Culture-based Innovation: A Localized Approach for Designing

Track 4 Culture-Based Innovation: A Localized Approach for Designing Alaa El Anssary German University in Cairo alaa.elanssary@guc.edu.eg ORCID 0000-0003-1175-3879 Ahmed Wahby German University in Cairo ahmed.wahby@guc.edu.eg Abstract Egypt’s craft industry encompasses many dependent businesses, while crafts are slowly dissipating in the flourishing digital age, designers are emerging and becoming more substantial. Handicrafts are actually in their majority environmentally friendly, offer a quick and short monetary cycle, and most of all are a reflection of the local culture and identity. Globally, cultural inspired designs can easily be trendy and fashionable. This paper argues that designers play a major role in solving this matter. Culture integration into the new designs is rather challenging as there is no solid theoretical framework linking design and culture. Designers have the ability to address how core components of culture can be embedded in innovative functional objects. The paper analyses the role of design from the outcome of local startup project and based on a design intervention conducted in collaboration with the International Labor Office (ILO) in Egypt. 640 Alaa El Anssary, Ahmed Wahby Keywords Culture-based Products Product Innovation Egyptian Crafts Design Practice Design and Social Innovation Copyright © 2022 diid disegno industriale industrial design CC BY-NC-SA Handicrafts: Current Perspectives The present status of Egyptian handicrafts is unappreciated and undeveloped. Many Egyptians view handicrafts as purely decorative and not practical, and they make these items primarily for tourists. Despite this stigma, handicrafts are often better for the environment, have a shorter financial cycle, provide economic independence to women and families without other means of consistent support, and, most importantly, are a representation of the local culture and identity. This means that institutions in authority have a role to play in advancing, modernizing, and repositioning the craft manufacturing sector. The goal of making such a contribution is to better the production, design, technology, innovation, and quality of life of craftsmen (Dash, 2010). The preservation and growth of handicrafts depend critically on their cultural significance. Razzaghi, and Ramirez (2005) argue that items having a cultural character are more appealing and are consequently seen as a source of satisfaction to customers. It’s a personal expression of the owner and maker, which often inspires new and interesting ideas. Culturally influenced designs may easily be popular on a global scale. This will eventually lead to parity between domestic and global markets. There are five main reasons why the cultural factor is often overlooked when creating products. It’s challenging to “globalize” these items because of the high cost of R&D, the inexperience of most designers with cultural integration, and the difficulty of designing for many cultures at once. Consumers would rather buy mass-produced, technologically advanced products than artisanal, one-of-a-kind objects. Speaking in general, but with special emphasis on Africa, Moalasi, et al explains that there is a lack of in-depth research and appropriate methods in addition to the nascence of a theoretical framework that combines design and culture. (Moalosi et al., 2007) To conclude this section, crafts are fundamental to creativity and serve as a tool that expresses the country’s image in international markets. As a result, it is now being used as a creative catalyst in both industrial and communication designs. This is due to its ability to distinguish between local and internationally renowned designs (Dash, 2010). Italian Findings For a long time, the idea of handicrafts as a vital economic sector was overlooked in favor of other mass manufacturing businesses. For example, Bertacchini and Borrione (2013) pointed out a debate that has been going on in Italy for some time despite the country’s long history of artistic achievement and the prevalence of design in its consumer goods. Specifically, 2007 was the first year that a report on Italian inventiveness was published. Focusing on the creation of new cultural and creative output rather than only preserving existing works of art is a key recommendation of the 2007 report on the creative industries. They use the UNCTAD 2008 report to further explain that “looking at the external trade statistics of creative goods, 641 Culture-Based Innovation: A Localized Approach for Designing diid DSI No.1 — 2023 Doi: 10.30682/diiddsi23t4g Italy ranks among the leading creative economies when design and fashion items are included. Consequently, this paper argues that the Egyptian economy would benefit greatly from the handicrafts sector if the sector adopted three interdependent factors: designed marketing strategies, the addition of new values (mainly cultural), and innovation. Designed Marketing Strategies Researching about marketing strategies will compile a lot of literature, however very few actually relate design to the marketing strategies. Bruce and Daly (2007), suggest that firms should evaluate the role of design from a marketing perspective; thus, the term