by introducing a costing struc-
efficient manner. They will preserve the
ture for their products, the artisans became
traditional identity of the craft, which
aware of the need to reorganize their work-
originated in the municipality of Salento,
shops and review the m a n n e r in which
a reputation based on the artisans' dex-
they carried out the various tasks involved
terity and skill in working with guadua;
in production. This realization prompted
they will improve the quality of the prod-
the artisans to revise the distribution of
uct with regard to the raw materials used
their production processes and rearrange
and the finish of each piece. Similarly, the
the physical plan of their work space, since
design of each product has been carefully
the costing methodo-logy necessitates a
planned so as to cater directly and effi-
clear identification of each and every ac-
ciently to the needs and tastes of the mar-
tivity or step involved in obtaining the fin-
ket.
ished product. They were also trained in
industrial security n o r m s pertaining to • Impact
each activity, guaranteeing the well-being
Year after year, these activities have led the
of the artisans. This led to the proper and
workshops to achieve sustained growth rates
efficient organization of the production
of sales, averaging 22 per cent annually. This
process.
growth has allowed s o m e workshops access
3. Thanks to the commercial events held by to better equipment for production, which
Artesanías de Colombia S A in Bogotá, the has led to a noticeable improvement in the
handicraft workshops have been exposed quality of life of the artisans, and o n the
to the tastes and trends of the most cos- whole, to a significant development of their
mopolitan and contemporary market in trade.
the country. This has resulted in the need
to emphasize design as the fundamental 5.3 Case Study: Ethnic Furni-
m e a n s of remaining competitive in the ture Collection: Innovation
craft market. Bogotá specifically is the only and Improvement of C o m -
place in the country that attracts a clien- petitiveness
tele with high purchasing power, but w h o
at the same time d e m a n d craft products • Name of group/community: Wooden
of an international standard. handicraft sector
4. Hence, design intervention and the devel- • Geographic location: Pasto - Nariño
opment of n e w C D L C products have be- • N u m b e r of people in the group: 34 small
c o m e the most important means of help- industries
ing the workshops in improving their
• Trade: W o o d carving, basketry, hat m a k -
ing, horizontal-loom weaving
w o m e n spun cotton and sisal to weave blan- day craft market due to two factors:first,the
kets, sashes, belts, and bags. n u m b e r of local pieces is limited to the re-
quirements of the local people themselves,
After the Spanish introduced sheep in the
and caters to a small local market; and sec-
region, the indigenous people began using
ond, the considerable weight of the products
wool. In the south of Colombia, weaving was
due to the manner in which the wool is spun.
a supplementary activity for agricultural
workers, and was specifically an activity for A primary analysis of the potential of the fab-
w o m e n . The w o m e n contributed to house- rics, and their possible application in deco-
hold income by selling blankets, mainly to rative objects, was conducted with the inten-
pay the taxes imposed by the Spaniards. tion of expanding the market. The investiga-
tion attempted to find different uses for the
During the colonial period, this trade was products while maintaining the techniques
considered a domestic activity. It was only in and materials already in use.
the nineteenth century that textile weaving
began to be recognized as a technique, and The counselling sessions began with a search
in the twentieth century it became an impor- for diversification by developing decorative
tant industry in the country. items, transforming heavy shawls into rugs
and designing cushions, table runners,
There are close to 8,000 indigenous people throws for chairs and sofas, upholstery for
in the region. At present, artisanal weaving furniture and cloth, which, w h e n combined
as an ancestral tradition is preserved prima- with leather, could be used for handbags and
rily by w o m e n , and their knowledge is passed wallets for the contemporary lifestyle m a r -
d o w n from generation to generation. kets as well as fashion shows like the C o -
lombian Identity Catwalk held at the 2004
The region has been affected by coca culti-
Milan M o d a D o n n a .
vation, and Artesanías de Colombia in a joint
effort with the United Nations International The launch of thefirstcollection was held at
Drug Control Programme took the initiative the Artesanías de Colombia headquarters in
to rescue the traditional trades and values of 1991. T h e products have remained in the
the communities, and create sustainable market, and the company still lends its sup-
employment and income-generation alter- port to these communities. S o m e artisans
natives to improve the conditions of the lo- have received awards such as the Medal for
cal people. Handicraft Mastery granted by the company,
and recently one of the weavers had the op-
• Related Products: Problems and Solu-
portunity to travel to Milan during Fashion
tions
W e e k 2004.
