Designing for Empowerment: Traditional Textile Production ... · iconography, the Cosmic Serpent....

TAKEYAMA

©2017TheAuthors.PublishedbyLoughboroughUniversity.ThisisanopenaccessarticleundertheCCBY-NClicense(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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DesigningforEmpowerment:TraditionalTextileProductioninLaos

NanciTakeyama1

1. NanyangTechnologicalUniversity

ThisitemwassubmittedtotheproceedingsoftheLoughboroughUniversityTextileDesignResearchGroupINTERSECTIONSConference2017bythe/anauthor(NanciTakeyama).Citation:Takeyama,N.(2017)DesigningforEmpowerment:TraditionalTextileProductioninLaos.InProceedingsofIntersections:CollaborationsinTextileDesignResearchConference,13September2017,LoughboroughUniversityLondon,U.K.Availablefromwww.lboro.ac.uk/textile-research/intersections.AdditionalInformation:Publisher:LoughboroughUniversity(©TheAuthors)Rights:ThisworkismadeavailableaccordingtotheconditionsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution4.0International(CCBY-NC4.0)licence.Fulldetailsofthislicenceareavailableat:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/PLEASECITETHEPUBLISHEDVERSION.Abstract: Theaim of thispaperis toconsidertheroleof thedesignerwhencollaborating withcraftspeopleandartisansonprojectsthatusedesignasatoolforheritagepreservation.Itaddressestheexperiences of the Singapore-based research team design for,which,with fundingbyNanyangTechnological University,hasengagedwith traditional craft-based communities in Laos overthe last six years. The group’s mandate is toinvestigate and identifythesystemic reasons whysuchculturesand their practices are on the verge of disappearance, and to seek actionable, sustainablesolutionsthatsupporttheirwell-being.

Keywords:Textiles;Meaningofsymbols;Crafts;Systematicempowerment

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IntroductionWe live in a time of change. The great paradigm shift that has taken place between the industrialrevolution and the digital age demands of us transitions that we neither completely understand norhavefullyacknowledged.Whiletechnologyhasallowedustomoveandcreateincreasinglyfluidly,evenso we still live in a world full ofmaterial things and values. Our passion for thematerial has led tooverconsumptionand,consequently,apollutedandout—of—balanceenvironment.Humankindisnowin a crucialmoment of our history—a crossroads of survival—as our environment gradually becomesunfittosustainus.Rignot(2014)forecaststhatglobalwarminghasreachedapointofnoreturn,whilePimmandotherscientists (2014)predictthat ifwedonotact fast,humankindwillbeonthebrinkofmassdestructioninthenext20to30years.Economy-basedsocietiesconventionallyuseGrossNationalProduct(GNP)asthecentralmeasurementofdevelopmentandimpliedqualityoflife.Andyetincreasedinterest has been shown in themoreholistic indexofwell-being knownasGrossNationalHappiness(GNH), created in 1972 by the King of Bhutan. GNH takes into consideration a country’s economy,environment and political situation along with the lives of its people with respect to their physical,mental, socialandworkplacewell-being.Anarticleby Jha (2010) sumsupstudiesbyeconomists thatclearlydemonstratethateconomicdevelopmentisneitheranindicatorofwell-beingnorhappiness,andpoliticalcorrespondentStratton(2010)hasreportedonhowBritishprimeministerhasaimedtomakehappinessthenewGDP.Inshort,ouraddictiontothematerialisgraduallydestroyingourplanet,andisnotbuyingushappinessinthemeantime,either.This calls foraction,a real shift towardseconomicmodels thatputpeopleand theenvironment first.Becausetheworkofdesignersiscloselyrelatedtotheproductionandconsumptionofgoods,they,too,mustreflectontheirownresponsibilitiesandroleswithregardtotheenvironment.Suchawarenessinthe profession seems gradually to be growing. In the last decade we have seen more designersrepositiontheirroleandcontributionstowardsmakingpeoples’ livesbetter.Suchastancetakesasitsbasispeople’sneeds rather thanwants.Theauthorherselfdesired tomakea shift inherowndesignpractice towards more socially meaningful initiatives. Taking under consideration her location inSingapore, the existing resources there and in the region, and how a projectmight bearmeaningfulresults, she decided to tap into the cultural wealth and craftsmanship of Southeast Asia. Laos waschosenbecauseitisoneofthefewcountriesintheregionthatstillpreservesastrongrelationshipwithmaterialthroughitsinvaluablehand-dyedandhand-woventextiletradition.Itwouldprovideasuitablecontrast to Singapore, a global city-state that rapidly saw suchvital connectionsbetweenpeopleandtheirenvironmentvanishinthelastdecadesduetorapideconomicdevelopment.Theaimwastobringtogetherthebestofeachcountry:Laoswithitslongcraftheritage,andSingaporewith its thriving economical resources. Predicated on dialogue and exchange, the projectwould be atwo-way learning experience to benefit both. In 2011, with a group of alumni from NanyangTechnologicalUniversity,theauthorcreatedaresearchgroupcalleddesignfor(www.designfor.co),anopenplatformforcollaborationonSocialDesignprojects.Bycreatinganetworkofpartners,thehopewas to reflect on ways in which design could be used as a platform of discussion to promote asustainableworld inaholisticway. Thedesignfornamewaschosenasacatalyst for thepossibilitiesbrought about by design that takes a humanistic view, advocating cultural understanding andpreservation.Withdesignasitsmediator,then,thegroupproposedthemodelshownbelowthatbringstogether the three pillars of its research: meaning (understanding symbols and patterns); making(establishingsystemsofproduction);andsharing(systemsofempowermentanddissemination).

