Handicrafts
– Trendier Than Ever
Questionnaire on the Future Trends
in the Crafts and Design field
The number of crafts enthusiasts is growing, individual clothing
styles are in, people are into recycling, the ecological qualities of
products have become an absolute value and strict attitudes are
loosening. These were some of the responses received in the questionnaire on the future trends in the crafts and design field by the
Finnish Crafts Organization Taito last spring. The questionnaire was
answered by some 460 respondents, most of whom work in the field
or are crafts enthusiasts.
The questionnaire showed that appreciation for crafts has increased
and visibility has grown. Crafts live in the present day. Indeed, they
have become trendy and are perceived as belonging to everyone.
Young people in particular were thought to be more interested in
crafts than before. Crafts are visible in the media, especially in the
social media, blogs being particularly popular. At the same time,
the endless stream of information can also cause people to repel the
excess supply and to stick to the information offered by magazines
and books.
Crafts are seen to have broken out and become freer and more
versatile. There is more tolerance and courage within the field,
many boundaries have been broken and various kinds of phenomena have become interconnected.
Craftworks are expected to look
“Crafts skills are no
like they were made by hand, and
longer passed down
other products imitate the resemfrom parents or grandblance of handicrafts. Differences
parents; instead, people
and distinctiveness are also imlearn them indepenportant values, and sometimes the
dently.”
pursuit of individuality may even
verge on egotism.
A permissive attitude to tradition is a part of the freeing of crafts.
People are still interested in traditions, but first and foremost as a
starting point for new things. Traditions are effortlessly transferred
Right now, making crafts
and using them has
perhaps more street
credibility than ever
before. Crafts are in.
At the same time,
there are many conflicts
and schools of thought
that have a great impact on
the crafts and design field.
Belief in the future is
strong, but what kind of
future?
Questionnaire on the Future Trends
in the Crafts and Design field
2012
The Finnish Crafts Organization
FIN-00180 Helsinki
Finland
ktl@taito.fi
www.taito.fi
to new applications. Knitting and crocheting are alive
and strong, whereas weaving has declined, although
there are some small signs of interest in the latter being
revived. Knitting and crocheting are fast techniques and
do not require large tools and are therefore easy to carry
with you.
The freeing of crafts is linked to new kinds of combinations, the blending of new and old, different kinds
of materials and techniques. It is also connected to a
breaking out from traditional educational and training
systems. These days a self-taught enthusiast can also be
a credible artisan.
The DIY movement and radical crafts
“Will the
Internet dominate are strong phenomena. People want to
the crafts material move on from powerful experiences to
making things themselves. Crafts are a
business?”
global pursuit and influences are easy
and quick to absorb via the Internet.
Of the respondents, 90 per cent think
that online stores will become more
common in the field of crafts. The respondents were
mainly worried about domestic commerce in this ever
globalising field.
Online stores will become more common
I strongly
disagree
0%
I slightly
disagree
10 %
I strongly agree
48 %
I slightly agree
42 %
“Journeymen and
master craftsmen
will return to this
line of work.”
What does the young generation say?
About nine per cent of the respondents were between the ages of 15 and 25. Of these…
… 70 per cent believed in ethnic clothing styles
… 98 per cent believed in recycling
… 63 per cent thought the number of artisans in the field will decrease but appreciation for
crafts products will increase
… 92 per cent believed that everyone needs crafts skills
… 100 per cent believed that crafts have an impact on our well-being
… 93 per cent believed in handicrafts that are fast to make
… 100 per cent considered ecological issues important
… 55 per cent thought that enthusiasts and hobbyists will steal the market from expert artisans
… 63 per cent still considered shop selling important
The questionnaire showed that the respondents had
misgivings about long crafts courses, but not short
ones. Also a clearly greater number of respondents
were interested in crafts that were fast and easy to
make than in slow and laborious
“There’s a certain forms. Some of the respondents
were consequently worried about
class division
the future of slow and demanding
evident in courses
handicraft skills.
and also in
trainers.”
Recycling is here to stay as a permanent part of crafts. The respondents also considered ethical and
ecological questions to be strong and serious issues,
although they were simultaneously worried about the
future of skills and quality.
The attitude to materials is also changing: recycled
materials are now a strong alternative. The material,
instead of the product, may even be the starting point
of design. Environmental issues are taken seriously
and through them, people have begun to understand
how limited materials are. Of the respondents, 95 per
cent were of the opinion that consumers want information about materials and the life cycle of a product.
Today, crafts are also seen as a very important factor
contributing to the increase of health and well-being.
Respondents also believed that sometimes making
something yourself is even more important than the
finished product. Some of the respondents found that
crafts have given them powerful experiences that will
last for the rest of their lives.
Fast and easy is interesting to me
I strongly
disagree
2%
12 %
I slightly
disagree
I strongly agree
40 %
I slightly agree
46 %
Respondents age
over 65 years old
6%
46 %
46-65 years old
Photos Sami Perttilä.
Products www.paloni.fi
39 %
26-45 years old
9%
15-25 years old
0%
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
50 %
Crafts have become a communal activity, new
casual groups have been created and traditional players have partly been left on the
sidelines. Crafts for charity also play a more
visible role than before.
In conclusion, the respondents had a positive
but also realistic view of the crafts business.
Many of them saw problems specifically in entrepreneurs’ everyday lives and earning possibilities. Global sales online, the increase in the
numbers of hobbyists and enthusiasts in the trade,
and old-fashioned methods and services were considered threats to domestic entrepreneurship.
The texts in italics in this feature are direct quotations
from the respondents.
Text Tiina Aalto and Marketta Luutonen.
Professor
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• Overproduction
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• Design
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• Design is more than creating shapes: it must
touch the entire society
• The beauty of an aging product
• High design for a small target group will decrease
and practicality will be emphasised more and more
• Make something different that’s normal!
• The feel of a product and its material are importtant
antt
• Designing a new product is more difficult than
adjusting an old one. The idea should not be to create ever new products but to create new versions of
old products.
Hans Maier-Aichen gave a lecture last February 2012 at
the Ambiente Trade Fair in Frankfurt.
Respondents profession
something else
8%
enthusiast
24 %
entrepreneur
16 %
student
13 %
educator, trainen, advisor, consultant,
business advisor, shop manager,
developer
29 %
0%
5%
10 %
15 %
20 %
25 %
30 %
35 %