designed marketing was established. The relationship between managing design and marketing, nevertheless, is not entirely obvious. The significance of managing design arises from the need for marketing and design skills to be able to adapt to user’s needs and then communicate brand values through not only the product but through its way of showcasing whether packaging, brand image, or advertising. Design is essential since it is the “visual manifestation” of marketing and thus communicates the brand’s values to consumers. At a certain point, design was seen only as a functional tool to support marketing. Nowadays, however, designers are more regarded for their ability to make strategic decisions and contribute to leadership without direct supervision. In addition, design also boosts innovation, improving a company’s intellectual property and ultimately its competitive edge. This knowledge is crucial because it recognizes design as a tool for sustainable innovation and creativity. Furthermore, studies have shown that a marketing approach aimed at local customers may succeed in reaching an international clientele. For instance, Balcioglu and Emgin (2014) noted that Western models were already popular among Turkey’s higher classes; thus, Turkish designers just imitated them. Local Turkish designs emerged on the global stage in the 1990s, after the country’s economic rise. Turkish designers have improved the home market in hopes of gaining a worldwide audience, and this is largely owing to the pragmatic design approach adopted from local cultural resources. The goal of this strategy was to promote Turkish design internationally as a brand, therefore meeting the desire for novelty in foreign markets. Taiwan has used a similar tactic. Lin claims that Taiwanese designers are becoming confident in their ability to introduce their own cultural style to the global economic market (Lin, 2007). Adding New Aspects; Reintroducing Cultural Values According to Balcıoglu and Emgin, (2014) The Turkish designers’ emphasis on national cultural notions was an effort to develop a national design style, rather than a strategy for increasing their part of the global market. Lin (2007) claims that cross-cultural design will impact future design appreciation. This means that designers need to expand their experiences not only with cross-cultural factors but equally important are the knowledge of local elements. Inter- 642 Alaa El Anssary, Ahmed Wahby estingly, Balcioglu and Emgin (2014) argue that understanding the importance and positive future effects of the new design strategy, the Turks coined the concept of Turkishness of Products. The term triggered the designers to opt for Turkish cultural products which prompted Turkish designers to re-identify their own local culture and represent it in an innovative modern way. The iconic Turkish tea glass in the form of a tulip is used as an illustration of this approach as this cup is considered the most Turkish product. According to Kaygan (2006), a Turkish tea ceremony wouldn’t be complete without this glass. Designer Erdem Akan gave this traditional Turkish custom a modern makeover, resulting in the East Meets West tea cup seen in Fig. 1. Here, a traditional strategy was adopted in promoting a traditional object into contemporary technological conditions and aesthetic conventions. Fig. 1 Designer Erdem Akan, East Meets West teacup. http://www.erdemakan. com/accesories/eastmeetswest-teaglass.html (accessed 20/04/2016) Innovation: Introduction of New Concepts and/or New Functions) Innovation is an important aspect because old-fashioned products do not appeal to clients. In addition, being updated with the changes in consumer tastes and preferences is what pushes artisans forward to change their crafts. Yet the new change should attract present customers, as well as encourage designers to work accordingly fulfilling the demands of customers. (Dash, 2010). Thus, according to Bruce and Daly (2007) design is fundamental to retaining success and maintaining competitiveness in the market. Consequently, designers and producers need to develop their creations, whether products or services, in order to be able to create new markets. New approaches emerged to create further market goals to either maintain current position or create new markets. This paper has argued so far that local cultural elements are essential to developing a design strategy that results in a well-defined product identity, which is necessary for success in a global market. It is now common knowledge that including cultural elements in a product’s design increases its value. According to Lin (2007) Industrial Design plays the leading role in this process. He further forwards the notion that products created to emphasize local cultural elements are becoming more established in the design process. According to Dash (2010) 643 Culture-Based Innovation: A Localized Approach for Designing diid DSI No.1 — 2023 Doi: 10.30682/diiddsi23t4g Designers are the ones who anticipate design-related problems, try to address them in light of what may be needed in the future, and ultimately enhance the existing product. Furthermore, design determines the products’ shape, function, way to use, material, and manufacturing processes. Egyptian Case