Even before beginning the manufacture of
• Development of the Counselling Ses-
related products, this project sought to ex-
sions
pand the economic possibilities of the weav-
ers as an alternative to the cultivation of il- Counselling sessions were conducted in the
licit goods. The revival of the handicraft trade community as follows:
began in 1988, so that the techniques, raw
• Revival of handicraft k n o w - h o w , 1988
materials, and traditional products would
again b e c o m e part of the community: from
the guanga (vertical loom) c a m e n e w forms
of traditional items like ponchos, shawls, and
sashes. T h e sashes are used like belts and
employed primarily by w o m e n to wrap their
newborns and carry them o n their backs.
• Impact
• Technical assistance for products pre- 5.6 Case Study: San Agustín
viously diversified, 1993, 1994 Municipality
• Theory of colour and the use of colour in • N a m e of the g r o u p / c o m m u n i t y : San
products with industrial dyes, 1995 Agustín Community, District of Huila; in-
• Introduction of the concept of product cludes the El Estrecho del Magdalena,
lines and the manufacture of product Obando, and Cabecera Municipalities
lines, 1996 • Geographic location: San Agustín Munici-
• Production stages of product lines, 1997 pality, Department of Huila, central-east-
ern region
• Industrial dyes for wool, and the m a n u -
facture of n e w product lines, 2001-02 • N u m b e r of people in the group: 50
craftswomen
• Production of fabrics for the Colombian
Identity fashion show, 2003-04 • Trade: Weaving o n a vertical loom or
guanga; based o n indigenous tradition
• Products Resulting from the Technical
and heritage
Assistance Provided
• R a w materials: Banana and pitafibreand
• Rugs, table cloths, table runners, cushion
yarn
covers, and scarves, 1989
management and extraction of the material • Workshop o n natural dyes, using materi-
on a national level; it was the sole producer als of the region.
until only a few years ago. Nevertheless, San
• Research for compiling a record of the
Agustín continues to occupy the primary po-
trade and a study of the weaving practices
sition in terms of the production and m a n u -
concerning banana and pita fibres o n the
facture of banana-fibre handicrafts.
vertical loom.
This craft occupies a significant place in the
municipality, and the w o m e n weave with • Improving the quality of traditional crafts:
great skill. It offers them a source of extra in- finely w o v e n place mats, thickly w o v e n
c o m e as well as a w a y to be self-sufficient. bags.
• Related Products: Problems and Solu- • Fine-tuning the dyeing process using in-
tions dustrial anilines and improving the use
of natural dyes.
The traditional products of the region are
table sets, small bags, finely w o v e n souve- • Redesigning craft items and developing
nirs, and pieces in a thicker weave. These n e w proposals, including weaving tech-
products are aimed strictly at the local mar- niques on the loom and crochet.
ket whose internal flow is o n an average ac-
ceptable, despite a fall due to a drop in tour- • Adopting techniques for the special in-
ism in the area. dustrial dyeing of cellulose fibres a n d
developing a colour card to substitute for
The manufacturing process is still entirely the use of anilines.
manual, from the extraction of the fibre to
the spinning (which is mostly done using a • Diversification of production and propos-
spindle), and finally the weaving of the fab- als for n e w product lines.
ric, which is done entirely b y hand. This
m e a n s that the production process is very • Results of the Counselling Sessions
slow, even though neither the selling price • Improving thefinishof thickly woven tra-
nor the use of the product compensates for ditional fabrics
the time spent in production.
• Producing thickly w o v e n fabrics with
The raw material, specifically the pita fibre,
natural dyes
is k n o w n in Colombia for being cheap, which
diminishes the value of the craftsmanship • Producing thickly w o v e n cushion covers
that goes into each finished piece. Banana with banana or pitafibreyarn
fibre more often than not goes unnoticed by
consumers given its similarity to pita fibre, • Producing crocheted cushion covers with
so the two are generally seen as being the same. banana fibre yarn
With these factors in mind, the design coun- • Producing finely w o v e n place mats and
selling sessions were aimed at finding more table runners m a d e from banana or pita
design alternatives that would open out n e w fibre
avenues in the external market. Recently, they
have tried to emphasize the main difference • Producing a line offinelyw o v e n cushion
between this craft and national handicraft covers m a d e with banana fibre
production, that is, involving the use of ba- • Impact
nana fibre.
T h e guided design process has raised the
• Development of the Counselling Ses-
standards of handicrafts, facilitating their
sions
easy entry into markets o n a national level
The sessions began in the 1990s, and are be- and eventually o n a n international level.
ing conducted to date. T h e following out- Consequently, there has been a notable im-
comes have been achieved: provement in the incomes of artisans. Pro-
auction has improved to such an extent that
the craft sector has guaranteed itself a per-
manent position in the municipality.
