Mind behind SEED

Since my childhood, I had a dream to do something for society and people below poverty line. No society can advance or progress without sufficient financial recourses. So I used to do lot of social work while studying in Ramakrishna Mission …then fashion designing in NIFD. Then I perceive that our Handicraft and handloom artisans have been keeping their young generation away from parental craft, and I started interrogating the artisans that why they keep their generation away from traditional arts? While doing my final project for NIFD, I could see the pathetic condition as well dyeing enthusiasm of our Chikankari work in Lucknow (U.P). I got a practical example there itself by asking them about their payments and betterments. And surprisingly I came to know that those artisans were hired on daily basis and been paid barely 40-50 Rs/day. Maximum one karigar was earning 1500 a month. And that’s the reason their entire family was at work to sustain their family. No education, no growth no hope for future.

As after my course I got offer from corporate world and my life started differently but my mind  and heart keep on haunting always to do something concrete to revive Indian craft and give a new dimension specially to the dyeing arts. Accidently in the year 2009 in Bangalore I was required some educational toys for one school and one of my friends referred me to Shilpa trust, who were dealing with high quality lacquer ware toys, from their again I got my spark and it was the starting point of SEED. One whole year I thoroughly observed the so called channapatna art which is known as a toy land of India, and get to know about the artisan’s life and their struggle to revive this art. Slowly and gradually my wife Shipra who was working which Mahindra retail as a Deputy Manager Visual merchandising also left her corporate job and join hands. Now she is looking after the design and giving a new dimension to Indian craft. And then after my sister also joins hand with us, who was having PR experience in airline and media field.

SEED NEW PRODUCTS

A DOOR STOP is a wedge attached to a wall or inserted beneath the door to hold it open at a desired position. It is also used to prevent the door from the impact of striking into the wall. It was believed that a door stop was created because ancient doors were heavy so an equally heavy stop was required to prevent the blowing wind to shut it. 

SEED usually designs lot of items, one of them is a door stop but because of our craftsmanship, door stops nowadays are being modified and are now decorative objects aside from serving a utilitarian purpose.

Here is our Unusual and Creative Design of a Door Stop that could inspire you in spicing up your Kid's room and could probably serve as an attraction for your guests. Most of these designs are not seen in the market. Try to look at these funny and eye-catching door stop designs and enjoy watching!

Soon they are coming in the market for gifting purpose with lovely packaging.

INTRO

SEED CREATION is an initiative of SEED design studio, mainly to help Indian

artisans and giving a new dimension to our Handicraft and Handloom art. We will be 

supporting artisan base trusts and organisations to promote handicrafts and 

handlooms throughout Indian and across world. From our end we will give them marketing and design support free of cost and will showcase their art everywhere under SEED platform. 

“Any SEED in this world needs favorable conditions to come up with strong roots and fruitful shoot. Your business is our seed and for you we will see for, sow for and reap for designs.”

After agriculture, handicraft is the second largest occupation in India with more than 23 million people in this sector. Every 7-10 years 10% of these artisans leave their jobs looking for better opportunities. If this continues the Indian Handicrafts will be lost in the next few decades.

Hence we decided to take this situation head on and create a unique ‘SEED’ platform for artisans and crafts people, we are taking initiatives to develop strengths in advising, designing, marketing and promoting techniques. We will help them generate revenue, make profit and develop their new business platforms. Our aim is to associate with maximum number of Artisans throughout India and give them a platform, where they can upgrade and educate themselves. We provides vital, and fair income to all those who are associated with us by marketing their arts, thoughts and sharing their stories and creating an emotional bonding. We develop products that appear to work the best in this modern lifestyle, which in turn accelerates the learning curve and ultimately the growth of the trusts and organisation we are collaborated with as a whole.

ABOUT SEED

SEED CREATION is a platform for creative minds to flourish and grow. It gives an international platform and an open space to work. We believe in team work, honesty and time management. Customer satisfaction is our priority. Our aim is to associate with maximum number of Artisans throughout India and give them a platform, where they can upgrade and educate themselves and we will give international value addition to their art. It is very much important to uplift our Artisans, so that our own Indian handicraft art can be promoted throughout the world. Apart from product development our main focus is corporate branding, promotions, art directions, graphic designing, visual merchandising and photography.

What can we do?

Personal visits to the trust were undertaken to collect primary data in the form of photographs and physical products. It was essential to collect photographs of different products. No design catalogues or documentation were available in printed or digital format because the artisans hardly keep any record of their designs. The normal practice was to make a sample for the order, which was then approved by the buyer and sent back for manufacturing.

The whole process will take more than a month’s time. It was found that there was a dire need for product innovation and for design upgrades to meet international standards. We will try to shorten the period needed for approval by using digital images. An online gallery of available products might also create opportunities for direct orders. Based on this assumption, News letters of new products will be dispatched to existing buyers and with this we would try to pitch in for new business as well.

Vision and Mission of SEED

VISION OF SEED

We believe it is critical to create new products with market appeal and to ensure that our production methods are eco-effective, re-cycled and can sustain these new products. Our marketing objective is simple, Link artisans to new markets and ensures those links can continue growing well beyond SEED's involvement. During the course of the research we found that many of the products made by the artisans were outdated. Therefore, to revive the tradition and to make the products relevant to modern tastes, special inputs were provided on designs. Hence we will not only enhance their skills of design, color sense but also provide additional linkages that would create new business avenues for them

MISSION OF SEED

We pride ourselves on giving form to the complex mix of values and impressions that make up a brand. That's because we realise that true innovation is supported by thoughts. We provide vital, and fair income to all those who are associated with us by marketing their art, thoughts and telling their stories and create an emotional bonding. SEED works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. This income helps pay for food, education, health care, housing and medication. The aim is to empower these artisans to overcome personal, cultural and financial obstacles and achieve success. Empowered with independence and self-confidence, they can take active roles in shaping their own lives as well as their families and communities.

NEWS FORUM

SEED has joined hands with SHILPA TRUST, which is associated with World Fair Trade Organisation; it stands as a social welfare organisation, secular in character, non-profitable public charitable registered trust, and register under the trust act. It is committed to the social and economic development of Rural Artisans both women and men. Their credo is “Employment through self-help”. Its main area of operation is the state of Karnataka in South India. They are specialised in Lacquerware art and wooden work.

Latest while our Kolkatta Visit two more organisation have shown their interest to join hands with us for this noble cause. And they are SILENCE and SHASHA. Silence is a very well known trust in West Bengal for their beautiful candles and bedded jewel work, 90% of their karigars are either deaf & dumb or physically challenged. A commendable initiative started by Mr Chanchal to help artisans. Another one is SHASHA, one of the largest marketing organisations for small artisan groups in Kolkatta. They are mainly marketing Leather purse, wallet, sandals etc and marketing silk scarves and many more handicraft items for several small-scale artisan groups in West Bengal.