Abstract
Working with craft communities brings into relief the disparities of information, contextual knowledge, and design cultures that skilled craftsmen negotiate daily in an increasingly globalized world with complex routes to market. Within this context, development agencies and academic institutions both foreign and local, contract designers and architects to advise craft communities on how to adapt and engage within the shifting landscape of contemporary consumption. The central issue in these interventions remains their long term sustainability and thus economic capacity building for artisan communities. This paper explores and questions the role of design in the development and sustainability of small-scale enterprises. The presenter examines the value of global thinking and local practice through a series of project case studies that look at different models of work all of which aim to connect traditional craft practices to sustainable futures.
Presenters
Patty JohnsonAssociate Professor | Graduate Program Director, Department of Furniture Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Rhode Island, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Cultural Processes; Globalism; Identities; Heritage Knowledge