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Figure1.“Designfor”researchmodeSource:Author’simageManyLaotianstodayliveinaruralcommunalsetting.Untilthe1980s,mostwomenhand-dyedtheirownthreads with natural pigments and wove their own household textiles such as blankets, curtains andtraditionalattire.Oneofdesign for’s interests in studying theLaotiancraft traditionwas to identify thesignificant values ascribed to producing objects manually, in line with nature’s rhythms and withlongstandingculturaltraditions.

Figure2.Laotianmasterweaverrelatesstoriestoldincloth.Source:Author’simage

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Figure3.CosmicSerpentinVientiane,thecapitalandchiefportofLao.Source:Author’simageSocialdesign,orculturalappropriation?Inordertobuildatheoreticalframeworkforthisproject,theresearchgroupconductedaliteraryreviewto examine intersections between craft, design and cultural preservation. One of the importantresources taking up collaborations between artisans and designers was found in a guide jointlypublished by the Craft Revival Trust, Artesanías de Colombia S.A., and UNESCO (2005). In addition,decadesofresearchwithcraftcommunitiesinBrazilwereaddressedbyBorges(2011),whovoicesthecriticalneedfor“respectfortheworkrhythmoftheartisan,respectforthesignsthathaveresistedovertheyears,respectforthewholesystemofsymbolsthatculminatesinanobject.”“Thepotentialdangersofabadlycarriedoutinterventionaremany,”shewrites,“andtheireffectscanbedamaging.Theolderatraditionis,andthemore'awayfromcivilization'thecommunityitbelongsto,thegreaterthedangersandthegreaterthenecessarycare.”InlinewithBorges’sthoughts,thedesignforresearchgroupwishedtoexplorethesystemsofsymbolsand practices inherent to the Laotian textile tradition, in order to identify what supports thepreservationof cultureandwhatworksagainst it. Fromtheearliest stage itwasunderstood that therole of the designer is not merely to design objects inspired by Laotian culture—such a misguideddirectioninmanycasesleadstoculturalappropriation.Theroleofthedesignerintheproject,therefore,wastounderstandthesystemsandpracticesbehindtheculture, soas tobebetterable toproposeefficacioussystems thatpromote its sustainabilityandpreservation.Southeast Asia exhibits some of the richest handicrafts practices with regard to materials andtechniques, however many of those skills have already vanished or are endangered due to rapideconomicaldevelopmentandshiftsinvalues.TraditionallyinLaos,weavingtechniqueshadbeenpasseddownfrommothertodaughter.Nowtheyaretaughtbyafewremainingmasterweaversatcommunityandvocationalcenters.Becauseweavingishardwork,under-valued,andnotwellremunerated,manywithhighlydevelopedskillschoosetoleavethecraftandfindeasier,better-paidjobsinthecity.

