Spring 2018
FUTURE CRAFT China is a collaboration between Tongji University College of Design & Innovation in Shanghai and ArtCenter College of Design in California. Student teams work together to envision new opportunities for design to revive craft traditions and create social impact with artisan communities in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
This project was made possible in part by support from the Designmatters Educational Program Grant from the Autodesk Foundation as well as a grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Opportunity: Keep Heritage Vital
China has achieved extraordinary levels of economic growth+ development; yet with such stunning gains, what risks being lost? As China continues to advance, how might we bring traditional Chinese craft into daily life?
Co-Creation: With Artisan Communities
Co-creation is the heart of the FutureCraft project. Collaborate with artisans to understand their needs & aspirations, and how design can best make an impact.
Outcomes: Preservation through Innovation
Design lifestyle products, lighting, furnishings, home goods, brands & spaces that extend craft traditions to new sectors, contemporary Chinese & global markets.
Social Impact: Next Generation / Urban+Rural
Envision new opportunities to connect urban and rural, to make cultural heritage relevant to the next generation, and to create new markets that sustain communities.
October 31 - November 3rd, 2018
October 31 – November 3, 2018
Future Craft China: Design Education Bridging Local Cultural Heritage and Global Contemporary Design
Paper Presentation: David Mocarski, Penny Herscovitch & Dan Gottlieb
Jiangnan University
Wuxi, China