Studies Design interventions for the Red Sea Artisans Within the framework of Decent Jobs Egypt’s Young People Project created by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Cairo, a design intervention was conducted for business development services for Red Sea artisans and handicrafts sector to maximize its potential in employment creation and to make the Red Sea handicrafts sector attractive. Believing that design has an advantage in fostering the external and internal rational between producers, products, and markets broadens the scope of the core value chain players (artisans/NGOs.). Therefore, an intervention to build new capacity and to create a supportive enabling environment became crucial. Essential to this was to develop a range of new products that turn these crafts into lucrative businesses for the artisans and attract new entrants to learn and practice the craft. For these tasks a group of 8 designers with various design and practical backgrounds were selected including product; graphic; and media designers. They have been invited to visit the project locations in the Red Sea area to familiarize themselves with the people, the crafts and the locations to figure out the uniqueness of each aspect. The assignment started its first phase which involved the review of available data about the sector in the Red Sea and a field visit to the areas of focus to form an initial idea about the situation of the sector. The initial field visit included interviews with artisans at the Red Sea. The focus of all interviews was the quest for available data and information about the handicrafts sector and the artisans in the areas of Ras Ghareb, Hurgada, Safaga, Qusseir and Shalateen. The needs assessment survey covered the two main components of the sector: the traditional products produced by 99 artisans and combined by a semi-structured interview with three NGOs working in these areas. At this point and due to the huge data extracted from the survey and interviews, we focused on the need for new designs as the crafts in the Red Sea lend themselves to endless opportunities and diversity for development. However, as illustrated in Fig. 2 marketing, raw materials, tools and money are the most frequently mentioned needs to make the Artisans better at their crafts. 644 Alaa El Anssary, Ahmed Wahby Nevertheless, functionality, trendiness, quality of materials and level of finishing were all essential elements in the process of product development. The products made by the designers are appropriate for everyday use. By following clear instructions provided by designers, individual producers from the artisans’ group have been selected to perform direct intensive work (through workshops) resulting in the development of a range of new high-quality products that are appropriately priced, saleable, and appropriate for local, national, and international markets. By using a strategy of coaching, a range of final products including basketry, leather products, kilim, crochet, and khayameya work were developed in the form of prototypes with packaging materials from selected producers, complete with pricing and quality standards, which can be offered to existing and new customers. Samples of the products developed over a one-year project can be seen in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 ILO report. Marketing, Raw Materials, Tools and Money are the most frequently mentioned needs to make the Artisans better at their crafts. Fig. 3 ILO project. Design intervention results. 645 Culture-Based Innovation: A Localized Approach for Designing diid DSI No.1 — 2023 Doi: 10.30682/diiddsi23t4g Packaging was an integral component of the marketing strategy and supports the identity of the brand. The designs of eco-friendly packages that suit the various products accommodated the products’ sizes, shapes, fragility, travel, in addition to appeal. The production of packages from recycled paper or local fabrics has been considered. On the other hand, an inside-out marketing perspective contributed to the promotion strategy and plan to cover the promotional messages by creating the brand identity for this project by designing the logo, promotional materials, hang tags, business cards, packaging materials and providing the storytelling. The project also involves providing the storyboard for the promotional movie and a plan for the launch of the brand. (Rifaat & Al Gazzar, 2013) The role of the designers in the implementation phase was mainly supervision, and to follow up the steps of productions. This role was divided into 2 essential phases: The Roll Out phase & the Exit phase. In the Roll Out phase the designs and technical training were accomplished in parallel with capacity-building training and launching the Red Sea crafts brand. In the Exit phase several activities were repeated, namely a design and product development project for new items to be added to the collection, the development of a website for the brand, the organization of another round of technical and capacity-building training for new member NGOs and artisans in view of creating a pool of in-house trainers. The role of design from the outcome of Local Startup Project In recent years, several local startups projects in Egypt with a focus on innovating