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Figure.4NTUstudentlearntodyewithmudonafieldtriptoLaosSource:Author’simageMeaning:UnderstandingthewovenvocabularyInordertobetterunderstandtheLaotiantextiletraditionthegroupmadeseveralfieldtrips,livingforafew days within craft communities. Members of the team were received and welcomed as guests,partakinginhomemademealswithingredientsharvestedfromthesurroundingforestsandrivers.Theparticipantsalsolearnedtraditionalbambooweaving,dyeingandsilkweaving.Beyondsuchtechniques,asgraphicdesignerstheteamwantedespeciallytolearnaboutthevisuallanguagecontainedinLaotiantextiles. Graphic documentation of these visits focused on the most important motif in Laotianiconography, theCosmic Serpent. (Dependingon context this is calledNaakorNgueak in the Laotianlanguage,andNagainPali).AnanimisticfigurethatpredatesBuddhism,theCosmicSerpentwasusedinmanytextilesproduced foruse inshamanistic rituals.Today thesymbolcontinues tobesignificant totheculturalidentityofLaotians.Although the team had hoped to learn from the Laotian weavers themselves about the symbolicsignificance of the Cosmic Serpent in the context of their textiles, it soon found therewas very littleconsensus among them, and even among scholars, regarding its nomenclature,meaning and variousforms.Thisisbecausethepatternsandthestoriesbehindthemhavebeendisseminatedorallythroughgenerations.HardlyanypublicationscompilingthenamesandtypologieshavebeenreleasedinLaos.Itwasthereforedecidedtofocusresearchonthisverytopic,tofindtheconnectionsbetweenapattern’sshape, its name andmeaning. Although this is an important part of a textile, it is nonetheless oftenoverlookedinfavorofmaterialsandtechniquesusedinproduction.Thisapproachwaspossibleduetotheauthor’sexpertiseinAsianiconography;herworkininvestigatingthemeaningofformsinAsia.

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Figure.5VisualmindmapSource:Author’simageThe serpent has appeared as a symbol in every culture from the earliest of times. In addition tofieldwork findings and academic research, the team studied the serpent as a universal symbol, tounderstand its meaning from a broader sense. Later it focused this research on Southeast Asia anddevelopedthematicvisualexplorationstobothencouragevisualthinkinganddeepentheunderstandingoftheCosmicSerpentandwhatitrepresents.ThemostimportantthemesabouttheCosmicSerpentwerenarroweddownthroughword-basedmindmaps. The meanings found to be most relevant were duality, fertility, and transcendence. Thesekeywordsbecamethestartingpointandtheoverarchingthemesfordeeperexplorationthroughvisualmaps and metaphors. This critical stage helped the team to translate abstract ideas, meanings andconceptsintoimagesandforms.Theexercisealsoleddesignfortowanttoshareitsfindingswiththeweaversandtodoacollaborativedesignworkshop.WorkshopanddesigncollaborationThe team returned to Laos to give a workshop to weavers at the Houey HongWomen’s VocationalCentreinVientiane,adeservingnon-profitgroupthatistryingtokeeptheweavingtraditionalive.The program was divided into two parts: (1) learning the meaning of symbols and (2) designingcollaboratively. The focus of the former was storytelling and understanding the meaning behindpatterns.The latteraddressedtheapplicationof thosepatterns.Aworkbookwascreatedasatool toencouragetheselocalartisanstorecallandreflectonthemeaningandstoriesoftheCosmicSerpent.Designedtoenableahands-onapproachtoitssubject,itinvitedtheweaverstowrite,draworworkonitspagesfreely.Structuredasasequenceofexercisesinstorytellingthroughwrittenandspokenwords,images,drawings,collages,photosandothermedia, it includedexamplesofcommonCosmicSerpentmotifsfoundwithinthecultureoftheTaiethnicgroup,sothattheweaverscouldcutandpastemotifsandsharetheirownmemoriesrelatedtothesymbol.Thepagesalsoprovidedspacefortheartisanstore-interpret and re-express their favorite stories, memories or traditional motifs by creating CosmicSerpentmotifapplications.