The 1990s marked the beginning of the b o o m S o m e of the solutions proposed through de-
in contemporary jewellery making in Colom- sign include:
bia. Its pioneers described it as 'an artistic
• A strong need to redesign products to ca-
expression open to n e w materials and a lan-
ter to different market niches. N e w lines
guage more personal than commercial'. The
and collections with innovative forms,
work of pioneering schools like Nuria Carulla
materials, and uses are developed to fa-
has led to the emergence of jewellery as a
cilitate this. In this connection, the need
representation of national identity.
w a s felt for comparing both national as
Currently, the jewellery and metalwork sec- well as international experiences, combin-
tor of Colombia is composed of 65 per cent ing the traditional with the modern, and
m e n and 35 per cent w o m e n between the ages juxtaposing local pre-ferences with a glo-
of 20 and 50; of these, 40 per cent have not bal perspective. I
completed primary schooling, while 30 per
cent have, and the remaining hold technical • The need to collect and analyse data re- I
certificates or university degrees, especially garding potential market d e m a n d , both I
in the capital cities. national a n d international. In order to I
achieve this goal, specialists in fashion I
The techniques used are in the following or- and jewellery were consulted to explain I
der of priority: setting, lost-wax casting, stone and analyse cultural experiences.
setting, engraving,filigree,enamel work, and
w o r k with precious a n d semi-precious
stones.
To propose is to construct something that • With all of the above factors in mind, n e w
does not exist; it is to innovate form and con- lines of quality jewellery were developed
tent, to redefine the appropriation and use for a consumer market increasingly more
of conceptual tools that are the deciding fac- demanding and aware of global trends.
tors for the production of different aesthetic
elements. The designer is committed to the S o m e of the techniques used were:
client, and his product is not determined by • Exhibitions by specialists in Colombian
his personal tastes and ideas; the designer's iconography and national identity
o w n style does not matter because his style
is determined by the market niche to which • Brainstorming without reference to spe-
he caters. cific topics
Case Studies - Artesanías de Colombia: The Design Laboratory
• Undertaking a n exploratory or initial • Putting back the image in its context and
study of different local or national ele- classifying the image typologically
ments with the aim of solving the identi-
• Translating the sketch and applying tech-
nical tests in order to identify possible
flaws in the project regarding the propor-
tions, dimensions, and construc-tion of
the object, and to give it a clear visual rep-
resentation
• T h e conceptual guidelines for the pro- that can be reproduced, along with the
posal technical requirements for this
• Resulting Products
• Impact
Guidelines
Designers Meet Artisans
29 Kala Raksha is a grass-roots social organization working with artisans in the Kutch region of Gujarat.
Designers Meet Artisans
ventive steps to reduce such risks. Crafts vention, Nilam Iyer cites an example of the
using materials like lead have resulted in usefulness of design intervention in the field
health problems for both artisans and of development. There is lack of awareness,
buyers. In Afghanistan, potters from information and exposure. Intervention can
Mexico are assisting artisans to m a k e lead- help in creating awareness a m o n g artisans
free pottery that is acceptable to markets and bringing about exposure that will help
overseas. them to develop their o w n craft.
Intervention to create n e w product lines, Says Iyer: ' W e were very struck by the pro-
provide knowledge of the market and estab- cess of flattening out bamboo, so w e went to
lish n e w market links one place in Manipur first. Their process is
fairly elaborate... Then w e went to Nagaland
Inputs pertaining to markets and market link-
and saw a similar kind of process but m u c h
ages are often necessary where the product
itself has potential but where the artisans less elaborate, which means that a less elabo-
need market exposure and contacts. The fin- rate and less time-consuming process can
ishing of the product, its packaging, delivery, work. . . Then w e went to Arunachal and saw
pricing and quality need to be looked at for an even simpler process. O n e thing that re-
value-addition opportunities. (See case stud- ally struck m e there was that these artisans
ies in Sections III and V.) were not aware of what was happening next
door to them.'
• Designing n e w product lines or enhanc-
ing existing products also creates access The reasons for an intervention could be a
to n e w markets. Most short-term student combination of several of the above reasons
interventions fall into this category. (See and others. However, it is important to
case studies in Section III, 7.1 and 7.3.) define and prioritize these reasons. A tan-
gible set of objectives is necessary for deter-
Intervention to upgrade the artisans' skills mining the scope of the intervention and the
to meet these needs strategies to be used in finding solutions,
which m a y need to c o m e from various
• This involves intervention to upgrade
fronts—materials, technology, marketing
artisanal skills to ensure better access and
and n e w products. For an intervention to
response to market d e m a n d . It can take
succeed, interdisciplinary t e a m w o r k is
several forms: introducing n e w tech-
thus a prerequisite as solutions do not lie
niques like slip casting in terracotta work
in the hands of artisans a n d designers
(see NIFT—CARE—FICCI pottery inter-
alone.
vention in Kutch); upgrading the technol-
ogy already available; introducing con- It is also essential to recognize what an arti-
cepts of/emphasis on quality, pre-cision san gains from the intervention. It is this
and finish; and ensuring exposure to var- knowledge that fuels sustainability.
ied markets and product ranges that the
• Sustainable livelihoods
artisan can access with his/her existing
skills or through upgrading the skills. (See • N e w markets
case study in Section III, N I D and IIM(A)
• Value addition to products
Jawaja project.)
