Author: Vanshaj Kumar

At this stage of my research, constructive criticism from the professionals would be very instructive, and critical analysis would definitely help this project to complement and validate the findings during thematical analysis.

I have invited a range of stakeholders that represent my target audience ( Fashion Designers , Stylists , Buyers , Film – costume stylists, Art directors, etc ) outside India from countries like UK , Italy , USA etc. 20 professionals have participated in this survey (till date).

They have actively participated in this survey and helped me in gaining realistic insight & interpreting the data . The questions below are the outcomes of the thematic patterns during research, interviews and this analysis has helped me interpret, contextualize and evaluate the recorded data.

What is your age?

Which of the following best describes the principal industry of your organization?

Do you agree with the idea of connecting artisans with the Fashion & Film industry to work directly with the Fashion Professionals like Stylists / Designers?

What feature does this concept of developing a bridge between Artisans and experts entice you?

Do you agree that Artisans are being exploited in terms of proper wages, copying of designs, lack of welfare schemes?

Can handmade Fashion / Designs add value to Fashion and Films?

Does fashion in Film & TV influence audience dressing style?

Is handmade Fashion affordable?

Is the government providing enough welfare schemes for artisans?

Is there any online platform that connects artisans directly with fashion experts? If Yes could you pls mention it?

ASOS Marketplace

No, apart from maybe you could find artisans on Ravelry or knitting social sites.

OVERALL FINDINGS 

It is clear from this research analysis & interpretation that to access art directly, film and fashion people need a system where artisans are listed in directories. This can be achieved by creating an ecosystem that allows artisans to work directly with industry experts. Overall, I concluded that this system could provide important attributes that enable artisans to excel and deliver quality handmade products within a stipulated period.  In the future, this bridge is meant to encourage hope, trust, and support by continually including the registered professionals in the building of this network to empower artisans. 

LEARNING EDGES: 

My learning edges include particularly challenging actions like identifying the drawbacks in the research. I have worked continuously towards the realization of the bridge considering functional changes like the implementation of search navigation and web interface through feedback during the testing phase of my research. My research shows that this bridge can function as a B2B marketplace where skilled artisans and industry people can do business. There is a digital transformation going on globally, and this bridge can fulfill the needs of the market. However, expect a big infrastructure investment to establish it, at the moment I consider this as my failure. 

FUTURE ACTIONS: 

My future actions will include infrastructure development in terms of technology, database, engaging interface, and search navigation to access different art forms.  

The critical feedback received from potential stakeholders & target audience aims to cover the bridge against future challenges like mobile APP development for artisan’s details, implementation of training modules, and master classes by experts. Moreover, the pilot run indicates that the professionals might require ethical intermediaries in the system for big scale production.

To understand the critical perspective of this process, I had a few discussions with experts & potential stakeholders from the Fashion and Film industry. During this session of understanding the bridge functionality and improvements, the panel of experts has attended the seminar to provide their critical feedback on the functionality and proposed features of the bridge.

This seminar helped me collect information at this stage and also help me to understand the online digital culture to collaborate art in the future.

I discussed various things related to this concept during our discussion regarding the bridge features and feasibility with Mr. Omar Mansoor ( Fashion Director ) & Ms. Bethania Rezek ( Designer ) .

We had a detailed discussion during this session regarding the bridge and the authentic craft of these artisans.

I discussed the important factors with Renata, she suggested how technology can play a vital role in this bridge development.

Artisans are the key drivers of this research, and discussing bridge features and functionality is very critical to know their concerns and feedbacks about this bridge.

Mr. Shyam Singh ( Rajasthan) – Mr. Shyam Singh Ji is one of the senior artisans, located at Mandawa, Rajasthan. He has passed on this legacy of miniature art to his family. He discussed various critical points about this bridge. He suggested that they aspect work security from this bridge as they get the work on and off. If this bridge could serve them getting the work on a regular basis , that would be very beneficial.

Mr. Rajiv Singh (Madhya Pradesh ) – Mr. Rajiv Singh is one of the talented Artisans working on artforms like Madhubani and Sujni craft in North India. He is keen on collaborating his art in the future at international platforms through digital channels. He aspect this bridge to include this component as well to facilitate them to spread their craft .

Ms. Seema Singh ( Uttar Pradesh ) – Ms. Seems is a diligent, hardworking, and sincere artisan who has excelled in her work in hand embroidery and adda work in Uttar Pradesh. She is experienced as an embroidery artisan who has designed/created many dupattas and sarees in India. She aspect to learn more through this global platform. In the future, she wants to be a part of artistic exchange programs in other countries.

Also had a word with Ajay , Sunita and Raj about their experiences and understanding of this bridge, they suggested that this is an authentic practice to channelize their art and to collaborate in the future.

Various Artisans have participated in the survey conducted by me, their responses have helped me analyze the insights :

What is your Age?