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Figure.6WorkshopatHoueyHongWomen’sVocationalCentreSource:Author’simageThefirstdaybeganwiththeparticipants’sharingofstoriesabouttheCosmicSerpent.OnesuchstorytellsofthemythicaloriginoftheLaotiansaschildrenofCosmicSerpents.AnotheraddresseshowtheweavingpatternswerebestowedtohumansbytheCosmicSerpents.Thesecreationlegendsintrinsicallyconnect the Laotians to their origin and to the origin of their craft, underscoring the significance ofkeeping such imagery alive. By the end of the second day, the participants had created their ownapplicationofpatternsand incorporatedthemintobagsandcushionsasawaytovisualizetheirskillsandknowledgeas finishedproducts.Oneachsubsequent field trip, thegroupcollectedandcompiledvariationsonthreekeypatternsoftheCosmicSerpentidentifiedinthisway.As the participants came to realize the deeper layers of meanings these familiar patterns hold, andlearnedmoreabouttheirsignificancetoLaotianculture,theywereincreasinglyeagertodelvedeeperandlearnmoreaboutthemeaningsofthepatternstheyweave.ScholarlyconnectionsBecauseofthelackofliteraryreferences,thedesignforteamwenttoChiangMaitoconsultwithLao-Tai textilesexpertCheesman.Thatmeetingpointedus to theworkofDoré (2008),whounveiled theoriginsandmeaningsofsomeofthemostimportantpatternsoftheCosmicSerpent,helpingusclarifyourownpriorunderstandingofthemotif’smeanings.Laterthemostimportantmotifswereidentifiedtheirmeaningscorrelatedasfollows:• NakPhanHang–duality• NakTaunTao–fertility• Kong(Khom)Nak–transcendenceWith this conceptual frameworkestablished, the team thendecided toworkwith Laotianweavers todesignthreeseparatecollectionsofproductsexploringtheseconceptsanddesigns.Theseitemswouldbedonatedtotheartisans,toserveasexamplesshowingdifferentpossibilitiesfortheircraft.Inthisway,researchintothemeaningofthewovenpatternsthusaddressedtheverybuildingblocksofvisual communication: shapes, materials, colors, and textures. Because the goal of this project waspreservationofculturalintegrity,andheedingtheaforementionedwordsofBorges,itwasimportanttotheteamtofirstestablishauthenticsaliencyofthepatterns’meanings,sothattheroleofthedesignerbecameoneoffacilitator,ratherthansomeonedevisinghisorherowninspirations.Making:EstablishingaproductionsystemThecollectionswerenamedsoasto linkeachpatternwithits inherentmeaning.Thiswasasmuchtoconveythosemeaningstothegeneralpublic,astore-establishandsolidifyknowledgeofthemamongtheweaversthemselves.Asnooneontheresearchteamhadpriorexperienceworkingwithtextiles, itsmembersengagedinasewingworkshoptobetterunderstandthepotentialoffabricasaproductmaterial.DesignforpairedupwithACraftInitiative,agroupofSingaporeanartisanswhohavededicatedthemselvestocreatingand

