ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing ArtsISSN (Online): 2582-7472
DESIGN ATTRIBUTE PREFERENCES FOR
SANTINIKETAN LEATHER BAGS Sanjib Kumar Das 1 , Dushyant Dave 2 1, 2 Department of Design, Banasthali University, Rajasthan, India
1. INTRODUCTION Globalization has produced immense opportunities for
Indian crafts to expand its recognition in the international market. At the
same time with customers having a broad preference, the present market has
become intensely competitive. The consumer-centric product design is considered
as key competitive edge. In contrast, it appears that most of the handicraft
products of India are driven by artistic expressions or independent market
interpretation. Design attributes are parameters based on which the conceptual
structure of the product is built. The key aspect of the design attributes is
to define design goals, features, limitations and
performance of the product. Santiniketan leather handicraft is known for its
colourful ethnic styling. Santiniketan
leather crafts were previously crafted entirely using hand and some basic
tools. Nowadays some simple machines are used and the
craft process has not yet been modernized. Tools used in making of the crafts
are brush, hammer, ball press machine, glass paperweight, or glazing machine,
scissors, mouth spray, and dyes. Figure 1 illustrates the manufacturing
process of the Santiniketan Leather Bags. Figure
1
Traditionally
the most appealing feature of the Santiniketan Leather bags is the colourful
artistic motifs inspired by the Alpona work, flower and animal motifs or
mythological stories. In the recent times, geometric motifs and patterns are
popular choice of the customers and widely practiced through the application of
Batik & Block printing. The style range of the bags includes large to
medium sized handbags, shoppers, messenger bags, duffle bags and a variety of
small purses. Figure 2
While this craft is popular and artistically recognized, the growth of this craft is limited in domestic and international markets due to insufficient product innovation and limited designs. In this study we established the relationship between product design and consumer preferences based on various design attributes. Further a customer preferential matrix is created to help design new bags meeting customers’ perception. 2. Literature review Handicraft industry of India is a highly labour intensive and has largely contributed to employment in rural India. According to a United Nations report, there has been a 30% reduction in the total number of artisans over past 30 years Bissel (2013). Many artisans lack ability to sustain new market challenges and hence are forced to switch to unskilled employment in urban industries Kapur and Mittar (2014). In contrast to the diverse styles that have emerged in the present market, continued usage of the age-old motifs and other design forms by the local artisans contributed significantly in decline of demand. 66% of urban youth in the age group 18-25 years find these designs boring and outdated Raviprakash et al. (2019). In a report on National Handicrafts Policy, All India Artisans and Craft workers Welfare Association stated that artisans “must build genuine, modern, and evolving hand crafted products that are relevant in the market” All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association. (2017). In order to revive the economy of the handicrafts and retain employment in the Indian handicraft industry, it is imperative to adapt contemporary trends of the global marketplace keeping suitable balance with traditional practices. Product design has a greater effect on our everyday lives Creusen and Schoormans (2005). In product design creative thinking enables to apply imagination to generate ideas, experiment and evaluate ideas, products and processes Kampylis and Berki (2014). At the initial stage of design process, several design alternatives are generated, to determine which one to pursue for further development Eppinger and Ulrich (1995). Design in its physical form is one of the important factors for a product to be a success in the market. In a cluttered marketplace, a product form helps to acquire consumer attention Truong et al. (2014). The product form or its exterior appearance is important and provides an initial impression to conclude other product attributes similar to prices Tian et al. (2001). In order to create a cultural value, handcrafted items depend heavily on design attributes like motifs, patterns, and colour Luchs and Swan (2011). Thus it is necessary to explore, identify and use the key attributes and its dimensions to create a new product to meet the needs and expectations of the consumers Song et al. (2015). 3. Methodology This study was conducted in two steps with the first step was to classify the design attributes based on information that customers evaluate while purchasing a product. Design attributes of the bags were thereafter sectioned into several benchmarking factors based on demand, availability and trends. Figure 3 illustrates the benchmark of Design attributes derived from the Field visits, books, magazines, and websites dealing with Santiniketan bags. In the second step, a descriptive cross-sectional consumer survey was performed to understand the consumer’s preferences. The authors produced a well-structured illustrative questionnaire related to the design attributes of Santiniketan leather bags. Figure 3
Further, a field survey was done among a total of 60 women participants who are users of Leather handbags. The participants were asked to evaluate the design attributes on a five-point scale where '1' marked the least preferred and '5' scored the most preferred. A weighted mean score method is used to determine the desired design attributes of Santiniketan leather bags. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1. Sample characteristics The study focused on women perception of Indian and foreign origin who are users of the handbags and are aware of Santiniketan style of bags. The sample characteristics are presented in Table 1. Table 1
4.2. Assessment of consumer preference based on design attributes Consumer choice for a particular product is a subjective characteristic. Preference of design attributes available in a product is affected by psychological consideration and physiological experience. Visual analysis is a significant component in the assessment of any products by the customers. Also, consumer acceptability at the product development stage is necessary to give direction for mass production. From the data collected from the respondents regarding their preference of various design attributes, weighted means score was calculated to quantify each variants of design attributes. Based on the total calculated results, the attribute ranking was done to mark the preferences represented in Table 2 section wise. Table 2