• Exposure/visibility
Intervention for speedy evolution a n d
knowledge • C o m m u n i t y rehabilitation
• To decide the design strategy linking the • Services: government, education, health
identified skills with the identified m a r - care, funding.
kets, to identify the potential and plan the • Legal factors: rights of ownership, fran-
skill-based activity that can be done. T h e chise, inheritance.
artisan's skill base a n d strengths need to
be determined as skill is the leverage that • Geographical factors: land, soil, terrain,
the artisan possesses. Based o n this, other weather.
required inputs—available technology,
• Infrastructural factors: water, transport,
information o n markets and cultural con-
electricity, communications.
text—can be determined.
• Where the project is undertaken by a de- N G O s or other organizations often get Stu-
sign school, involving students and fac- dent Designers to work for them. The focus
ulty, continuing over a time frame that is of the intervention is usually a combina-
not necessarily parallel to the academic tion of marketing considerations and a con-
year. In this case, it is not necessarily the cern for sustaining people's livelihoods; the
same set of students w h o will interact with focus could also be gender equality. (For
the artisans. Rather, the continuity of the example, Kunjan Singh, working as a de-
institutional support to the project and the sign consultant, gave specialized inputs.
design exercise is maintained as a result See case study U M B V S : Kunjan Singh in
of the faculty acting in tandem with the Section III.) The N G O , U M B V S , employed
students. Design schools feel increasingly student interns from N I D ( A h m e d a b a d ,
that any meaningful intervention has to India), w h o adapted the w o v e n range of
be sustained over the long term and that their products for cotton. The pattu designs
it requires regular interaction, and hence were originally d o n e in wool, but this
they are opting for this kind of inter- posed a problem as wool has only
vention. For example, a five-day work- seasonal sales. This intervention resulted
shop conducted by the Srishti School of in year-round sales as well as sales in those
Design for potters in Bangalore (India) is parts of the country w h e r e there is n o
being envisaged as a programme that will winter.
have follow-ups every three to four
months. (See case studies in Section III, The designer-enterpreneur private enter-
6.1, 6.2 and 6.3.) prise model is one in which the artisan has
little to contribute in terms of design, and
• The design school could also undertake uses only his/her skills. Design interventions
the project along with other institutional by professional designers aimed at creating
partners such as government bodies and a product line are essentially focused o n
N G O s working in the sector and/or the meeting a market need/opportunity. In
area selected. If more than one agency is this format, design interventions take place
involved, then the roles of and expecta- in the private sector, where store or boutique
tions from each individual partner need owners could be designers themselves or
to be delineated and defined very care- could hire designers w h o will go out and
fully. The careful selection of partners— design a range of products that will be
local N G O s , village bodies, local leaders, retailed in their shops. This creates different
government bodies, etc.— minimizes du- high-priced products that do not necessarily
plication of effort and allows for the cre- have a large market. These interventions
ation of a synergy that results in an im- are largely driven by market considerations,
pact of greater effectiveness and produc- both export markets and highend niche mar-
tivity. Usually these kinds of design kets.
projects should be part of a larger agenda
of development or livelihoods; in this case, Working with individual artisans o n a one-
the craft intervention is only one aspect to-one basis: These are 'design' inter-
of overall socio-economic development. ventions and documentation exercises
(See case studies in Section III, especially undertaken by students in design schools
the N I D — U M Jawaja Project and the to fulfil academic requirements, which are
NIFT—CARE—FICCI disaster relief project usually restricted to short outreach pro-
in Kutch.) grammes.
Design inputs can b e provided b y indi- • Sometimes the Artisan is the initiator of
viduals working for projects undertaken the design exercise.
Guidelines
agencies and by actual orvffeJd interaction on a pre- _• The designer should also understand the en-
: vironmental, social and cultural traditions
/•psratwry,visit; •.'-, : '^¿-';>':'- ,'.';".
and customs of the artisan community:
• Existing infrastructure: Water, trans- s o m e other seasonal occupation that
portation and communication facilities supplements their income.
; ^ I ^ ^ Ä ' s ^ p s . ' 7hi£«#K*4r fam^an%;on; ' To be relevant, the designer has to respect
the w o r k culture and traditions of the arti-
processes and the abiltty of the artisans to explore san a n d the artisan c o m m u n i t y . All inter-
and deliver distinct products determine the quality ventions, even those of limited scope,
flf'tte',piiäCOB»i '• should e m p o w e r the artisan in s o m e w a y .
