Product Designer

Craftizen is a not-for-profit company founded in 2014 with a vision to preserve and evolve Indian craft skills so that they remain an integral part of our cultural fabric. We focus on craft-based skill and design training, coupled with market-driven capacity building to enable sustainable livelihoods for the following marginalised communities:
1. Adults with intellectual disability

2. Underprivileged women

3. Traditional artisans

We implement the livelihood programs with support from CSR donors, and in partnership with NGO partners. We are currently supporting **101 vocational training / livelihood centres across 9 states**.

Further, there is a strong environmental focus and all of the skill training is focussed on craft skills involving recycling and upcycling of a range of discard materials including such as Temple flowers, Paper-waste, Fabric leftovers and Silk thread discards.

The project is a comprehensive approach to craft based livelihoods that in addition to skill training also involves production, design and marketing support.

**Responsibilities**:
I. **Research**
- Research the discard materials thoroughly to understand different ways of working with them
- Research products made from recycling and upcycling with similar and other materials in India and abroad focussing on different techniques and innovations
- Research on different techniques / processes / tools / required for our products - physical market visits as well as online research
- Market research to study trends and understand scope and appeal of the craft skill / material / product range

II. **Design Development**
- Craft based product development across a wide range of craft skills including recycling and upcycling a range of discards (as mentioned above)
- Product development - designing, sampling and prototyping for all approved concepts
- Drive innovations particularly in flower recycling
- Incorporating features into the products that will appeal to our target audience (corporate professionals / retail customers as the case maybe) such as educational value, use of sustainable materials, durability, safety and so on.
- Designing suitable promotional material and branding including packaging and labels
- Market-centric designs focussed on our target bulk buyers for the different festive seasons - Diwali, Holi and Rakshabandhan ; as well as corporate gifting
- Plan and execute design development, sampling and prototyping along with our partner centres and trainers
- Ensure our product development is in keeping within target cost and price constraints / decisions

III. **Training and Production**
- Design training & capacity building of craft trainers and master artisans
- Monitor the design training of beneficiaries
- Understand process efficiency for the craft since this will be a key input in finalisation of our designs ensuring production and cost efficiencies
- Planning for an integrated production line along with production team
- Assisting production team in planning for assembly line production
- Planning (monthly, quarterly and annual) for design and production across our livelihood centres in and around Bangalore and Hyderabad
- Conducting train the trainer workshops for our trainers and partner centres on a need basis
- Ensure partner centres deliver samples / prototypes / production orders within committed timelines

IV. **Project Documentation**
- Design documentation: skill techniques, design specifications, sampling process and quality guidelines, photographs and videos
- Actively involved in user feedback and testing of products
- Developing and standardising quality guidelines for all of the samples and products
- Submitting periodic reports as required

V. **Working with Stakeholders**
- Work closely with our partner organizations in and around Bangalore and in other cities
- Design coordination with other freelance designers engaged under the program
- Work with external experts / institutes / technical advisors / mentors assigned to the project
- Agencies involved in Branding, Packaging, Product Testing, Certifications and so on

Pay: ₹30,000.00 - ₹45,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person