This project involves designing a website aimed at connecting artisans with the global market, keeping them informed about current trends. Additionally, it will serve as a platform for local shops to sell authentic Kantha products through the website.
PROJECT BRIEF
A website dedicated to addressing the challenges Kantha artisans face in their craft
Identify the primary challenges faced by Kantha artisans, including economic, social, and technological barriers.
Investigate ancillary references to understand the historic importance and progression of Kantha artwork, along with current programs encompassing craftsmen.
Develop a user-friendly website that addresses the identified challenges and provides a platform for showcasing Kantha art and helping artisans
PRIMARY CHALLENGES
RESEARCH
WEBSITE DESIGN
Paramita Roy and Sattwick Dey Biswas study (Opportunities and Constraints of the Kantha-stitch craftswomen in Santiniketan: a value chain analysis)-
The data revealed that majority of the respondents felt being cheated when they see the kind of economic return they receive in exchange of their extensive work.The designing of the Kantha products are controlled by the contractors to a greater extent.The individual craftswomen are dependent on the contractors for the supply of raw materials more than the craftswomen in the formal group.
97% of the artisans acquired the artisanal skill of Kantha from their family and community members
36% are aware of the online marketing process, the extent of online marketing is very limited as there are factors like illiteracy, inadequacy of proper knowledge to use online platforms.
29% of the artisans do not have social media account
" Kantha becomes a pathway to economic empowerment, providing women the means to generate income independently. "
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Research conducted to understand how the kantha market is working currently
INTERVIEWS
Research conducted to understand how the kantha market is working currently
Most of the participants were working under the master artisans and were not aware of new raw materials and technology. They wanted to strengthen their growth
Technology
01
Kantha artisans often struggle with pricing their products due to various factors such as lack of market knowledge, limited access to fair trade platforms.
Pricing
02
They face challenges with internet usage due to factors like limited access to digital infrastructure in rural areas, lack of familiarity with platforms
Internet Usage
03
Monthly income of artisans were around Rs.1000 - Rs.5000 staying in kaccha houses. Some artisans may have limited skills or experience in their craft, which impact their productivity and the value of their products.
This result in lower earnings compared to more skilled artisans who can produce higher-quality and more intricate pieces.
" Artisans were not aware about the contemporary fashion trend. They may not have access to fashion magazines, websites, or social media"
WHAT PROBLEMS DO THEY FACE ?
Challenges faced by Artisans in Kantha craft sector
The nature of their work, which involves intricate stitching and long hours of sitting in fixed positions, can put significant strain on their bodies.
Kantha artisans faces challenges related to market pricing as they have less exposure to broader market limiting their earning potentials and growth opportunities.
Kantha artisans heavily rely on master artisans for design inspiration and guidance. Due to this reliance, Kantha artisans may find themselves restricted in terms of exploring their own artistic visions and developing unique designs.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
MARKET PRCING
DEPENDANCE
KANTHA KATHA
Threads of Tradition, Stories Woven in Every Stitch
A page will be dedicated for the artisans and about the Kantha craft where the user can learn about how much efforts artisans put to make single product of Kantha and breaking the geographical barriers, allowing artisans to reach customers worldwide who are interested in authentic Kantha products.
FEATURES
Some interesting features that will be included in this website
04
03
02
01
Helping artisans to know about current trends going in the market.
User will get to know more about Kantha and how much effort artisans put.
User can give the feedback to the different products and can tell about what changes can be made.
Even small shops will be able to reach wider audiences through it will be able to place their name in the market.
The website breaks geographical barriers, allowing artisans to reach customers worldwide who are interested in authentic Kantha products.
WIDER REACH
A community of designers, customers and artisans where they can discuss about the current trends
The user can learn about how much efforts artisans put to make single product of Kantha.
If the user is unable to find the product he like he can give the feedback that artisans can make and he has the option of customization also
CURRENT TRENDS
COMMUNITY
BLOGS
CUSTOMIZATION
About Kantha
Feedback
Exposure
USER PERSONA
Analyzing the user from their pain point to motivations
Exposure
MANJUSHREE SAHA
Needs
Motivation
Pain Points
Want to learn new designs.
Like to do the exploration in Kantha
Not getting proper salary according to the efforts.
Not dependent on anyone
Protecting craft of West Bengal
Satisfaction of completing 1 kantha product with full efforts
Less exposure to the customer needs
Not aware of contemporary fashion
Limited technological exposure
Design
Customer demands
Internet
New technique
New raw material
Age - 45 years old
Income- Rs 2,500 per month
Profession- Kantha Artisan
I am
Manjushree Saha
New products are high in demand but they are difficult to make because of less exposure.
Exposure
JUSI KHATUN
Needs
Motivation
Pain Points
Want fair compensation.
Want traditional balance with innovation.
Preserving traditional techniques.
Takes pride in her skills and craftmanship.
Passion for the art of embroidery.
