empowering a nottingham lace-inspired artisans’ community

supervisors: Dr MC Escobar-Tello, Dr VA Mitchell@FraMazzarella #nottinghamlace jan - feb 2016

Francesco Mazzarella, PhD researcher

foreword

This is a brief summary of the study conducted by Francesco Mazzarella, 2nd year PhD researcher at Loughborough Design School (UK) within the AHRC Design Star CDT, supervised by Carolina Escobar-Tello and Val Mitchell.This was the first phase of Participatory Action Research (PAR) within Francesco’s PhD, aiming to explore how service design* can encourage textile artisans’ communities towards a sustainable future. The study aimed to empower a community of lace artisans in Nottingham, by raising awareness of holistic sustainability and enabling the outline of a sustainable future.

* Service design is here referred to as the strategic process of designing services which are based on tangible and intangible interactions between a provider and a user of a product-service-system.

the global economic andenvironmental crisis is posingcomplex challenges

introduction

redistributedmanufacturing

circulareconomy

flexibleproduction

alternativeeconomies

slowfashion

advancedartisanship

designerentrepreneur

enablingecosystems

focus

material

by handsmachinerydigital tools

bottom-upskills, quality

human controlmaterial culture

local, naturaldiscarded fibrestextiles & fashion

artisancommunity

local businesssmall batchesflexiblelocal market

tool making

to explore how service designcan contribute to encourageour lace artisans’ communitytowards a sustainable future

aim

our artisans’ communitycan contribute to local

sustainable development

rescuing cultural heritage providing social engagement

encouraging economic development enhancing environmental stewardship

research process

service designprocess

discover define

develop deliver

focus groupinterviews

shadowing

contextualinterviewsbrainstorming

participatorydesign

workshop

stakeholders mapservice blueprintmanifesto

user centred, strategic, systemic process of co-creation oftangible and intangible values within a product-service-system

storytelling withnottingham lace artisans

For the first stage of the study, “Storytelling with Nottingham Lace Artisans” pursued throughout January and February 2016, Francesco has conducted contextual interviews with selected Nottingham lace artisans. He has collaborated with Cluny Lace Co Ltd (the oldest local manufacturer of traditional Nottingham Leavers lace), G.H. Hurt & Son Ltd (a family business producing heritage lacy knitwear, like shawls and scarves) and JC Middlebrook (a designer making digitally embroidered lace into jewellery and accessories). For this initial part of the study, Francesco has observed the artisans in their work environment and asked questions about their current artisanal businesses.

storytelling withnottingham lace artisans

define

contextualinterviewsbrainstorming

G.H.Hurt & Son Ltd

shawlsknitting lace

lace fabricsleavers lace

jewelleryembroidered lace

JC Middlebrook

Cluny Lace Co Ltd

storytelling photo-diaries

what does ‘being a nottingham lace artisan’ mean for you today ?

https://goo.gl/Z25Xpn https://goo.gl/aCH6v0 https://goo.gl/LMZQLI

Afterwards, Francesco has facilitated the artisans to envision what a sustainable future may look like for their businesses, by generating ideas in response to future trends. This storytelling study has encouraged artisans’ self-reflection on their practices and contributed to improve their awareness of issues of cultural, social, economic and environmental sustainability. The outcomes of the first stage of the study were summarised in a series of photo-diaries which capture, by means of photos and text, the artisans’ stories.

swot analysis of ideas

what may a sustainable future look like for your lace-making business?

�nding peopleskilled to teachand learn howto handle andupdate ourmachinery

for mea sustainable future means...

developingour business

for moderntimes while

keeping ourtradition and

quality

being economicallyself-sustainable

while runningmy own business

full time

barriers enablerslack of skilled workersyoung people disinterestedin working in factorieshigh human control involvedonerous bespoke productionlack of knowledge and availabilityof sustainable raw materialsdi�culty for upcycled productsto meet consumers’ tasteslack of skills and time for marketingoverseas competitionshortage of knowledge about userslow sales due to product longevitylong time needed for experimentationdi�culty in marketing hybrid productslack of consumers’ understanding of the whole artisanal processdi�cult cross collaborationse�ort and time for networkingdecreasing top-down support

skills transfersharing of knowledge and resources

technological advancementsincreased customers’ interest

in natural raw materialswaste minimisation within small production

closed loop of resources(e.g. waste collection, mending, upcycling...)traceable and transparent supply chain

collective trade showsimproved (digital) communication

shift from craft to high-end fashion marketcommunication of stories behind products

close consumer relationship & feedbackheritage & contemporary aesthetic

collaborations with other craft mediaopenness to understand the otherpost-sale services (e.g. alterations)

more active and supportive organisationspeer-to-peer support

barriers enablers

supply chain

making skills

production processes

marketing strategies

consumers’ behaviour

product types

design & enterprise

enabling ecosystems

supply chain

making skills

production processes

marketing strategies

consumers’ behaviour

product types

design & enterprise

enabling ecosystems

co-designing a sustainablefuture for nottingham lace

The analysis of such stories informed the second stage of the study, “Co-designing a Sustainable Future for Nottingham Lace”. This was conducted in the form of a participatory design workshop, taking place at the Cobden Place in Nottingham on 22nd February. Numerous stakeholders working around lace (i.e. artisans making lace or willing to draw inspiration from it, design practitioners, students and educators, members of public organisations for heritage, place-making and tourism) participated in this full-day session.

