Ayaan Ahmed

Design for Policy: Weaving the Social Fabric of Scotland

Design for Change - MA

School of Design

ayaanahmed.design@gmail.com

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three rows of paper weaves- the policy devices being discussed

Participatory Policy Devices as received from the Craftspeople

Project description

My project explores the changing landscape of craft-related policies, the type of evidence conventionally strengthening policymaking, and how design-led methods can provide an alternative approach to this practice. I explore this topic through participatory action research, mobilizing the Weavers of Scotland to present their aspirations towards the transition into a Circular economy, through visual processes of sensemaking. I have created a “Policy Device”, shaped as a frame loom and packaged as a cultural probe kit, with the intention of using a vocation-related policy-interaction tool to uncover inspirational data about the Weavers' perspectives. My hope is that these policy devices can be abstracted, re-moulded and applied to other craft sectors, within and outside of Scotland, so as to map the fundamental policy needs of each distinct craft through a constructive, participatory and generative process.

Bio

I am a Design and Craft enthusiast, from Kolkata, India, working at the intersection of discursive policymaking for the circular economy, design-led methodologies and the heritage crafts of Scotland. My background lies in textile and fashion design, and I have worked with the craftspeople of India. Simultaneously, my academic interests in international development, politics, and policymaking have further shaped this project. The co-design projects in the rural economies of Northern India helped me understand the predominant power dynamics inherent in the foundation of such projects. Therefore, through this project, I aimed to observe, interrogate, and move beyond such co-optations of participation, particularly in areas of policy development. I believe that design-led methods hold the potential to unlock elements of participation that haven't been fully explored, especially when applied beyond traditional design fields. This project is a physical manifestation of these realizations, and I wish to continue building on this foundation.

Awards

John L Patterson Scholarship Sunil Sethi Award for Most Creative and Sustainable Textile Collection

Skills & Experience

Design Rsearch
System and Policy Design
textile and Fashion consultant
Craft-led epistemologies curator
Participatory methods and Public participation Facillitator
Sustainability and Circularity consultant
Playful Engagement Strategist (Internship at the Information Services Group)
Student Ambassador at University of Edinburgh (Marketing and Public Engagement)

Supporting Citizenship-Craft Relationship through Participation

Craft practices and the social position of craftspeople have been declining due to a combination of structural reasons across the world. Scottish crafts, deeply rooted in tradition and cultural heritage, are more than economic assets; they embody history, identity, and knowledge. Crafting in Scotland is not just about producing goods but also transmitting skills, values, and worldviews across generations, contributing to a way of knowing and being in the world. This practice reveals the interconnectedness of knowledge, culture, and existence, highlighting an underexplored potential within this framework that can be applied beyond the craft itself. This project builds a hypothesis that citizenship-based public participation, especially in the areas of democratic affairs such as policy making can rebuild the socio-economic position of crafts.

shuttle-shaped broaches as tokens of participation

Operationalising Discursive Policymaking Narratives

"Discursive policy making is a process that involves analyzing policy processes and the subjectivity of actors through discourse, social practices, and debate".

This project utilises the subjective nature of data derived through the use of design-led methodologies such as ethnography and cultural probes, and applies it to policy-making processes for the circular economy. This action-led research process reflects the ideology that we live in a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects.

Keywords of the project

Using Cultural Probe for Policymaking

Infozines and hand full of shuttle shaped braoches

Infozines and the shuttle shaped broaches

Cultural probe kit- Postcards, paper strips, frame loom, stickers and an envelope

Policy-oriented cultural probe kit

Participant experiences documented in postcards

arrangement of probe kit on final display

Cultural Probe Methodology

Drawing from the concept of cultural probes, which gather insights into people's lives, values, and thoughts in a creative and open-ended manner, these tools can effectively support discursive policy research. Cultural probes combine tools that allow participants to document their thoughts, ideas, interactions, and surroundings. Additionally, interviews, ethnographic observations, and workshops can enhance data triangulation and sharpen focus areas, making them particularly valuable in policy research by facilitating experimental inquiry and validating the use of alternative qualitative data.

Ethnographic Observations

weavers displaying a community piece developed at their studio

thomas kennedy loom

inspiration board of the craftspeople

Using Design Ethnography Methodology

Human-related activities can't be studied in isolation, so design research often incorporates methods from sociology and anthropology to understand context and meaning. Unlike traditional ethnography, which requires prolonged immersion, design ethnography gathers sufficient information through time-sampled observations, making it suitable for projects with limited timeframes and a multi-method approach. While a longer project might benefit from traditional ethnography to build stronger participant-researcher relationships, design ethnography was deemed the most practical for this study.

For this project, this approach involved visiting participants' workspaces or homes to observe them in their comfort spaces, and documenting these observations through visuals and notes. Additionally, a short semi-structured interview would be conducted to explore relevant themes, make participants comfortable, and understand their views on engaging in policy-related activities.

Process and workshops

participant holding their policy device

Results and Discussions

The data recorded was processed through a series of thematic analysis and pattern recognition which provided a substantive ground-level data towards a citizenship-based transition into a circular economy. Moreover, the mobilization of the craftspeople or related stakeholders, made the process a living piece of work, which could be built forward.