Title: Designers' and indigenous potters' collaboration towards innovation in pottery production

Authors: Samuel Nortey; Edwin K. Bodjawah

Addresses: Faculty of Art, College of Art and Built Environment, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana ' Faculty of Art, College of Art and Built Environment, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract: This paper touches on the boundaries between craft and design and innovations of the indigenous pottery in Ghana. It focuses on expanding the frontiers of production through a collaborative effort on design thinking and skills development as a starting point to new directions; it examines their response to new design thinking and new production forms which are related to their culture as well as being just novel and appealing to the current market. Two case studies in Ghana were used; female adults who have been in the art of producing pottery for over 25 years and young men who use some level of improvised machinery in producing the same. Through creative thinking and skills development, indigenous potters still maintained their cultural consciousness, satisfaction and were innovative in producing products which are relevant to their present life and market.

Keywords: design thinking; creativity; pottery; production skills; cognition.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2018.091153

Journal of Design Research, 2018 Vol.16 No.1, pp.64 - 81

Received: 30 Aug 2017
Accepted: 14 Dec 2017
Published online: 11 Apr 2018 *

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