One of the main business accelerators for the fashion industry has been the internet and social media. Literature study on handicrafts in Telangana state gave an insight about different types of weaving and fabric production process in different corners of the state. The intricacy of the double ikat technique requires the most skilled and experienced artisans, so it is only produced in India, Indonesia and Japan, where the craft has existed for millennia.
This is also what gives ikat its characteristic fuzziness, because it is very difficult to align the pattern yarns perfectly on the loom – the more precise the pattern, the greater the color. The Pochampally Ikat weave was studied in depth to understand the pain points of the weavers and various other problems faced by the handloom industry. The journey started with exploring the graphic representation of the artisanal ikat, by studying the core properties of the 'ikat weave' and capturing the same essence in images.
The complexity of the double ikat technique requires the most skilled and experienced craftsmen, so it is only made in India, Indonesia and Japan, where the craft has existed for thousands of years. Weaving continues to occur in the areas of Pochampally, Puttapaka and Choutuppal in the district where skilled weavers still reside.
Types
Significant Features
Raw Materials
Process
User research
- Understanding IKAT and the weavers
- Developing an empathy
- The Questionnaire
- Design issues analysis and Observation
The history of IKAT dates back to 450 years in the time brought to India through silk route and known by different names in different parts of the country. Long hours of hard work on handlooms, patience and investment sometimes do not bring them the real value of the product. Various reasons like the rise of Powerloom, lack of reachability in the market and share/profits made by middlemen to sell their products which they end up fetching a very small amount to sustain.
The IKAT product in hand is the result of joint efforts from the dyeing of the yarn. making spindles and then the woven fabric comes out through the frame. A questionnaire was prepared to know more about the craft, the problems faced by the weavers, the economic conditions and what they expect in the future. The interviews provided an in-depth insight into their family background and how they experience weaving as a profession.
Interviewing weavers gave a lot of insight into their lives and how closely it is connected to the craft, what it means to them, the legacy of the craft, the challenges they face in this era and what they expect in the future and for their future generations. They are also the main point of contact for many markets, while outsourcing most products to outside stores.
Problem Identification
- Drawing design insights from user research
- Defining the problem statement
- The fashion industry
- Brand image and product commercialization
- Competitor analysis
To narrow down the final problem area and solution to focus on for the thesis, it was decided that work should be done to redesign content for promotional activities for IKAT. It consumes approximately 60% of the company's expenses and ultimately contributes to the product price for the end user. The design trends are set by the leading designers of these companies and are shown to the public seasonally.
On the other hand, this design language is mainly governed by the type of clothing that the company uses for most of their products. It was also inspiring to see the influence of indigo (dye) in their seasonal collection and how it weaves the overall story considering the key aspects of the craft. Story Respun by Raymond is also an example of how storytelling helps connect consumers to the world of handlooms.
Conceptualized and developed in-house, the new TVC portrays the transformation of Khadi as the 'Fabric of the Nation', to become a new-age fashion ensemble that synergizes deep-rooted Indian-ness and Khadi's craftsmanship. Madhu S Dutta, Head 6Marketing, Raymond, says, “'The Story Re-Spun' is a delightful tale, a promise from Raymond to help rejuvenate traditional Indian craftsmanship by collaborating with artisans and designers to create products that are relevant and compelling to today's consumers.
Stakeholder mapping
Stakeholders
Pain Points
Setting the stage
Design Decisions
Different aspects and strategies involved
The design of the label, product packaging, brochures, printed posters, advertising media greatly contribute to the overall experience of the primary product. These “touch points” are very important (Budelmann et al., 2010, p. 194) because of their tactile and visual qualities (such as the type of paper, images and colors used) and the way the brand.
Brand positioning
Developing a brand image for IKAT
Motifs and patterns
During motif isolation, negative spaces were ignored and only high-contrast pixels (positive spaces) were selected for all digital branding requirements. Among the pixel-like explorations for the isolation of motifs, the individual threads came forward as an individual element, because that is what goes on the loom.
Developing the look and feel
Brandmark
- Brandmark
- Emotional Connections
- Brand Personality
- Aspects of the Brandmark
- Final Logo
- Font Explorations
- Colors and their significance
- Further Development of Motifs and Patterns
In the same way that a person can be described, so can a brand personality be described; through demographics, lifestyle or human personality traits 7 (Aaker, 1996, p. 142). Considering the context Pochampally and if the ikkat was human then based on the characteristics personified it as: Blending with society. Giving these attributes helped me understand the customer's perception and what they would feel about the brand. While choosing the type/font and designing the logo, the same sharpness had to be kept intact.
Few ideas were done on the thread-like or rather barcode-like designs that gave a sense of weaving in progress or just weaving itself. Customers who are aware of IKAT will immediately relate the logo/font/brand to something woven in a loom. Building a character using these styles is made possible by the nature-inspired patterns that the weavers already use.
The symbol is an abstraction of the floral patterns that weavers use in motifs. Of all the iterations, this *digit symbol resonated most with ikat and craft values. Most of the colors we see in Ikat are obtained naturally using vegetables, fruits, shells, etc.
I chose a color palette inspired by the place, natural environment and colors used in their products.
Modern Commercialization
Designing for different media
Medium of advertisements
Meeting print media requirements
Packaging
Packaging provides a tangible experience and can therefore be used to add an extra experience to the overall product experience. The bag containing the products was visualized so that it conveys the essence of the product. The essence of this traditional craft was taken into account and therefore the brand concept revolves around the patterns and key motifs used in Ikat.
The interpretation of this craft combined with colors, typography and tone suggests Ikat as a brand that knows its buyers well and communicates the message by establishing an authentic relationship. It was ensured that the brand has a history that provokes its ancient cultural values, but also fits in well with modern society. The result expected from the brand is the new modern look infused with traditional values and culture.
The motifs are positioned and graphically oriented to make the most of the brand's speech. It is not only designed to be a hang tag but also carries the story of the makers (weavers) which tells of the effort that goes into making the product.
Design for Retail Experience
- Interactive Installation
- Use Cases of the Installation
The aluminum foil acts as a capacitance and the moment the user is near the threshold, the difference is mapped and the sound is triggered. The moment the fabric detects the touch, it emits a sound, and when interacting with different fabrics, it generates different sounds that are fed to the touch panel pins. The music piece has been carefully selected to sync with the look and feel of the fabric.
The music bears a striking resemblance to the vibrations of the Sitar, which also resonates with undulating and rhythmic Ikat patterns. The installation could be imagined in different use cases, where it would serve as an interactive part of the installation to attract consumers and dig deeper to know more about the history of the craft, serving as an icebreaker. In today's scenario, the shopping malls where handloom fabric is sold offer great opportunities to utilize the installation.
In general, we observe small entities that connect the story of the collection and add the demographic touch of the fabric, its natural environment, the primary raw materials used in its manufacture. Exhibition areas are one of the places where people not only enjoy handmade fabrics and products, but also experience different aspects of fabric in different ways.
Conclusion
- Holistic Experience
- Scope for future developments
3https://strandofsilk.com/journey-map/andhra-pradesh/ikat/history/https://www.toa.st/magazine/the-story-of-ikat.htm. 6https://www.vogue.in/content/raymonds-new-collection-khadi-revival-initiative-titled-story-re-spun/#s-cust0.
