Dialogue through Design

A Danish-Moroccan empowerment project

Dialogue through DesignA Danish-Moroccan empowerment project

Text and content:Sine Stenbek Andersen

Foto:Sine Stenbek AndersenMarie HugstedAnja Phigalt

Layout:Maria Albertsen

Print:April 2012, Kunstakademiets Designskole

Dialogue through designA Danish-Moroccan empowerment project

Since 2008 The Royal Danish Academy School of Design has been engaged in a development project in

Morocco, establishing a close collaboration with Réseau Femmes Artisanes - a network of handicraft

women based in Marrakech.

The project is a part of the Danish-Arab Partnership Program under the auspices of the Danish Ministry

of Foreign Affairs and is a partnership between Kvinfo, Planet Finance Maroc, College Lasalle, Réseau

Femmes Artisanes and The Royal Danish Academy School of Design. The overall aim is to improve the

craft women’s possibilities in the Moroccan society by empowerment through design.

Through common workshop activities the project establishes a forum for cultural dialogue and

exchange of know-how between Moroccan craft women and Danish design students.

The workshops of the project provides the craft women with tools to innovate and argue for new

designs and in general be able to manage all steps of production in a quality minded and profitable

way - from development of designs and production to commercialization.

A collection of handicraft products called Made in Morocco is an outcome of the collaboration

between Réseau Femmes Artisanes and the Danish design students. The product development has

its roots in the Moroccan design tradition and the collection represents a focal point for the mutual

learning process and dialogue.

The Moroccan craft women involved in the project have improved their skills in innovation and design,

and are now role models who will inspire and train other craft people in the network.

Please visit the webpage www.empowermentdesign.dk or write kd@kadk.dk for more information.

Dialogue and Workshops

Workshop sessions are a focal point for dialogue, cooperation and exchange between the craft women from Réseau Femmes Artisanes and Danish designers. Mutual trust building and getting to

related to design. Through common activities it is the aim that the Moroc-can craft women learn to improve their designs, product quality, organi-sation of production and marketing in a sustainable way.

know each other’s background and culture are an important part of the activities.

The workshops are a forum for exchange of know-how and methods

The aim is that the Moroccan women will take the lead and find new ways of achieving success with their handicraft.

Drawing as design tool

Sketching and drawing are important parts of the common design work. Drawing is an important tool and method to visualize ideas in the process of product development.

As an example the craft women and the

becomes a useful source for com-munication, as the image can help to transfer the message, beyond the language barrier.

design students have been sketching in the streets, gardens and cultural institu-tions of Marrakech, to find inspiration in the near surroundings. The sketches are used as a source of inspiration in the further product development.In a multicultural setting drawing

Design and product development

Providing new tools for innovation and learning how to design step-by-step are the essential parts of the coopera-tion between Danish design students and women from Réseau Femmes Artisanes.

try new materials, techniques and new product types.

Design becomes a tool for empower-ment, as it provides the craft women with tools to innovate and argue for

Joint development of new products is an essential part of the mutual learning process. The product development is anchored in the Moroccan handicraft tradition, but the participants are chal-lenged to use their skills in new ways,

new design and in general be able to manage all steps of production in a quality minded and profitable way.

made in morocco

Made in Morocco

Made in Morocco is a collection of quality handicraft products designed and produced by Moroccan women from Réseau Femmes Artisanes in collaboration with students from The Royal Danish Academy School of Design. The collection has its roots in

outcome of many common workshop activities. The products are now sold in shops in Denmark and Morocco.

traditional Moroccan crafts and textile techniques and each product is a result of a unique combination of know-how and design thinking.

The collection represents a long-term Danish-Moroccan exchange, and is an

Training of trainers: Leadership

By participating in workshops with PlaNet Finance and students from The Royal Danish Academy School of Design, the craft women are trained as role models, who can inspire and train other women in their network.

Through role-plays the women also learn about customer relations and how to present their products in a good and profitable way.

Through hands-on activities the women experience and learn how to manage their every day work through leadership: How to organize and plan work, how to communicate well, how to control quality and to give and take critics in a constructive way.

Training of trainers

Through regular trainings, women from Réseau Femmes Artisanes now teach each other skills in crafts, sewing and production of Made in Morocco items.

The women all have various skills and knowledge on Moroccan handicrafts

and they benefit from sharing with each other and build the capacity for production.

Networking and sharing experience

Networking and exchanging with colleagues and people from other countries are essential to the project. The design students as well as the women from Réseau Femmes Artisanes participate in meetings, conferences and seminars and are happy to share

visited the women crafts project ANAT which is based in Damascus. It was rewarding to exchange experience with the Syrian women.

their experiences by talks and presen-tations.

During the project the craft women from Morocco has visited Denmark and France and also Syria on a common study trip. In Syria the participants

Networking and commercialization

Reseau Femmes Artisanes has participated in several exhibitions to promote and sell their products. It is an important part of the project that the women get experience with the commercial world and learn how to

in Denmark and France - and more recently The Danish Design School brought the products to Formland Design Fair in Denmark. Further more has Réseau Femmes Artisanes participated in Riad Art Expo

present their products and handle customer relations.

The commercial experience has been growing: From a small exhibition in Marrakech, to Christmas markets

- a fair for Moroccan handicraft in Marrakech.

Empowerment

The goal of the project is to empower the handicraft women to be able to handle all steps in the process of selling their products: From getting new ideas, develop a design, make prototypes, buy materials on the

market, chose colours, organise production – and to be able to do business by finding clients, commu-nicate the value of their products, negotiate prices and distribute.

Group photoes

Throughout the project several groups of Danish and Moroccan design students has been involved in the collaboration with the craft women from Réseau Femmes Artisanes.