Have to rely on local fair and exhibitions limiting their exposure.
Not sustainable income
Lack of workshop to enhance their skill
Design
Customer demands
Internet
New technique
New raw material
Age - 37 years old
Income- Rs 700 per month
Profession- Kantha Artisan
I am
Jusi khatun
Want more exposure to new and contemporary designs
Exposure
RUPA BAURI
Needs
Motivation
Pain Points
Expanded opportunity to showcase her skill
Want proper Kantha training where she can explore.
Getting support from Kantha community.
Getting opportunity to weave narratives, cultural tales
Lack of innovation.
Seasonal flactuation in demand of Kantha products.
Limited access to online platforms
Design
Customer demands
Internet
New technique
New raw material
Age - 35 years old
Income- Rs 2,500 per month
Profession- Kantha Artisan
I am
Rupa Bauri
Want to develop my skills in Kantha embroidery more.
USER JOURNEY
Let's see what emotions user get while doing different tasks and their pain points
Less exposure to the customer needs
Not aware of contemporary fashion
Limited technological exposure
MANJUSHREE SAHA
Pain Points
Apprenticeship
Traditional apprenticeship program under a master Kantha artisan.
Learning craft through hands on training.
Happy to preserve the cultural heritage by transmitting traditional techniques.
Equipping artisans with valuable skills and experience providing them employment opportunities.
Experimenting with different type of threads, needles and fabrics creating diverse range of Kantha.
Mastering in wide range of materials empower them to personalize and customize Kantha artworks.
Dependent on master artisans for design.
Less opportunity for exploration with design, motifs and materials.
Difficulty in interpreting and executing complex or intricate designs.
Lacking marketing and branding support to effectively promote their products.
Less market exposure and consumer demands.
Not aware of contemporary and modern fashion.
Connecting master artisans from different cultural backgrounds providing a supportive and inclusive learning background.
Embrace digital technologies and online platforms to expand the reach of traditional apprenticeship programs beyond geographical limitations.
Exposure for new technology and materials through campaigns, events.
Forming a community where different artisans where they can share knowledge and experiences about new technologies
A supportive community of Kantha Artisans, Designers, Stakeholders and enthusiasts where they can share knowledge, modern designs and contemporary fashion.
Providing opportunities for Kantha artisans where they can share their ideas also.
Partnering with retailers, boutiques specializing in Kantha products providing exposure and credibility for Kantha artisans.
Leveraging digital marketing strategies and e-commerce platforms can expands artisan’s reach beyond local markets.
Developing their skills through basic stitching skill then mastering in it.
Using different type of needles, threads, fabrics and designs
After developing skill artisans start producing Kantha under Master Artisans.
They get designs and motifs from master Kantha artisans.
Once the production is done artisans give their products in the local market, exhibitions, fair or through online platforms.
Stages
Actions
Happy
Excited
Sad
Not Satisfied
Emotions
Opportunities
Skill development
Production
Marketing
Age :30
Occupation: Kantha Artisan
Location: Birbhum
Earning: Rs. 2500 per month
Lack of innovation.
Seasonal flactuation in demand of Kantha products.
Limited access to online platforms
RUPA BAURI
Pain Points
Apprenticeship
Getting structured learning environment where she can develop her skills in Kantha embroidery.
Happy to preserve the cultural heritage by transmitting traditional techniques.
Equipping her with valuable skills and experience providing employment opportunities.
Excited about learning new skill and taking pride in hercreative achievements.
Refiining her techniques paying closer attention to details resulting in products that stand out for her craftmanship.
Lack of creative freedom for her as she is constrained to what master artisan gives to her.
While producing Kantha products she got hurt in fingers and get back problems.
Struggling to find buyers for their products due to a lack of exposure and limited market channels.
Struggling to adapt changing market trends and facing the risk of technological obscelence.
Even after completing training providing skill enhancement trainings where they can learn innovative methods.
Providing entrepreneurship training along with Kantha so that she can start her own business.
Making them aware about latest trends in design and combinations.
Cultural exchange program where she gain new perspective enriching artistic expression through cross cultural interaction.
Introducing new equipment even in local areas like thimble that can protect their fingers while doing embroidery.
A platform where they have freedom to explore, get new ideation and designs,
Updating Kantha artisans with current market trends, consumer preferences and design aesthetics.
Collaborating with influencers and bloggers to reach new audiences and build credibility.
Providing freedom to explore new ideas, concepts under master artisans.
Helping artisans differentiate their products in a competitive market
Producing Kantha products with the help of master artisans.
Creating motifs following traditional Kantha techniques.
Once the production is done artisans give their products in the local market, exhibitions, fair or through online platforms.
Stages
Actions
Happy
Excited
Frustrate
Not Satisfied
Emotions
Opportunities
Design Exploration
Production
Showcasing
Age :35
Occupation: Kantha Artisan
Location: Birbhum
Earning: Rs. 2500 per month
Have to rely on local fair and exhibitions limiting their exposure.