Bag Type: Section A of Table 2 illustrates that out of the seven most commonly used bag-type in Santiniketan leather bags bowling is the most preferred style by respondents closely followed by Tote. Hobo and messenger bags have been graded above Baguette and Duffel is least preferred bag type. The most preferred bags are moderate to big in sized which allow users to blend style with practicality. Bag Size: As indicated in section B, the preferred size of Santiniketan bag is medium with large opted as the next preference. From this it can be concluded that Santiniketan leather bags is perceived by most respondents as a day bag rather than dress or evening bag. Bag Silhouette: The results as shown in section C illustrate trapezoid and rectangular are most preferred silhouettes with a tie in the ranking. The other silhouettes are considered by the respondents as odds with huge difference in ranking points. Both the chosen silhouettes are considered as classic types for Santiniketan leather bags. Bag Colour: Colour is considered to be one of the most influential attributes in purchase decision making process. Most often the same product is made in different colour variants. There are about 14 colours used in Santiniketan products out of which few colours are common which is provided in the list. However, the ranking in section D show that respondents selected multi-colour as option to endorse the vibrant appeal of Santiniketan bags. Bag Handle: Most of the bag handles of Santiniketan bags doesn’t include any metal trims or accessories. However, as per section E respondents have preferred handle with metal ring which is in contrast with present practice. Bag Closure: As indicated in section F, the preferred bag closure for Santiniketan bag is top zip followed by down zip construction. Open top has been least preferred by the respondents emphasizing on the significance of the security feature of the bag. Art Inspiration & Motifs: Santiniketan leather bags are inspired by folk art visible in the form of motifs and patterns. Traditionally Alpona and abstract motifs of animals and flowers are main art inspiration. However, section G show that the modern customers are more inclined towards geometric abstract patterns which clearly shows a paradigm shift. Bag Complexity: The results as shown in section H illustrates moderately complex bags are most preferred style followed by complex styles in the rankings. In contrast classic Santiniketan leather bags are mostly simple in construction. Bag Material & Finish: Section I illustrate that the combination of block print and leather batik is the most preferred material and finish while block print only and batik only have ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively revealing customers’ preference towards complex characteristics of the bag design. From the results above a design attribute preferential
matrix Figure 4 is drawn based on the
rankings obtained. In order to provide a wider scope of variance in the
designs, the first two ranks has been considered for
each design attributes. The matrix is based on a combination principle of 9 design
attributes and 18 variations which can be used to design new bags meeting
customers’ perception. Figure 4
5. Conclusion In the present fashion scenario, people want changes in apparel accessories to create variety in personal styles. With the decline of sales and traditional approach to design it is apparent that there is inadequacy in incorporating customers’ preferences in a strategic way into the present system of design of Santiniketan leather bags. The rankings obtained through the study is significant in the context of the paradigm shift from traditional to contemporary values which is indicated by the respondents preference of Geometric abstract motifs over traditional motifs like alpona, floral or mythological. The rankings also confirm that the customers prefer moderately complex bags which are seldom manufactured in Santiniketan style. Other preferences show that customers prefer a contemporary and practical direction in the design of the Santiniketan leather bags. The study also proposed a unique method to design new bags meeting customers’ perceptions. The method is prearranged by a matrix that map customer preference of design attributes and their variations to achieve a customer oriented bag design. This approach will lead to further studies to explore the market response and decision support mechanism based on the proposed method to assist in design.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS None. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS None. REFERENCES All India Artisans and Craftworkers
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Ulrich, K. (1995). Product Design and Development
(5th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Kampylis, P., & Berki, E. (2014). Nurturing Creative Thinking. International Academy of Education (IAE), 1-28. Kapur, H., & Mittar, S. (2014). Design Intervention & Craft Revival. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Journal of Product Innovation Management, 4(10), 1-5. Luchs, M., & Swan, K. S. (2011). Perspective: The Emergence of Product Design as a Field of Marketing Inquiry. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 28(3), 327-345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2011.00801.x Raviprakash, N., Damani, S., Chatterjee, A., Joshi, M., & Agrawal, P. (2019). Using AI for Economic Upliftment of Handicraft Industry. arXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1907.02014 Song, H. J., Lee, C. K., Park, J. A., Hwang, Y. H., & Reisinger, Y. (2015). The Influence of Tourist Experience on Perceived Value and Satisfaction with Temple Stays: the Experience Economy Theory. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 32(4), 401-415. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2014.898606 Tian, K. T., Bearden, W. O., & Hunter, G. L. (2001). Consumers' Need for Uniqueness: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(1), 50-66. https://doi.org/10.1086/321947 Truong, Y., Klink, R. R., Fort‐Rioche, L., & Athaide, G. A. (2014). Consumer Response to Product Form in Technology‐Based Industries. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 31(4), 867-876. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12128
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