current craft products and introducing new designs have been initiated and successfully implemented to transform traditional crafts into modern and innovative products. Menn Baladha project presents a case study in which the goal of students and lecturer was to establish a link between design and craft pottery and its richness in culture and authenticity. Rather than seeking new products, the involved designers tried to re-add new functions to the simple Egyptian traditional clay pot used for baking food in ovens called Tagen. This product is known to be inexpensive yet healthier than most metal pots. Egyptians commonly believe that the taste of foods baked in a Tagen is much more refined than dishes cooked in other containers. The Tagen was chosen as the first clay example to be redesigned for many reasons: First, it is a very traditional Egyptian product with roots extending to ancient Egypt. Second, many Egyptians tend to neglect the Tagen since it does not meet the modern life style; it reflects a poor personality on the dining table. Third, many users do not prefer the Tagen due to difficulties in handling and cleaning. Fourth, the Tagen is a healthy product that does not react with the food it contains. The process started with intensive research and field visits by the students in which they observed the traditional Tagen production techniques and tools used. The students gained a lot of insights by observing and discussing with the craftsmen and the workshop owners. Market research was also conducted and Egyptian consumers were interviewed (class A, age group 30-40s targeted) regarding 646 Alaa El Anssary, Ahmed Wahby their conception of the cooking utensils. The core of design process was to analyze the gathered research data and field experiences in order to initiate inspiration, fresh preceptive, and redefine the cultural features in a modern way. The following step was visualizing different concepts. The main obstacle was manipulating traditional knowledge and adding to a deeply rooted culture-based product that has fulfilled its purpose for thousands of years. Another obstacle was the clay material itself; how to modernize something perceived as archaic the way clay is seen by the target group. The design solutions were addressed through a design-oriented approach to improving the traditional Tagen’s usability and by introducing new practical features to the cooking techniques. The new items added to the Tagen highlight how it functions: first, the edges became thicker for better heat distribution. Second, a lid was introduced not only to maintain the gained heat inside the Tagen, but also to create a compositional balance between the pot and its lid and added greatly to the appearance and status of the product. Third, two sturdy handles were created to achieve more control and balance while manoeuvring. Fourth, a second tagen was designed to fit one on top of the other. The upper Tagen had a perforated base to function as a steamer, allowing the user to cook two different dishes simultaneously. Fig. 4 Fig. 4 Menn Baladha local startups project. Design and craft pottery development In addressing the problem concerning the archaic appearance of the clay material and in order to publicize different aesthetic senses, the visual values of the Tagen were reconsidered by concentrating on its surfaces. The lid, as well as other parts of the Tagen, were painted either with plain vivid colors or with added patterns evoking a unique emotional character for each Tagen. 647 Culture-Based Innovation: A Localized Approach for Designing diid DSI No.1 — 2023 Doi: 10.30682/diiddsi23t4g Fig. 5 The four factors necessary for developing handicraft products. A positive intervention in the community is one that builds on existing relations and promotes synergies. To start, it is necessary to assess the current existing handicrafts sector to see if it fulfils the functional and cultural needs of the intended target groups. Contemporary and updated human needs must be observed and defined carefully in order to guarantee an innovative product that meets a need. The handicrafts community, whether individual artisans or NGO board members should focus on developing the sector and be willing to work together and cooperate to maximise the handicrafts business for the best interest of the artisans. The craftsmen should avoid resistance in accepting new ideas and techniques that are different from what they have been doing traditionally for ages. Innovative products encompass not only the form, but also the function whether traditional, added, or introduced. Furthermore, the production material and techniques should be given prominent care. As argued earlier in this paper, the cultural aspect of the newly introduced products is very important as it not only helps market the product to locals, but also gives it a competitive edge on an international level. The semantics of any product developed along the lines of a cultural background give it a unique identifiable character. Evaluation and Conclusion The strength of design lies in approaching problems from different perspectives with the aim of not only developing new expendable forms or functions that are re-marketed but also managing the situation while respecting its cultural