T o b e relevant, the a i m s of the designer
should:
Designers Meet Artisans
35 Jasleen Dhamija is a textile art historian and has authored m a n y books on textiles in India and the
' hWn^'o^ptó^Wiiy-impBrtiEti/V';/^'; Middle
.v;-V./.' :
.-Ç'
East. She lives and works in N e w Delhi.
6.4.5 Treating the Artisan as a thus treating t h e m effectively like skilled
Creative Partner, not as labour. M o r e a n d m o r e design inputs
Skilled Labour m a k e the artisans sterile. Designers
should give inputs about the n e w m a r -
It is increasingly felt that m o r e a n d m o r e ex-
kets that are proposed and then allow the
ternal inputs can m a k e the artisan sterile a n d
artisans to innovate and create. They al-
eventually u n d e r m i n e his capacities. T h e r e
ready possesses design capability: 'All that
are t w o w a y s of intervening: long term, to
they don't have is the buyer. They don't
prepare h i m to design; a n d short term, to give
h i m designs a n d products. T h e a p p r o a c h to k n o w the buyer's face, and they also don't
design should b e collaborative rather than have the questioning attitude that the de-
top-down—that is, w h e r e the artisan is c o n - signers have.' T h e designer's brief is to
sidered a n equal partner in the w h o l e pro- communicate the perceived needs of the
cess. Ideally, it is the artisan w h o should set u n k n o w n and unfamiliar market to the
the design brief. artisans.
• Understand the rationale and theory • Ratios: The number of student designers
interacting with a single artisan should not
behind the items developed and the
be greater than two or three as larger n u m -
guidelines laid d o w n .
bers m a y pressurize the artisan.
• Realize the importance of consistency,
• Flexibility and Time Frame: Craft is prac-
including precision, in dimensions
tised most often under flexible condi-
and measurements. This involves the
tions. Artisans follows work methods and
basic ability to use measuring tools
processes that are not standardized but
effectively.
are integrated into their life and c o m m u -
• Realize the importance of schedules nity. It is a way of life. They don't need to
and packaging. learn aboutflexibility.They live it. Arti-
sans are free to evolve their work disci-
• Appreciate the importance of stan- pline according to a convenient time. It is
dardization and quality control in fin- ironical that this very strength is perceived
ishing and packaging. as a weakness and that they are told to
Designers Meet Artisans
6.5.2 Orienting the Artisan While designing products with artisans ¡s an exciting
and enriching activity, the most important aspect of
the work is the relationship between artisan and
Successful artefacts symboHealiy mediate between
designer. Every designer has to reaföe that he or
the relatively stable, mythological heritage of a cul-
she is an intruder in a fragüe economic environ-
ture and thereteövelyfast changing socio-economic
m e n t Artisans in many developing countries m a y
context ofttielreveryday use.
be considered as 'second-class citizens', but this
- Balaram, 1998: p. 45 belies their incredible skills and strengths to survive
in their social position. Artisans are among the fin-
est people on earth, and deserve respect wffiiout
• Explain the function of a n e w product—
deference. Working with m e m is an equal opportu-
customer usage and maintenance—to
nity for both designer and artisan to share creativ-
help artisans relate to it. They can then
ity, not a designer engaging an artisan.
visualize the use of the product. Potters in
- John Baltyn3*
Bangalore, during a Srishti School of Art
and Design project o n design develop-
37 John Ballyn, an industrial designer, has worked extensively in the U K , South Asia, East Asia and Africa.
6.5.3 Developing a Product core that lies behind the tradition. The pro-
USP (Unique Selling cess of adaptation should take place over a
Proposition) long period.
«•••••••inaai^MBPHnnaiiMpippipa
Wfs-aiè W q f In IrtÉa to h a » Aies» fid»&#Ä>ns f
wfttóh ttäse their bwge dftsisw^ oí desiso ftotfis,
. of usage, shapes, colour combinations, and all that.