artisans

develop deliver

participatorydesign

workshop

stakeholders mapservice blueprintmanifesto

participatory design workshopco-designing a sustainable futurefor nottingham lace

org

an

isations

des

igner

s

consumers

To kick-o� the workshop, after Francesco’s introductory presentation, challenges and opportunities to achieve the artisans’ visions for the future were presented. The key issues identified were clustered around: making skills, production processes, supply chain, marketing strategies, consumers’ behaviours, product types, design and entrepreneurship, and enabling ecosystems. The concept of “sustainable future” was unpacked into its social, cultural and economic facets (i.e. finding people skilled to teach and learn how to handle and update the lace machinery; developing lace businesses for modern times while keeping the tradition and quality; being economically self-sustainable while running an independent artisanal business full-time).

what are the barriers & enablers for nottingham lace-inspired artisans to achieve a sustainable future ?

barriers enablers

Di�culty to understand the role of design;

Complex process to understand (from drafting to making);

Resistance to design new patterns (due to translation into

jacquards);

High cost for maintaining and updating the machinery;

Lack of technicians to repair the machines;

Di�culty to market machine-made lace to customers;

Shortage of local sales (due to high price of products);

Low income for artisans;

Lack of knowledge on di�erent types of Nottingham lace.

Training engineering skills to use lace machinery;

Researching to understand the process and developing

methods to make new designs;

Investing in digitalising jacquard cards for new designs;

Clustering the makers for skills sharing;

Injecting contemporary language (colours, forms,

technology) into the heritage process;

Identifying the target customer and reaching him/her

through retail;

Using marketing plans, social media and online retail;

Conveying contextual stories of: the artisan, the

artisanal process, the product itself;

Raising customers’ awareness of the value of crafts.

After reviewing and corroborating these initial findings with the contribution of di�erent perspectives, the participants brainstormed around various design directions that Nottingham lace-inspired artisans could follow to achieve a sustainable future. The possible directions that have emerged took into account several issues: preservation of cultural heritage, technological advancements to modernise lace designs, marketing to contemporary consumers, storytelling, governmental as well as peer-to-peer support. At this point, it was necessary to reframe the problem, as “how might lace-inspired artisans be economically sustainable in Nottingham?”

what directions could nottingham lace-inspiredartisans follow to achieve a sustainable future ?

what is the key issuethat you are tryingto address, why is itimportant?

who is thatproblem for?

what social orcultural factorsshape this problem?

what evidencedo you have thatthis is worth theinvestment?

can you reframethe problem?

Failure of large scalelace manufacturers;Financial sustainability;Di�culty to learn from thepast & evolve in the future;Gap between heritage &contemporary aesthetic;Misperception of laceas something old;Lack of awareness of thestory of Nottingham lace;Loss of cultural heritage;Need to educateconsumers and makers;Need to articulatean innovation story.

City Council;Place-making organisations;Museums;Cultural historians;University educators; Students;Artisans;Emerging designers;Citizens.

If artisanal businesses are not profitable, they won't be kept alive;

Most of students come from di�erent locations and leave for working elsewhere after graduation;

Dicrease of individual retailers, in relation to high street shops;

Low e�cacy of membership committees to manage innovations.

How might lace-inspired artisans be economically sustainable in Nottingham?

Need for local organisations to articulate authentic stories; Need to demystify bad perceptions of lace & create a contemporary language;Need to convey the message of Nottingham as ‘innovation city’;Loss of sense of place;Wider impact of heritage loss elsewhere;Need to engage local people, and retaining them in Nottingham;Need for active and e�ective membership organisations.

Afterwards, the participants proposed two strategies to encourage lace-inspired artisans towards the chosen design direction. These were: setting a shared research plan to inform future education, and boosting local economic development. The view of participants was to build “middle-up-down” strategies through the synergy of bottom-up activities and top-down support. After starting from existing activities and identifying a lace-inspired artisans’ community, it was recommended to build shared responsibility and develop collaborative activities supported by a wider network. Triangulation of thoughts and mindfulness of time and scale were highlighted as key issues to take into account while implementing innovations, which may impact public spaces, shared making facilities, and new markets.

what strategy would you propose to encouragelace-inspired artisans towards the chosen direction?

To keep our memory;To preserve local identity;To rescue a unique story (Nottingham as innovation city);To celebrate the new (instead of claiming the lost past);To disrupt the idea of a “2nd size” city (not worth investments);To build a sense of place;To enhance prosperity in lifestyles;To create new jobs;To shape a collaborative community (against scattered freelancers).

why?

who?

what?

how?Policy makers Institutional actorsOrganisations Co-working spacesCommunity arts spaces Heritage artisansArtisans in partnership

Gov. regeneration investments;Grants for creatives;

Organisations for coordination;Public spaces (urban, experiential);Information (maps, signage, tours);

Contemporary aesthetic (lace market); Co-working spaces;

Events (locally and internationally);Artisans’ partnerships;

Partnerships with international designers.