What is your Gender?

What part of India do you belong to?

What are the issues you have encountered?

Are you interested in working directly with the professionals from Fashion and Film Industry?

Which modules are you interested in?

What empowerment attributes would you be able to achieve? ​

The Final Evaluation of this bridge requires Prototype testing. After finding out the important features of this bridge with the help of various Questionnaires, Interviews, and Surveys. The Testing of the functionality of this bridge is a critical part of the research.

I am inviting and approaching a panel of professionals ( Fashion stylists, Art Directors, Artisans, Creative & Film professionals to know their important and critical feedback towards the accomplishment of this Bridge.

To record the views of stakeholders, I have created a sample prototype of this bridge, with all the important elements that make this bridge valuable.

www.artisans-connect.com

Home

MOBILE VIEW

I want to see this change because I have identified that there is a gap in the process where Artisans are facing the challenges like Inappropriate wages, lack of Awareness, IPR issues, etc. While working for Fashion and Film Industry. This approach will eradicate these issues as this bridge will help in eliminating the unnecessary layers of go-betweens and it is insulated with strong features as it is an authenticated & trustworthy platform with registered stakeholders within the system. This bridge promises the Value of money and Quality work as the industry professionals can now work directly with Artisans and brief their requirements to our registered Ethical Intermediaries or Artisans directly. Moreover, this ecosystem will not only exchange the services but aims to help our Artisans community to grow and empower against the challenges like technology, education, training with the growth feature like Seminars and Masterclasses by the Experts.  

These are the important navigations like :

1. About us > section describes us the mission & vision of this project .
2. The Bridge > section expands the meaning of this bridge.
3. Indian Art > section is an engagement zone for the various editorials and stories about handmade art forms in India.
4. Our Experts > under this section we have a list of registered experts from Film & Fashion Industry.
5. Our Artisans > under this section we have listed all Artisans from different regions of India.
6. Ethical Intermediaries > for the big budget projects we require helping hands and better planning , ethical intermediaries are there to facilitate this process.
7. Training & Workshops > this section covers awareness and education piece for Artisans welfare.
8. Shop > this small setup the shop is to incorporate the e-commerce / products listing by these Artisans.
9. Contact Us > for any queries this section is helpful.

My Entrepreneurial interventions during the individual study period started with approaching the organization which is my potential stakeholders for my research.

I feel these are the important steps in future expansion:
Though, I have not received much positive response due to student visa constraints. But I want to share the insights for my intervention success and failure both:

1. Business proposal sent to online platform: OKHAI (https://okhai.org/). Okhai offers handcrafted apparel and lifestyle products created by rural artisans, during my internship at diorama designs ( with my project’s Ethical intermediary & Co-founder of Diorama Designs Ms. Disa Sahu ). We have created a catalog (attached) with all the designs we develop during the individual study period and sent a business proposal to Okhai to list our products. Okhai is one of the famous initiatives run by a prestigious group TATA in India.

This is a success story, where our proposal has been acknowledged, and very soon we are going to list our designs under this platform.

2.  Not Just a Shop , UAL: I have also approached not just a shop for to provide my products more visibility in London, but unfortunately, I was again been told the challenges of being on Student Visa.

https://notjustashop.arts.ac.uk/

3. Lofte pop-up shop : I have been in conversations with daisy from lofte for their pop-up shop.  I will reach back to her again.
4. I have approached e-commerce like https://www.suchtinystitches.com/ they are an online selling platform for handmade fashion. I asked them for the collaboration in the future of listing our products on their platform for selling in the future.

5. Canopy Market : Canopy market , KX also demands a trader certificate, which Is also not allowed under Student Visa.

6. Display of products in Exhibition : 

NVivo is a qualitative data analysis (QDA) computer software, helps qualitative researchers to organize, analyze and find insights in unstructured or qualitative data like interviews, open-ended survey responses, journal articles, social media, and web content, where deep levels of analysis on small or large volumes of data are required.

1 – Transcripting the recorded data/interviews.

2 – Uploading the different files of the experts in the system.

3 – Identifying the Codes / Coding the Data

4 – Finding themes through codes

5 – Developing the analysis

My Research method is Qualitative, I started my research by talking to the Professionals, Artisans, and other stakeholders related to my research.

I have further transcripted my research interviews to perform Thematic Analysis for my research.

Thematic analysis is a qualitative data analysis method that involves reading through a data set (such as transcripts from in-depth interviews or focus groups) and identifying patterns in meaning across the data.

Thematic analysis was first developed by Gerald Holton in 1970s and has recently been accepted as a “distinctive method with a clearly outlined set of procedures in social science” (Braun & Clarke, 2013, p. 178).

By employing this data analysis method, a researcher can capture complex, messy, and contradictory relationships that prevail in the real world. However, it is exciting and enriching as well as challenging (Attride-Stirling, 2001; Braun & Clarke, 2013;)

The approach for the inductive analysis is Inductive.