: W e shot« t a f c e ^ m » S I H ^ pofr*. ; éiïisi «¿War ' p $ ^ t é ^ H | ^ ^ s ; " , A i ^ í á É ¿ ^ i i A ; :
The final product should reflect the identity -; {%&$ mí sftórtj "tóí;«te|^teít^Aií«wfe aggài^
of the place of origin, its o w n niche and its
o w n USP. The artisan's work has always had
a distinctive local identity since the materi-
als and the tools used, and the skills e m -
ployed, are indigenous. Design interventions , 'î^^# Seegaia; Úi0M^^^':0%^0^$':
have to be done keeping in mind the U S P of
the craft as well as the identity and back-
ground of the artisan community involved. Understand existing, that is 'traditional',
It is necessary to avoid copying between colour palettes and w h y these are used be-
crafts as this results in a lose-lose situation fore introducing n e w colours.
for all. Understand existing, that is 'traditional', m o -
It is very important to keep each interven- tifs and designs and the underlying bases for
tion separate, unique and appropriate to the these before introducing n e w motifs and de-
peculiar aspects of the craft. For example, a signs.
special feature of Punjab's phulkari embroi- Attempt, whenever possible, to create n e w
dery is the use of two or three shades of yel- designs using variations o n or adaptations
low. Thus, initial interventions should be of existing design bases.
based o n this tradition since this is one of
the core characteristics of the craft. The inter-
vention or strategy naturally cannot remain 6.5.5 Dealing with Materials
static, and nor does it need to. In the case of and Processes
U M B V S , the designer took the essence of the Use eco-friendly raw materials that are lo-
colours and motifs that were characteristic cally available or easily accessible as this
of traditional pattus and used this for m o d - makes a craft more sustainable. Also, substi-
ern-day products; the designer also intro- tute locally available raw materials for mate-
duced weaving with cotton yarn. The inter- rials not easily available. This has to be kept
vention was a great success. In a country with in mind while making design inputs; there is
so m a n y w o v e n textiles, this n e w look w a s little point in a student designer adding beads
completely distinct. N o w , after m o r e than a to embellish a product if the artisan cannot
decade, the artisans themselves are reinvent- access the beads easily and inexpensively;
ing products based o n market trends. T h e the input is then not sustainable.
initial niche was created by using the distinc-
tive signature of pattu weaves, which contin- Eliminate hazardous raw materials. The de-
ues until today. signer m u s t also share information about
whether a particular material is hazardous,
and if so, then introduce technology or take
6.5.4 Tradition and Adaptation preventive steps to resolve the problem. For
It is important to adapt design elements for example, a critical design intervention in tex-
n e w crafts without destroying the cultural tiles has been the banning of Azo dyes, which
are hazardous to health, and the requirement provide n e w finishes, looks and improved
that designers and technologists think of al- quality.
ternative dyes.
Take steps to deal with and eliminate haz-
Keep in mind the seasonal availability of raw ardous processes.
materials. In the U M B V S intervention, the
change of the base material from wool 6.5.7 Sustainability
(seasonally available) to cotton (available
all year round) w a s a dramatic input as the
products could be sold all year round in the
country.
38 Neelam Chibber, a trained designer, is Director, Industree Crafts Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India
Guidelines
The designer should be linked to a market or vent us from recognizing that design and
a retail system, otherwise he/she will not feel product development are essential. remain, Pmbapsthetmst
responsible for his/her actions a n d deci- importantet'theseisthe
sions. Bhola Nath, a carpet weaver from challengeof'marketing;
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), says that artisans AdesigtteF was gjyen"'» t ^ t e w o r & v A i ^ í É A understanding the dome-
expect knowledge of marketable products as Sourctngtímfabric was a 1* (fMpKiie liai some stic and overseas needs
fabric developed in contrastíng warp and weit &$»
an input from designers. Several artisans w h o
tSafly, Öie artisans thought thatftw a s very ëtàsp andacquiring the afáttEy
were interviewed said that they saw design-
fabric as it was sheer. Stawfy, ncMseveç, #?ey real* to satisfy äemand in a
ers as a 'window' to markets and marketable marketthat" grows m u m
¡zed ötat embroidering on ekxiafefar easier and
products. Ikhtiar Ali, a bell maker from Jalesar competitive with each
quicker, andttsoon became the ipösfcppuor basé
(Uttar Pradesh), observed that though 'all passing day. The aUfíty
fabric. The designer tombfoed these: ^fe^gannirís
learning is important, market information is to flourish within this
wpï^s^sourcedfroïïiJâlfAfl*; the deserts víftff
primary'. Learning about 'outside d e m a n d ' reality mtfst siso be
tesled at an exhibition in 8angat#e and were a adiHewd&f&mmterfflat
is critical to survival. tota* se8*o«t However, km is sTSteÄ to soupee^ "c$n empower artisans,
and embroidery is nofcngerbeing dot® on kse% mWorn ofwhom retrmki
The surface qualities of a product such as its
hence tte inputshave been nulfled. deprived. Ontírntítres-
form, colour a n d texture are widely re-
hofcf of a new cmtury,
cognized concerns of product semantics.
artisans face the need to
Emphasizing the importance of quality, fin- A n example of a mismatch between inten- tooktothe M m e wMfc
ish and packaging to the artisan is necessary tion andfinalproduct is the case of an inter-
for ensuring marketability. vention in embroidery in which the design-
ers were not given a proper brief. quam? of m. M is Ms
The product usage and price should be main-
&at makes (nasa mrk-
tained so as to appeal to the widest possible The N G O involved gives out work to artisans, shops ant meetings so\
market a n d c o n s u m e r base. T h e product w h o sell through exhibitions and bazaars, imfmtwtiMxigítémm,
range should encompass m a n y niches and but w h o do not have facilities for trials and artisans and marketers I
price ranges. for showing and presenting their products. can assist each other frt\
39 A m b a Sanyal is a designer and author w h o has worked with rural communities in craft development and
design intervention.