Outlining a shared vision;Building “middle-up-down” strategies;Envisioning innovations resonant to people;Starting from existing activities;Identifying the lace-inspired artisans’ community;Creating shared responsibilities & triangulation;Coordinating collaborative activities;Building a network;Involving artisans in the market plan;Being mindful of time and scale;Indentifying strategic spaces in the lace market;Finding sustainable models for makespaces;Opening public opportunities in heritage factories; Opening up new markets.

After the lunch break, the participants split in two groups, each focusing on one of the two defined strategies, then swopped to enrich their contribution and finally shared the findings to the whole group. Target stakeholders (together with their expertise, motivations and benefits) have been mapped out and prioritised according to their impact level, from core partners, to peer producers to peer consumers. A plethora of stakeholders hasbeen identified, from artisans, to other creative businesses, education at various levels, policy makers, private organisations, online and o�ine networks. It was agreed that many local activities are already taking place, but since most of them are too recent, it is still too early to assess the impact of such innovations. Especially economic benefits will require a long timeframe to be perceived by the artisans, and a coherent coordination of e�orts will have to be built.

which stakeholders could support a sharedresearch strategy to inform future education ?

peer consumers

peer producers

partners

public museums(nottingham city museums)

arts org.(RSA, NAE)

tourism(experience

nottinghamshire)place-making(CQ)

filmmakers(edward

jarvis)students,

graduates,interns

bobbinlaceguildsocial

media

hackspace

craftscouncil

eventorganisers

(lace:here:now,lace hack)

digitalsupport

(broadway,near now)

story-tellers

HE institutions(NCN)

universities(NTU, UoN)

cultural partners(Lakeside)

nottinghamcivic

society

privatemuseums

(frameworkknitters)

apprenticers(NCA)

publishers

nottinghamcity of

literature

which stakeholders could support the strategyof boosting local economic development ?

consumers

peer producers

partners

lace-inspiredartisans

nottinghamcity council

tourists

education(schools,

museums)

creative& digital

industriesconsortium

co-working spaces(the oldknows factory,backlit, cobden place)

nationalnetwork

(arts council,RSA, UKTI)

oline retailers(etsy)

university(mixed reality lab,

advancedmanufacturing)

businesssupport

(growth hub,antenna,the hive,

future factory)

Having in mind the potential stakeholders identified, the participants have proposed di�erent services to support the future strategy. Here, the group gathered together again around the shared vision of setting a research strategy to identify gaps in the heritage lace artisanal businesses, support their economic sustainability, and inform education of future artisans and consumers. After brainstorming various services, both online and o�ine, individual and collaborative, consensus was gathered around the idea of a “co-researcher in residence” programme. This was outlined as a strategy for bespoke and ongoing 1:1 engagement with heritage artisans, with the aim of exploring their needs and wants, and therefore co-designing a service to update their businesses.

what services would you propose to supportthe implementation of the chosen strategy ?

on

lin

eo

�in

e

collaborativeindividual

platform to infrastructurecollaborations betweendesigners and artisans

joined up marketing serviceto communicate Nottingham’s brandat high-end level

active business support(help line, network of contacts, activities)

grants to digitalise the artisanal businesses

skills training

co-researcher in residence:strategy for bespoke, ongoing,1:1 engagement with heritage artisansto explore needs and wantsand co-design a service to modernisetheir businesses

joined up research strategyacross local and international universitieswith a dissemination plan (beyond academia)and supported by a digital network(of researchers and professional partners)

networking events

funds,information,mentoring,facilities

Finally, the group outlined the key values that the Nottingham lace-inspired artisans’ community would like to share: trust, co-creation, quality, provenance, sustainability, modernity, awareness, and pride. It was envisaged that such values could be used also to assess the sustainability of the collaborative service.

our collaborative community will share these values:

trustco-creationqualityprovenancesustainabilitymodernityawarenesspride

Although it was a packed and long session, the participants enjoyed the workshop, which was found interesting and useful. They showed their willingness to be kept updated and involved in the future development of this research project. Furthermore, the feedback received throughout the study proved that there is a great enthusiasm around Nottingham lace, and this is a critical time to co-design a sustainable future. In order to do so, a service proposition will be articulated in a very delicate way, taking into account issues of trust, negotiation, shared responsibility among di�erent stakeholders, but especially self-sustainability of the proposal, to be fit to the timeframes and scale of the artisanal businesses.

A short promotional video will accompany the documentation of this workshop, whose findings will be shared among the community in order to receive further advice and feedback for the future development of this study. Finally, the researcher would like to thank his supervisors Carolina and Val, Loughborough Design School and the AHRC Design Star CDT, and all the participants who have invaluably contributed to this study, by kindly o�ering their time, knowledge and enthusiasm for this research project.

thank you !

f.mazzarella@lboro.ac.uk @FraMazzarella

Francesco Mazzarella