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promoting hand-sewn goods in Singapore. Design for members had the opportunity to work andexperimentwithavarietyoffabricsinordertograspthepotentialitiesandconstraintsofthematerial.ThisalsoenabledtheSingaporeanstudentsontheteamtoappreciatethevalueofhandmade,one-of-a-kindgoods.Thefinalstepoftheprojectwastoapplythenewlyacquiredskills.Designformembersdesignedandassembled their ownworks. Thanks to this form-play exercise, the teamwas able to create differentproductsthatwere laterdevelopedintoaunifiedcollectionfeaturingpouches,bags, laptopcasesandgarments. Itwasliterallyahands-onwayforteammemberstoappreciatethevalueofthehandmadeandone-of-a-kind.Designfor’scollaboratorsinLaosintendtomarkettheirproductswithintherangeofUSD 20, as a comfortable price point for tourists. The reality is that their works are in competitionagainst machine-made goods. Setting a price point higher than mass-produced goods reinforcesrecognition of the true value of authentically made, handcrafted works. It honors the naturalenvironmental resources spent, the time invested, and the craftsmanship involved. The productstherefore were positioned as ambassadors that relate the stories about the patterns’ legacy, thematerialsused,andindeedthepeoplewhocraftthem.ThisexerciseofrethinkingthemarketvalueoftheproductsemergednaturallyfromdiscussionswiththeLaotiancollaborativepartnersaboutattentiontodetailinthefinishing,suchasusinghigh-qualityzippers,buttonsandlining.

Figure.7AteammemberparticipatesinasewingworkshopSource:Author’simagePrototypingForprototyping,thedesignforteamworkedwithHoueyHongWomen’sVocationalCentreandSaobanCraft,makingseveraltripstoLaosformanyroundswithregularfeedbackfromweavers.Inthiswaytheteamensuredthattheweavershaddirectownershipoftheverypatternsthattraditionallyhavebeensoclosely connected to their spirituality and important rituals. This process took several months tocomplete as every step was done by hand, and because of the inherent difficulties in long-distancecommunications about specifications and technical drawings.Members of the team travelled severaltimestoLaostofollowuponkeystagesoftheproductionprocess.The design for team spent more than six months from the initial commission of textiles to theproductionofthefinalprototypes,aprocessthatwasmorechallengingthanimaginedinordertoattainthehighest quality by international standards. To recapture someof that time, for the sewingof thefinal prototypes the team enlisted the assistanceA Craft Initiative in Singapore. This streamlined theprocess and enabled the team to sort out unexpected problems on the spot quickly regarding thesourcingofzippers,buttonsandothermaterials.

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Figure.8NakPhanHang—DualityCollectionSource:Author’simageSharing:EmpowermentforthecommunityAfullexhibitofthethreecollectionsandtheirresearchanddevelopmentprocesswasheldin2014attheAsianCivilisationsMuseum(ACM)aspartoftheir‘HandmadeinAsia’series.Entitled‘HandmadeinAsia:WeavingtheCosmicSerpentinLaos.’theexhibitionwasacollaborationbetweenthemuseumandNanyangTechnologicalUniversity’sSchoolofArt,DesignandMedia,andwasorganizedaspartofthediplomatic mission to celebrate 40 years of bilateral relations between the Lao People’s DemocraticRepublicandtheRepublicofSingapore.On20February2014,PrimeMinisterThongsingThammavongofLaosopenedtheexhibitionatareceptionhostedbyLawrenceWong,Singapore’sActingMinisterforCulture,CommunityandYouth.

inspired bydualitybinary negative /positivedark/brightweft/warp

visual traits

monochromesymmetry

oppositereversible

“Pattern of a two-headed serpent standing vertically in ‘V’ shape: in fact it is two serpents with tails

Fuxi and Nüwa myth.”Doré, A. (2008, January 9-11). Introduction to Lao Traditional Weaving Patterns: History and Meaning. Paper presented at the 10th international Conference on Thai Studies. Bangkok, Thailand.