• Attempt to develop recycled packaging. kets, leaving m a n y of them in a hopeless
situation.
• Look at issues related to import sub-
stitution and fair trade.
6.6.5 Merchandising
6.6.3 Producing for Local/ W h y are our craft products kept in specific
Urban Markets craft shops and government emporia? W h y
• Undertake market research for identify- are they not o n the shop floors of our big
ing customer views and trends. retail chains?
40 Ravindran teaches at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka.
Guidelines
41 Derived from the practical successes in village and cottage industries in India, where over 500 items have
been earmarked that can be manufactured by village, cottage and small-scale industries without competing
with large-sized industries.
• The introduction of improved craft tools • D o w o m e n and m e n have equal access to
and simple machines can help village ar- the skills and training required for the use
tisans to greatly improve their perfor- of the technology?
m a n c e and also help theirfinishedprod-
• C a n the current patterns of control b e
ucts to compete well in the market-place.
changed?
• They require minimal training inputs.
• D o w o m e n o w n land? Does this factor af-
Machines and equipment if not handled
fect the success of the project?
properly a n d operated by experienced
operators cannot produce goods of qual- • D o w o m e n have access to credit? W h a t
ity. To handle them, special skills and implications does this factor have for the
knowledge are necessary, for which inten- success of the project?
sive training is required. Appropriate tech-
• W h o are the decision makers in the vil-
nologies, o n the other hand, are usually
lage? Will this factor affect the implemen-
of a very simple type and are compara-
tation of the project activities?
tively cheap. These can be installed and
operated by local operators with little • H o w has information about the project
training. Maintenance and repair d o not been shared in the c o m m u n i t y ? Are
pose any special difficulty. This is very w o m e n and m e n both aware of the pro-
important in the rural context where trans- posed intervention and related activities?
port and communication facilities are not W h a t are their attitudes towards the
well developed, maintenance costs rise project?
due to distances from industrial centres,
• Is the contribution of w o m e n valued in
and the purchase of replacement parts
terms of cost/price? D o w o m e n share in
from nearby urban centres presents sev-
the earnings?
eral difficulties.
6.7.5 Making Technological
6.7.4 Exploring the Gendered Change Participatory and
Nature of Technology Adaptive
Part of the reason w h y w o m e n are perceived Change existing projects, training courses, or
to be non-technical is because skills are not similar activities to enable the participants to
always regarded as technical. Also, they are include new perspectives. Many training
used in the performance of domestic tasks, courses are designed in a top-down manner or
which m e a n s that they are dismissed as in a way that ignores the skills that participants
' w o m e n ' s work' and are not valued. Special can bring to such programmes. They may be
attention needs to be paid to redefining cul- able to identify modifications that will improve
tural systems in relation to w o m e n . Technol- the sensitivity of the training or other project
ogy, because it is mainly controlled by m e n , activities.
reinforces entrenched cultural taboos rather
Design can be carried out in a participatory
than negating them. Thus, w o m e n continue
way, again offering a bridge between people
to be disempowered by technology. The be-
and technology, allowing control over tech-
lief that w o m e n are technologically inept is
nology, rather than being controlled by it.
so ingrained that it is invisible and ignored.
Designers have a significant part to play in
Design intervention needs to address seri-
h o w technology is used for development.
ously gender concerns of such a nature.
Third World societies, rather than picking and
T h e following questions can help us in as- moulding technology according to their val-
sessing the situation in this context: ues, are being shaped by technology, espe-
cially those technologies that the First World
• D o w o m e n and m e n have equal access to deigns to allow them. This is where design
the resources required for the use of the intervention can prove critical. However,
technology? technological change as a part of design in-
tervention needs to be organic and adap- pressing problem in his craft. The tech-
tive—a process in which the artisan is in- nological input under consideration is a
volved integrally—so that the technological water-harvesting model, on which Srishti
change or adaptation is beneficial and pro- is working.
ductive and not harmful in terms of quality,
S o m e Key Issues for Design Intervention
sustainability and livelihood in the long run.
