ARTISAN INNOVATION WORKSHOP
Inspiring solutions to strengthen artisan businesses
The Artisan Innovation Workshop is a collaborative series of activities to strengthen artisan businesses and help them reach their immense potential for growth in the global economy. Designed in partnership with the U.S. Department of State's Office of Global Women's Issues, this workshop offers artisan businesses and artisan support organizations an opportunity to spend a day mapping the artisan value chain and examining issues and opportunities for their organizations.
This workshop is not just for artisans. It is for anyone seeking to strengthen artisan businesses, better understand issues impacting the artisan sector, or in search of new ways to improve livelihoods for artisans and the communities in which they work. The workshop uses human-centered design principles recommended in UNESCO's 2013 Creative Economy Report, including empathy building, story sharing, and co-creation techniques, to inspire collaboration and innovation across the artisan value chain.
WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES
The Artisan Innovation Workshop includes four activities to spark conversation and generate ideas to strengthen artisan businesses:
ACTIVITY 1
CREATE JOURNEY MAP
Create a visual map of the distinct activities involved in the artisan value chain, from sourcing raw materials to selling a finished product.
~ 2 hours
ACTIVITY 2
Establish Empathy
View the journey map from the perspective of key stakeholders to understand their needs, motivations, and aspirations at each stage of the journey.
~ 1 hour
Activity 3
Business Insights
Identify and analyze a business's key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats at each stage of the journey.
~ 1 hour
ACTIVITY 4
DISCOVER SOLUTIONS
Brainstorm ideas to address key business insights across the value chain. Participants create a list of ideas to be implemented after the workshop.
~ 2 hours
HOW IT WORKS
WHY HOST A WORKSHOP?
What are the benefits of facilitating a workshop?
This workshop will help you identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for your business and help you identify ways to turn those insights into action and plans to strengthen your business. The Alliance will use the results from your workshop to collect and analyze data on the sector and highlight opportunities and solutions that can be replicated in other areas or scaled up to create more value for artisan businesses in the value chain.
The Alliance will provide all the tools you need to facilitate
Artisan businesses and artisan support organizations can register to facilitate their own in-person workshop for their business or organization. The workshop website and Facilitator's Guide will be piloted in target countries beginning in early 2017. Sign up to facilitate below to register your interest in hosting a session for your business or organization. We will contact you when the workshop website launches.