Duration: Aug'14 to November'14
Project domain: Interaction Design, User Experience Design
Keywords: E-commerce, Entrepreneurship, Design for sustainability, Interaction design
Keywords: E-commerce, Entrepreneurship, Design for sustainability, Interaction design
Semester project: Introduction to Interaction Design
Project guide: Assistant Professor Keyur Sorathia, Department of Design, IIT Guwahati
Group size: Three
Project guide: Assistant Professor Keyur Sorathia, Department of Design, IIT Guwahati
Group size: Three
More details...
Achievements:
Second prize in Uxplorer 2015 (conducted by YUJ Designs)
Winner of Abhyuday Action Plan 2015 (conducted by IIT Bombay)
Presented at e-Assam challenge 2015
Second prize in Uxplorer 2015 (conducted by YUJ Designs)
Winner of Abhyuday Action Plan 2015 (conducted by IIT Bombay)
Presented at e-Assam challenge 2015
Project brief: With the objective of enhancing sale and production of Sualkuchi Muga silk clothes, following User Centred Design methodology, conducted ethnographic user research involving more than 15 stakeholders from Sualkuchi, Boko and Guwahati. Affinity analysis of the findings led to a prescribed solution involving e-commerce blended with a locally established organization.
Responsibilities: Team lead, Literature research, User research, Affinity analysis, Activity diagram, Ideation, DFD, Wireframe
Introduction:
The goal of this project was to make a design intervention in a local community where there had been negligible technological intervention. Our team focused on Sualkuchi Muga silk industry, after conducting initial literature research. Sualkuchi, a census town in Kamrup district in the Indian state of Assam, is filled with a large number of cottage handloom industries for which it is known as "Manchester of Assam". Muga silk along with Pat silk and Eri silk are considered to be the three main Assam silk. Unfortunately the Muga silk industry of Sualkuchi, along with overall Assam, is at the verge of extinction due to low sale and production.
Methodology:
We followed Goal Oriented Design methodology, also known as User Centred Design methodology. It involved review based research clarification and comprehensive descriptive study followed by initial prescriptive study. The various phases of the methodology are described below...
Research clarification:
Our group conducted literature research with the aim of understanding the domain, research justification, identifying problem areas and investigating past design interventions.
Our group conducted literature research with the aim of understanding the domain, research justification, identifying problem areas and investigating past design interventions.
User research:
We conducted qualitative user research. Mainly the interviews were conducted in the form of contextual inquiry at Sualkuchi, Assam. Most of the interviewees were grass root level people involved in Sualkuchi Muga silk industry such as cocoon cultivators, thread producers, design graph card producers, loom owners and weavers. A total of 15 stakeholders, spanning from Muga cucoon cultivator to Muga cloth customer were interviewed. The objective was to identify the major reasons for the downfall of Sualkuchi Muga silk industry, preceded by understanding the current system in place.
We conducted qualitative user research. Mainly the interviews were conducted in the form of contextual inquiry at Sualkuchi, Assam. Most of the interviewees were grass root level people involved in Sualkuchi Muga silk industry such as cocoon cultivators, thread producers, design graph card producers, loom owners and weavers. A total of 15 stakeholders, spanning from Muga cucoon cultivator to Muga cloth customer were interviewed. The objective was to identify the major reasons for the downfall of Sualkuchi Muga silk industry, preceded by understanding the current system in place.
Data analysis:
The empirical data was analyzed following single case and cross case affinity analysis and thematic analysis methods. The significant problems identified involve low sale and production of Muga silk clothes. There was a sensitive bi-directional causal relation between sale and production, mainly because of the high cost. The high cost of Muga silk commodities was due to the labor intensive and time consuming production process as well as the exclusive property value of the material. Also, the market reach of the grass root level people was mainly limited to traditional Assamese people. This was cause and effect of production of only traditional dress type which consumes high quantity of the material leading to high cost of the dress. As a result the sale was limited and low.
The empirical data was analyzed following single case and cross case affinity analysis and thematic analysis methods. The significant problems identified involve low sale and production of Muga silk clothes. There was a sensitive bi-directional causal relation between sale and production, mainly because of the high cost. The high cost of Muga silk commodities was due to the labor intensive and time consuming production process as well as the exclusive property value of the material. Also, the market reach of the grass root level people was mainly limited to traditional Assamese people. This was cause and effect of production of only traditional dress type which consumes high quantity of the material leading to high cost of the dress. As a result the sale was limited and low.
Ideation:
The major problems, identified from literature research and empirical study, were focused upon while generating ideas. These ideas were evaluated and selected using a selection matrix, followed by refining of the final solution.
Solution:
The solution is focused at establishing direct connect between the grass root level people of Sualkuchi (specifically loom owners), involved in Sualkuchi Muga silk Industry, and customers from all over the world. The prescribed solution is an e-commerce system interweaved with a local organization. The customers will be the users of the website where as the loom owners, due to unavailability of internet in daily life, will be connected through mobile phone (SMS and calls) along with guiding brochure and customer care staffs of the locally established organization.
The major problems, identified from literature research and empirical study, were focused upon while generating ideas. These ideas were evaluated and selected using a selection matrix, followed by refining of the final solution.
Solution:
The solution is focused at establishing direct connect between the grass root level people of Sualkuchi (specifically loom owners), involved in Sualkuchi Muga silk Industry, and customers from all over the world. The prescribed solution is an e-commerce system interweaved with a local organization. The customers will be the users of the website where as the loom owners, due to unavailability of internet in daily life, will be connected through mobile phone (SMS and calls) along with guiding brochure and customer care staffs of the locally established organization.