• First, identify w h o has access to and con-
• Identifying Technical Skills and Inputs trol over the following resources and w h o
a m o n g Artisans: It is important to under- benefits from them: land, capital, labour,
stand what constitutes technology and skills, technology, education, credit sav-
skill a m o n g artisans. Technology is often ings, information and political power. Re-
seen as machinery or hightech objects. m e m b e r that access to resources does not
However, in a broader sense, technology necessarily imply control over them.
is something that helps us to produce
things. It actually does include tools and • Consider where and w h e n the activities
equipment, but in order to produce any- take place, h o w m u c h time they take, w h y
thing w e also need the skills and knowl- w o m e n do s o m e tasks and m e n do oth-
edge to use the tools and equipment to ers, h o w roles and responsibilities are
develop a product. It is important to en- organized on the basis of age and social
able artisans to recognize the value of the groups, and h o w roles and responsibili-
skills needed to do different things, and ties have changed over time.
to begin to identify these skills as tech- • What technologies are being used for what
nology. The view that technology is only activities?
tools, machinery and equipment—that is,
'hardware'—needs to be challenged. The • Which activities are time consuming and
value accorded to certain skills should labour intensive? W h o does them? Can the
also be questioned, for example, is introduction of technology save time, re-
blacksmithing less difficult and valuable duce drudgery, improve health and in-
than dressmaking? (See Case Study in Sec- crease safety? What implications will this
tion III: N I F T — C A R E — F I C C I Disaster have on labour?
Relief in Kutch.) • W h a t will be the impact of the tech-
nological intervention o n w o m e n and
• Organization as a Technical Skill: Pro-
men?
duction processes require organization.
Different tasks have to be carried out in a • Will the introduction of the technology
particular order (planting before weeding, change the existing gendered division of
grinding before oil extraction), and the labour?
labour and other conditions necessary for
• W h o does technology empower? C a n it
carrying out the tasks have to be orga-
promote greater equity? Or can it lead to
nized. Where people have a lot of differ-
disempowerment?
ent things to do in one day (particularly
w o m e n ) , organizing activities around a • Will the project affect basic services and
production process m a y require consid- needs such as water, fuel, and transport?
erable skill. Organization is a part of pro- W h a t will be the impact of these factors
duction and a part of technology. on the lives of m e n and w o m e n ?
In order to organize an exhibition that is at- • the typologies of the forms (straight lines,
tractive to potential buyers, it must be bal- curves), the organization of the pieces into
anced a n d in good taste, a n d this can be patterns (whether the arrangement of the
achieved through a design process that in- objects is repeated, or is symmetrical, var-
cludes: ied, or contrasted);
• Defining the concept from the seller's • the components of the exhibition (colour,
point of view harmony, contrast, light);
• Identifying and defining client potential • the materials needed during the assemb-
• Identifying product lines ling of the exhibition.
Annexures
produce the object; a physical description of
the product's appearance.
Possible •
examination, including texture, size, etc.
QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 1
1. OBJECT/PROJECT
1.1 Description
1.1.2 Shape:.
1.1.3 Measurements:
1.1.6 Use:
1.2 Production
1.3 Observations
QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 2
Crafts category:
2. CRAFT WORKER
2.1 GENERAL ASPECTS
2.1.1 Identification
2.1.2 Definition
2.1.2.1 Years of experience:
2.1.2.2 Initial training Date:- . Person responsible:.
(family or other) Place: - . Length of training:
2.1.2.3 Later training Date:- Person responsible:_
Place :_ . Length of training:
2.1.2.4 Objects m a d e :
2.1.3.4 H a s the craft worker received state aid (financing, training, equipment)?
2.2 E C O N O M I C ASPECTS
2.2.1 Supplies
Track
Road (tarmac)
Train
Navigable river
Airport
Port
TYPE QUANTITY
Per day:
Per week:
Per month:
2.2.3.2 Other expenditure for the same n u m b e r of articles (e.g. hours of work, miscellaneous
expenses):
Banking system | |
Rate of interest:
2.2.4 Commercialization/Distribution
2.2.4.2 Types of customers (intermediaries, direct sale, local, regional, national, foreign):
2.2.4.3 Importance of the various types of customers (in decreasing order of importance and
giving percentages for each, if possible):
2.2.4.7 Does the artisan have a place to display the goods? Yes | | No| |
In the workplace:
Elsewhere (shop, w i n d o w display, airport):
If so, surface area:
2.2.5 Competition
2.2.5.1 Competitors: Local/village, h o w m a n y :
Regional:
National:
2.2.5.2 Are there competing imported products? Give examples.
2.2.6 Taxes
2.2.6.1 Name/Designation:-
2.2.6.4 H o w often:
A m o u n t paid each time:.
Designers Meet Artisans
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