Not sustainable income
Lack of workshop to enhance their skill
JUSI KHATUN
Pain Points
Apprenticeship
Getting structured learning environment where she can develop her skills in Kantha embroidery.
Happy to preserve the cultural heritage by transmitting traditional techniques.
Equipping artisans with valuable skills and experience providing them employment opportunities.
Design of the Kantha products are controlled by the contractors.
Using the traditional designs in permutation and combination.
Not getting opportunity to explore designs by herself.
Making one Kantha product takes a lot of time to complete.
Not getting exposure of new technologies and making less money in which sustaining daily life is difficult.
Struggling to find buyers for their products due to a lack of exposure and limited market channels.
Have little or no knowledge about market trends.
Doing different workshops where she can get exposure of different designers works.
Organizing workshops in educational institutions that will open up the opportunity for students to learn and to appreciate the value and beauty of Kantha embroidery.
A platform where artisans can get opportunity to explore designs and where they can be made aware of current designs.
Organizing collaborative design sessions where artisans and designers can work together to develop new designs.
Increasing the network for showcasing their work in new markets, increasing the demand and profitability.
Building strong relationships with customers by engaging them through personalized experiences, storytelling, and interactive content.
Collaborations with retail chains, designers, and online platforms can also create sustainable market linkages for artisans, ensuring a steady demand for their products and where they can get review of their products also and can make changes accordingly.
Using variety of traditional Kantha embroidery stitches to make the designs.
Trying to make intricate and detailed designs under the guidance of master artisans.
Production from selecting materials to finishing the embroidered piece after exploring the designs.
Interaction with the customers in exhibitions, local market or fair and getting feedbacks from them.
Stages
Actions
Happy
Sad
Not Satisfied
Emotions
Opportunities
Design Exploration
Production
Feedback
Age :37
Occupation: Kantha Artisan
Location: Birbhum
Earning: Rs. 700 per month
Frustrate
BRAND IDENTITY
Creating it's logo, name and it's tagline to give it an identity
KANTHA KATHA
KANTHA
KATHA
KANTHA KATHA LOGO
MAKING
LOGOTYPE
SPECS
TYPEFACE
Aa
THE LOGO
LOGOTYPE
KEYWORDS
SLOGAN LAYOUT
CONCEPT
COLOR
Needle
Thread
Shop
Stitch
Embroidery
Culture
Handmade
Threads of Tradition, Stories Woven in Every Stitch.
Threads of Tradition, Stories Woven in Every Stitch.
Logo Height
Font Size
leading
HeadlandOne
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
KANTHA KATHA
KANTHA KATHA
ALL CAPS
128px
47pt
10pt
The Logo includes 4 elements that is needle, thread, running stitch that is use in Kantha embroidery, and local Kantha shops. The needle and thread represents the intricate stitching done by artisans through it and local kantha shops that will be included in my website selling authentic Kantha to users.
Thread and Needle
Local Kantha shop
Kantha stitch
Threads of Tradition, Stories Woven in Every Stitch.
SLOGANS
TEALISH BLUE
RGB: 19/34/67
Hex: 2C2C2C
YELLOWISH ORANGE
RGB: 244/273/64
Hex: F4AD40
USER FLOW
Let's see what the flow through which the user will go
Main Screen
Insights
Explore
Account
About Us
Read More
Product Detail
Product Detail
Explore more kantha products
Move to wishlist
Explore more kantha products
User Details
Modern Kantha
Traditional Kantha
Feedback questions
On trend
New Arrival
Browse more
What we do?
How we work?
Our Community
Read More
Product Details
Cart
History & Techniques
Shops
Shop Owner
Shop Name
About Shop
Showcase products
Birbhum
About Community
Feedback
Bolpur
Join Us
Browse More
Murshidabad
Artisan
Artisan work
Customer
Designer
Photos
Videos
Shop Owner
User Type
Full Name
Email ID
Password
Designer
Buyer
Designer Work
Profile
Suggestions
Create Account
Community
Login
Wishlist
Different Shops
Create Account
Already have account
Confirm Password
Location
Browse More
Detail/ Steps
Overview
Kantha history
Product Categories
Techniques
Trending
Bestsellers
Gifts for your favourite
Creative design ideas
Feedback
About Artisans
Tips and Guides
Clusters
Kantha Products
Browse More
Variety of each product categories
Product Details
Add to Cart
Wishlist
Customization
Clusters
Customization
About Artisans
Artisan Stories
Visual Showcase
Shop
RGB: 244/173/64
Hex: F4AD40
RGB: 19/34/67
Hex: 25407B
RGB: 82/82/82
Hex: 4A4545
RGB: 74/69/69
Hex: ABABAB
RGB: 236/235/230
Hex: ECEBE6
TAP here to see the final screens and wireframes
LET'S BUILD SOMETHING COLLECTIVELY