Design 21: Social Design Network

ECUACRAFT Ecuadorian handmade cases for electronics board.

Ecuacraft Board

Mid-Review SPRING 2009

In my Mid-Review session I had a lot of feedback. One of the problems with this feedback is that I got some confuse what way I should take. One of the questions that almost everybody asks me is about PRICE. They wanted to know abut the price of the product because my mission is to make a sustainable economic object and something that is handmade can be to cheap because of the work that it brings. Also is important to know the price of machine, material access durable and economic. Other of the big controversy in my presentation is about the design I decide to make, they look to complicate and that will bring problem with the economic object point. Some people told me about the design of my product, that I have to work more about that, and it has to be simpler. I have to work in different patterns One of the persons told me about put initial in each case, the initial of the artisan one side and my initial in the other side. People will want to know who did it. Other part that I get some comment was in my board, about graphics and the name of the product was hard to understand. Some of the comments were that I have to try other types and colors. Put color to parts that are important, the green color got to think that that part was important.

My mission is to create a sustainable economic model for Ecuadorian artisans that challenges popular attitudes about locally produced product

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In my mid-year review presentation, people were interested about the idea of the combination of traditional craft + the desire of the contemporary consumer, but they were not sure about the Ecuadorian market. They said that they don’t know if Ecuadorian people will be interested on buying this kind of products. They told me that I have to study more the marketing aspect and that I have to think about de development of the products. One of the opinions that I took as helpful was a critique about the aspect market in Ecuador. She told me about the idea to start this market idea in USA and then bring it to Ecuador. She told that American people will value handmade work more than Ecuadorian people and if this product starts selling and gets known in New York or any other state; Ecuadorian people will start buying their own national products. Another opinion that I took as supportive was the idea to tell a history about Salasaca waived or painted on the products. This idea I will considerate it on my thesis project because this could be an attraction not just for Ecuadorian people but for tourists. Another idea they gave me was to put modern history on the products making this more attractive to contemporary costumers. Basically this idea will be wonderful after getting them to know the traditional history about our ancestors. My next step is research more about market aspects and the different ways to make this product better and efficient. Also go to Ecuador and maintain the c...

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Some of similars product that have some caracteristics with my future product.

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The result of this chart I can see that my most important stakeholder are salasaca's artisans and later the audiences are adolencets as my principle target.

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With this Survey I learn the way how some people from Ecuador think about Artisans and Natural Resources. I wanted to know how they think about traditional artisan designs and how they think about make innovative design with traditional products. click here to see the survey result

Explanation about different Ecuadorian Communities and their craft abilities. click her to see artisans-map

NFP: I had a phone interview with Rosa Quinapanta from Salasaca – Ecuador, which is the place I want to work with. She is going to find me more information about Artisan people and products from Salasaca. I have to call her again on Tuesday to get this information; also she gave the phone number of an artisan called Jose Pilla from Salasaca that has more knowledge about artisans and their traditions. She told me that she would go to Salasaca and will try to find me artisans that would like to work on my project; she will try to get emails from these artisans so that it will be much easier to communicate with them and talk about my project. Also she is going to see if there is a NFP organization that I can work with or information as a phone number of the organizations that work with the artisans there. My second step is to call her and also call Jose Pilla on Tuesday and then start sending e-mails with the information and call the organization that they have there, it will be helpful for my research. Next week I will try to get contact the Ecuadorian consulate in Queens. I had a meeting with Cynthia Lawson (Associate Chair – Department of Core Studies, Integrated Design Curriculum at the New School) with Richard and Leah. It was helpful about getting others ideas to market my product as International Fair in Colombia called ProExpo to show to the world the Ecuadorian’s handcraft work. She also gave me a book recommendation that I will read called “Designers Meet Artisans” tha...