Research Methodolgy

According to Braun and Clarke (2013), this method involves seven steps: transcription, reading and familiarization, coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and finalizing the analysis.

Below are the steps for thematic Analysis :

• Transcribing, Reading, and Familiarization – transcripting the recorded data.
• Coding – Coding refers to identifying all relevant pieces of data within the entire dataset to answer the research questions. According to Braun and Clarke (2013).
• Identifying Patterns: Codes to Themes (Sub-Themes and Themes) – Once the coding is completed in the entire dataset, it is time to look for patterns appearing within the data.
• Searching, Reviewing, and Finalizing Themes – The next step is to identify the broader patterns of the data that can be used to answer the research question. Themes and sub-themes can be identified by following the patterns of the data.
• Developing the Analysis – Analyze the resultant themes and draw inferences.

Refer : nVIVO tool for data analysis

https://vanshajkumar.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2021/10/22/using-nvivo-as-research-tool

Bibliography:

Atkinson, P., Coffey, A., & Delamont, S. (2003). Key themes in qualitative research: Continuities and change. Oxford: AltaMira Press.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.

Rubin, H., & Rubin, I. (2005). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data. London: SAGE Publishing.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful qualitative research: A practical guide
for beginners. London, UK: SAGE.

https://methods.sagepub.com/base/download/DatasetStudentGuide/thematic-analysis-management-controls

This journey has been so exciting, from working with the Artisans, Ethical Intermediaries to the Film/ Fashion professional. This intervention was my favorite part of the research when I interacted with the people directly about how they feel, their views about wearing the handmade art. I approached various people in India , UK to know about the view about this handmade art.

I started with sending the products to the people at their homes, office and for a few, I met directly to meet them and show them the handmade art. I started sending/distributing the sarees, scarves, stoles, earrings. Below are the stakeholder’s reviews about the handcrafted products.

Fagun Mendes , Business Excellence Manager

Milton Keynes , UK

“Handmade art is the definition of my personality, the pieces I pick and wear are the reflection of myself. This art should be promoted across the world”

Kriti , Marketing Manager
Bangalore , India

“Handloom and handicraft for me has always been something very close to my heart. It feels as if someone has gone an extra length to make something for me. I know that it sounds vain, but in this crazy world where no one cares for another, handlooms and handicrafts are my way of finding that special love for myself. This is also my smallish effort of giving back to the artisans who are trying to keep the various art and crafts forms alive in these times of mechanic evolution.

In this picture, I’m wearing a handloom Kota cotton saree passed down by my mum to me. The earrings are handcrafted and made of terracotta, and bangles are handmade from glass beads.

I think this would be my legacy when I die… Closets full of handloom sarees and boxes full of handcrafted earrings, necklaces, bangles and such. Some would say that I lived in vanity, but nevertheless I would want my sister to put them up for auction and use the proceeds for causes close to our hearts.

Darshana , Mrs India Stylish Diva 2018

Gujarat , India

“I feel so confident and beautiful in handmade traditional attire, I would definitely recommend people to buy handmade art . It has a special feeling associated within ourselves when we wear these delicate designs.”

Prerna Singh , Social Worker

New Delhi, India

“I always want to feel special and this art is the true reflection of my personality”

Vikas , Ecommerce professional

India

Doctor Sunetra Raval

India

“This madhubani handpainted saree is Indeed a treasured piece”

Vaishali , Entrepreneur

India

” I feel so happy and delighted to share that this beautiful hand-painted stole is something to cherish every day, I always want to buy handmade art instead of machine-made. This art has given my fashion style an edge”

Suneeta Adnani , Teacher

Jaipur , India

“This saree is an elegant piece of hand-embroidery, with the beads making this more appealing. This gives me a royal feel and confidence”

Kevin Nathanael , London

“It’s amazing to think that all of the art and patterns on the mask were hand-drawn! Living in this world where everything is instant, makes me think that there were some hands, from somewhere in India, creating my mask, without any robots or printing machines Really appreciate the craftmanship they put in a simple thing such as a mask. “

Olimpia ( Student , CSM London)

“This is a lovely piece of craftsmanship. The technique, which I had never come across before, is very unique in that the patterns are hand-painted directly onto the fabric. The colors and drawings are very nice and have a certain simplicity to them that makes the piece all the more interesting and not overly ornate. It seems easy to pair with other pieces of clothing so it is definitely something I see myself wearing, especially for nice dinners or special occasions. A beautiful example of traditional Indian craft!”

The logo for my research project has been conceptualized by me where we can see the hands of artisans, professionals forming a flower together.

That is the beauty of this bridge is while working together we can create beautiful things.

The saffron color signifies strength and courage, this color is a very prominent color in India.