nak taun tao collection

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Figure.9ExhibitionatAsianCivilizationsMuseum,SingaporeSource:Author’simageThe exhibition closed on 27 April, and during its two-month run some 80,000 guests visited. A fewparallelactivitieswereheldat themuseumtoenhance theaudience’sunderstandingofweavingasalivingpartofSoutheastAsianculture.Weavers fromtheHoueyHongWomen’sVocationalCentregavedemonstrationsusingnaturallydyedsilkandsupplementaryweftpatterningtechniques.Thedesignforteamfacilitatedtalksessionssothattheseweavers,artisansfromACraftInitiative,andmembersofitsownteamcouldshareinsightsaboutthe project and the various roles undertaken within it. Design for also gave guided tours of theexhibition,talkingindepthabouttheprocesswithotherdesignersandtextileenthusiasts.Theseeventscelebrated and heightened awareness of the need to preserve the rich craft traditions of ASEANcountries.Through thesemany activities the teamwas able to establish a true dialogue between Laotians andSingaporeans.Inafast-pacedsocietysuchasSingapore’s,theprojectofferedadifferentperspective,aslowerpaceandamoreholisticviewoflife,somethingmuchneededtoday.A symposium was organized well, bringing together prominent Asian scholars who presented theirunderstandingofthemeaningsoftheCosmicSerpentasfoundintheirownculturalbackgrounds.UndoubtedlyoneofthemostrewardingoutcomesofthisprocesswaswitnessingtheHoueyHongweaversproudlyrepresentingtheircountryanddemonstratingtheirskillstoeageraudiencesinSingapore.Conclusion

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Through all these activities the aim has been to identify and reveal themany layers of systems thatsustain a living textile tradition in Laos. The inherent meanings of patterns, the materials involvedincludingnaturaldyesandfibers,andactualweavingtechniqueswere investigated.Theteamcreatedproduct designs that re-established lost links between patterns, nomenclature, and meanings. Itdisseminated information to weavers through a workshop, and other than the one cited above,organizedseveralotherexhibitionstoheightenawarenessofthesesystemsandthevalueofproductsmadewith respect for local culture, theenvironment and the craftsperson.Design for’swork in Laosgaveeachmembernewunderstandingofwhatitmeanstohavearelationshipwithmaterialthatisnotbasedsolelyoneconomy.Itgavepausetore-thinkthewaysofproductionintoday’sworld.Theindustrialrevolutionstrippedobjectsfromtheirstories.Machine-madegoodsremovedtheelementof human touch as they disconnected people from natural resources and the environment onwhichthose resources depend.We are now inundated by a plethora of such objects devoid of any humanconnection,andthistrendwillperpetuateaslongasmechanizationandrobotsaresubstitutedinplaceofhuman labor.Weare sodisconnected from thedailyobjectsweuse thatmostofusarenotevenaware of themany cases of exploitation happening in factories around theworld in countrieswherelaborrightsarelimited.Whetherthroughignoranceorourblindaddictiontomaterialgoods,weremainunawareoftheplightofthosewhoworkundertrulydireconditionstoproducethe itemswehappilyconsume.Forthesakeofeconomicaldevelopment,notonlyhavewehavesurrenderedourconnectionstomaterialthings,butalsotothefoodweeat,ourshelterandourveryhealthandwell-being.Becausetheyplayanintegralrole intheproductionandconsumptionofgoods,designersmustturntheireyesandearstothevoicesbehindtheobjects,boththosefromthepastandthoseherewithusnow,inthepresent.Weneedtobuildnetworkstomakethosevoicesheard,andtomakevisiblethehandsthatcreatealltheobjectsthatsurroundus.Thenconsumerswillhavetheopportunitytorespondandtakeresponsibilityforthesystemstheychoosetosupportthroughtheirpurchases.Willyourchoicessupportexploitationorempowerment?Perhapsonlywhenitcomestosuchastarkcontrastwillwebegintoplacethewell-beingofpeoplefirst.Inthisprojectdesignersactedasfacilitatorstoreinvestmarketableobjectswiththeuniquequalitiesoftheculturefromwhichtheyspring.Further, indisseminatingthisknowledgedesignersultimatelytookontheroleofstoryteller,orculturalambassador.Withregardtohandicraft,designersmustrespectandunderstandthedepthandimportanceofculturalheritage.Tothatendtheauthorbelievesaparadigmshiftfromthemeredesignofthingstothedesignof systems themselves is required. Only thenwill design be able tomake a valuable contribution tosociety.

