Menn Baladha:
In 2012, two colleagues and I co-founded “Menn Baladha” a social startup in Egypt. We were interested in using design to connect between the craftsmen and the local market who do not always see eye to eye. Especially in Egypt, local and handmade products are usually synonyms to low quality or charity. Using methods of appreciative inquiry we worked with craftsmen to build on the strength of their craft and find opportunities for expanding understanding.
To date, we have explored three crafts, pottery, blown glass, and wood turning. And We have built relationships with craftsmen that have been able to expand their workshop and their market reach, leading to more employment, training of younger staff, and income generation.
Team:
Amira El-Shawarby,
Salma Adel.
My roles:
Product designer,
Strategic designer,
Outreach.
Background:
Egypt has a rich, diverse and historical craft industry. However, due to the economic, social and political issues of the country the industry has remained relatively underdeveloped and disconnected from the many market potentials.
‘Menn Baladha’ is a Cairo based design studio, co- founded to redefine contemporary Egyptian craft production. The name ‘Menn Baladha’ literally means “from where it originated’. It is an Arabic idiom that stands for local ingenuity, which means if you want the best version of something you go to where it was first created, where experience has allowed for mastery.
‘Menn Baladha’ aims at introducing design to the Egyptian crafts production sector, bridging the gap between the Egyptian craftsman and the local market. We base our efforts on trying to connect those two,
by developing the processes of the craftsman and changing the perception of the market.
- Map of Egypt & Abdeen’s workshop
Research & design process:
IDENTIFY CRAFT, OUTREACH, OBSERVE, INVESTIGATE, & EXPERIMENT:
We start the process by identifying a craft and location to study. We visit different workshops, observe the ecosystem and connect with workshops to work with according to their openness to collaborate, their skills and capacity, etc. Once we have a craftsman we start to observe the making process, resources, properties, limitations, history of the craft through research and experiments. We also observe the relationship dynamics and underling systems at work in the workshop and surrounding infrastructure.
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, STRENGTH, & MARKET:
To develop the craftsman’s process we work together to identify opportunity areas, such as designing tools to develop precision and accuracy, creating new space/storage configuration for better work-flow, or partnering across crafts
PROTOTYPING:
After combining both the market research and the experimentation of the craft, we present the craftsman with a rough design and then work together to make the first prototype. Through the process of making the prototype we adjust and change the design collaboratively.
FINAL DESIGN AND MARKETING PLAN:
After testing the prototypes both for production process and functionality we finalize the design and start the order. Furthermore, To develop the perception of crafts we use design to re-imagine the experience of buying crafts, including aesthetics, packaging, stories, function and any other experiential aspects we see relevant.
STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS AND CONTINUOUS DESIGN ITERATIONS:
Throughout out process we work on strengthening our relationship with the craftsmen and consciously navigate the complexities of the connection. Furthermore, we constantly work on developing new designs and improving our products based on the craftsmen feedback and customers.
- Tools Study & Prototyping with Abdeen
Exhibitions, & features:
Our products have been exhibited in multiple exhibitions including dubai design week and featured online internationally. The products have been sold in Middle East and Gulf Region.
Other Case studies:
Starting ‘Menn Baladha’ we were eager to explore all the different crafts and techniques mastered here in Egypt. As a result, we conducted several other case studies with other crafts including handblown glass and woodturning. During those case studies we were following similar processes to come up with modern day-today products.