and social environment. In the Egyptian context, design emerges as a separate entity that does not respond to many issues when it comes to the integration of culture in design. Findings from the literature presented and the participation in the development of Egyptian crafts indicated that traditional crafts possess the elements of development and modernization, but mostly suffers from the absence of contemporary needs of daily life products represented in the creation of form and function. In addition to the previous fact, the craftsmen are the heroes of this dilemma as they are the designers and marketers simultaneously. Handicrafts practices in Egypt remain a reproducible activity of cultural patterns and the designs are not in touch with the market trends and fall short of having consistent quality standards. As for heritage crafts, while 648 Alaa El Anssary, Ahmed Wahby Alaa El Anssary Graduated from the faculty of Applied Arts at Helwan University in Cairo and completed his postgraduate studies and obtained his PhD in Design Sciences from the Faculty of Art and Design (Folkwang Hochschule der Künste), in Germany. Since 2007, he is working as a Professor at the Product Design Department, German University in Cairo and as well as working as a freelance designer and consultant for different design studios, NGOs and manufacturing organizations in Egypt. Ahmed Wahby Graduated in 1992 with a degree in Architecture from Ain Shams University in Cairo Egypt. In 2000 he obtained an MA degree in Islamic Art and Architecture from the American University in Cairo, AUC where he had worked as a research assistant for more than 4 years. In 2008 he was awarded his Ph. D degree in Islamic Art, Architecture and Archaeology from the Oriental Department of the Otto-Friedrich University, School of Human Sciences, Art and Culture, in Bamberg, Germany. Dr. Wahby has been teaching since 2008 at the German University in Cairo GUC, the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Arts. He has numerous publications in local and international journals. fully respecting their ethnic identity, they still lack quality in finishing and their designs could be developed to appeal to larger segments of consumers (ILO, 2013). The cycles illustrated in Fig. 5 show the four factors necessary for developing the handicraft sector products that need a level of integration that should be monitored and understood. The argument concerning the relationship between the designer and craftsman and the role of designers in the craft section has already been demonstrated by Dormer, (1997) in his edited volume the culture of craft the designer is not ‘expendable’ as long as they are not designing for their own needs. Their role and importance stem from the fact that they are able to design according to the needs of others. Building on this notion, this paper argues that the Designer is the key player in connecting the four elements demonstrated in Fig. 5 in order to reach a highly innovative product able to compete on many levels. Through education, skills, and training, the Designer has the ability to comprehend and transform established cultural elements as well as new trends, materials and techniques towards creating new products. They also have the ability to communicate on different levels, macro and micro, using sophisticated terminology when dealing with international entities in marketing for example and local language when collaborating or instructing a manufacturing process to small workshops. Because marketing requires branding, As El Anssary (2009) demonstrates that the designer has a holistic approach to the creation of a new product as their role extends to the creation of a brand that gives the product a well-received market value. According to the case studies discussed above, and following the need assessment findings, and the analysis of the existing production processes of some crafts sectors in Egypt with emphasis on the two case studies presented in this paper, the conclusion is reached that the sector will only be attractive to craftsmen and capable of job creation when its production processes are under the influence of experienced designers. Finally, the role of the designer is not only to create profit, but he also needs to make a difference in society. References Balcıoglu, T. and Emgin, B. (2014). Recent Turkish Design Innovations: A Quest for Identity Design Issues, Vol 30, Number 2, pp.97-111 Bertacchini, E. and Borrione, P. (2013). The Geography of the Italian Creative Economy: The Special Role of the Design and Craft-based Industries Regional Studies, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp.135–147. Bruce, M. and Daly, L. (2007). Design and Marketing Connections: Creating Added Value Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 23, No. 9-10, pp. 929953 649 Dash, N. (2010). Buyers’ Preferences for Purchase of Selected Handicrafts With Special Reference to Orissa The IUP Journal of Management Research, Vol. IX, No. 6, pp.38-56 Riffat, A. and Al Gazzar, H. (2013) Business Development Services for the Red Sea Artisans and Handicrafts Sector International Labor Organization ILO Report Dormer, P. (1997). The Culture of Craft: Status and Future. 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