AcknowledgementsTheauthor/swouldliketoextendthankstothegatekeepersofcraftsinLaosandallovertheworld.This research has been funded by Nanyang Technological University andMinistry of Education (MOE),Singapore

References Blossom,E.,Béhar,Y.andStanden,M.(2011).Materialchange.1sted.NewYork:MetropolisBooks.Borges,A.,(2011).Design+craft:TheBrazilianpath.SãoPaulo.TerceiroNomepp154–155.

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Bounyavong,D.D.(2001).Legendintheweavings.KhonKaen,Thailand.TheGroupforPromotionofArtandLaoTextiles.Brown,T.(2009).Changebydesign:Howdesignthinkingtransformsorganizationsandinspiresinnovation.NewYork:HarperBusiness.Brown,T.(2009).Designforchange.NewYork:HarperBusiness.Campbell,J.,&Abadie,M.J.(1981).Themythicimage.Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.Cheesman,P.(2009).Lao---Taitextiles:ThetextilesofXamNueaandMuangPhuan.Bangkok,Thailand:WhiteLotusCo.Chevalier,J.,&Gheerbrant,A.(1994).Adictionaryofsymbols.Oxford:Blackwell.Chick,A.(2011).Designforsustainablechange:Howdesignanddesignerscandrivethesustainabilityagenda.Lausanne:AVAAcademia.CraftRevivalTrust,ArtesaníasdeColombiaS.A.,andUNESCO.(2005).Designersmeetartisans:Apracticalguide.http://tinyurl.com/p9j4l92(Accessed25May2017).Doré,A.(2008).IntroductiontoLaotraditionalweavingpatterns:Historyandmeaning.Paperpresentedatthe10thInternationalConferenceonThaiStudies,Thailand.Ehn,Pelle,(2008).ParticipationinDesignThings.PaperpresentedatParticipatoryDesignConference,Bloomington,Indiana.Holt,J.(2009).Spiritsoftheplace:BuddhismandLaoreligiousculture.Honolulu:UniversityofHawai'iPress.Jha,A. (2010).Happinessdoesn’t increasewithgrowingwealthof nations, finds study. TheGuardian,http://gu.com/p/2yz7t/sbl(Accessed25May2017).Mayoury,N.(2009).TheenduringsacredlandscapeoftheNaga.ChiangMai,Thailand:MekongPress.Papanek,V.J.(1985).Designfortherealworld:Humanecologyandsocialchange.London:Thames&Hudson.Pimm,S.(18June2014).StudysaysEarthonbrinkofmassextinctionevent.Reuters,http://tinyurl.com/qh34ftb(Accessed25May2017).Rignot,E. (17May2014).Globalwarming: it’sapointofno return inWestAntarctica.Whathappensnext?TheGuardian,http://gu.com/p/3paqd/sbl(Accessed25May2017).Stratton,A.(14November2010).DavidCameronaimstomakehappinessthenewGDP.TheGuardian,http://gu.com/p/2y4qc/sbl(Accessed25May2017).

NanciTakeyama

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Nanciisthefoundingdirectorof'designfor',agroupengagedinutilisingscholarlyresearch,toadvocatecultural understanding and preservation by using design as a dialogue. In 2013 this group won anHounorableCommendationforWenhuiAwardforEducationalInnovation2013-EducationalInnovationforCulturalExpression,byAsia-PacificProgrammeofEducationalInnovationforDevelopment(APEID),UNESCO.

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