For the past week, I prototyped my first pair of straw shoes :) and worked on the midterm board. I continued researching about shoe construction and what are the possibilities /design intervention for my product.
To be clear at what shoes has to do with helping sex slaves in Cambodia:
Point 1: Shoes are essential for preventing injuries and catching pesticides, not wearing shoes can cause serious injuries especially when there's no proper constructed road (which i mentioned in my previous blog post, rural Cambodia lacks roads ). To properly construct a sturdy pair of shoes, it takes time, energy and detail devotions that most male figures in traditional Cambodia family lacks.
Point 2: I want to make it clear that weaving has been in Cambodia for decades, and my point of reintroducing weaving technique to these optionless families can provide unlimited chances for them to weave out other products and have an option.
point 3: The woven shoes /products will eventually be on the global market, being sold as a consumer-conscience product. informing people where it came from and who made it.
I am still working on the construction of the shoes, and has been researching different weaving pattern from the material library as seen below.
For midterm i will have a complete proposal with the following questions answered:
1. How are the materials going to be accessed by rural Cambodia
2. The specific town/ community that i am targeting in rural Cambodia.
3. External partnership that will cooperate with me to manage the shipping aspect of future global sales of the product.
--I am still working on my midterm board!
suggestions and comments are welcomed:)
3 comments:
Hi angela,
Thanks for clarifying the reasoning you used to bring you to this point in your process. Your original focus on the victims of the sex slavery business has led you to understand that the answer to many social problems all over the world is to aleviate poverty. If families had another source of income, they would be able to fight back against the criminal gangs, and keep their children safe. But, now it appears that the focus on this particular class of victim is no longer helping you or supporting your argument: the point is to provide people with a source of income through micro-lending and outfitting rural, uneducated people with tools and a source of materials to allow them to participate in the global economy. Now that you have reached this point, it no longer makes sense to talk about human trafficking victims, because any impoverished rural family would benefit from this program. I know it may be hard to lose this aspect, but right now it seems like you stuck that in, and it seems awkward.
I really like, by the way, your work identifying some high tech materials that might make for really interesting, modern shoes with unusual properties, making them very useful for walking in swampy areas or dirt roads. I don't see why the shoes have to be made out of locally available materials, because then the product may look crude, and not stylish. there are all kinds of interesting materials that you could use, like the various woven things that you had in class yesterday. I am not sure exactly what I am suggesting, but I just feel that you should be careful about making something that looks very handmade. It will sell better if it is very stylish and unusual.
hi steven ,
"I don't see why the shoes have to be made out of locally available materials, because then the product may look crude, and not stylish. there are all kinds of interesting materials that you could use, like the various woven things that you had in class yesterday. I am not sure exactly what I am suggesting, but I just feel that you should be careful about making something that looks very handmade. It will sell better if it is very stylish and unusual."
--i wanted to concentrate on local, accessible materials in rural cambodia because i wanted my product to tell a story-- a story that let consumers know WHY they are purchasing what they are purchasing, something that's made out of fancy foreign material can easily be mass produces in China, and i wanted my project to be focusing on Rural Cambodia, and whats the easiest accessible material for these option less family.
thanks
angela
Yes, Angela, I see your point. But it may be hard to make something really nice looking if you are using found materials.
Post a Comment