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Design as Advocate for Social Change: The Mayan Project

By Rain Noe - December 10, 2008

in Object Culture

The IDP (International Design Partnership) is taking a page out of eco-tourism's book by trying to connect underprivileged areas with dollars from wealthier nations. But they're replacing tourism with, interestingly enough, product design:

Eight top-class designers from South-Africa, Great Britain, Peru, Chile, Mexico, the USA, Germany and Australia are meeting in Mexico City...to develop a merchandising concept for traditional products from the Maya cultural stronghold Mani in order to improve the local living conditions.

At press time there was no linkable information on the 'net concerning this project, though we have managed to get ahold of an interview with German participant designer Carsten Buck. It's titled "Can social change be initiated by design?" For a detailed explanation of the project, and the Buck interview, hit the jump. The aim: The Maya-region Mani on the Mexican YucatÃ¡n peninsula wants to exploit itself internationally with an effective campaign. The quality of living of the Maya-natives that are living at the subsistence level is to be improved and the fascinating high culture with its tradition that is thousands of years old is to be better known. The project: Sustainable design does not stop at frontiers. The design-network IDP provides the complete know-how and sends eight esteemed designers from all over the world to Mexico in order to examine the situation on site carefully, to develop an effective communication concept and to bring to the fore the Maya-region Mani in the future. Among them there is also the German agency MUTTER, the only German member of the IDP. How did IDP got this project? Every year in October, the designers of IDP meet in another member-state for a creative exchange on the circumstances of the market, competition and forward-looking design-trends on an international level, and to cooperate in special projects. This year Mexico was the host-country and introduced the Mani-project. The initiator is the Formento Cultural Banamex, a foundation for the cultivation of the Mexican culture. The result: The campaign got perfect scores from the initiators and the involved Maya. Traditional Mexican culture is upgraded by intelligent design - the Maya feel understood. The value of traditional Maya-embroidery is increased and gets symbolic power for the image of the whole region. In future the Maya-products will be commercialised in art-shops, museums, shops and archaeological Maya-sites. The embroidered paper products, created by the designers, appeal to the culturally interested YucatÃ¡n-tourists. Behind the concept there is the brand on the one hand and the fact that origin and tradition will be communicated in a more authentic way on the other hand. The living-conditions of the people of the Mani-region are to benefit from the resulting economic impulses. The perception: There is no contradiction in design for commercial success and for social commitment. Among the consumers a change of consumption - towards "consumption with good conscience" begins to show. Meaningful profit is the motto - for the inhabitants and the tourists. Designers can initiate social change, if they react on cultural peculiarities and use their influence to develop new design concepts that combine function, aesthetics, style and social responsibility. In this case good design can help to combine consumer behaviour with opinions or lifestyle and so boost the market with sustainable products. In an interview the graphic designer Carsten Buck, founder and managing director of MUTTER, is speaking about the special design-mission. Buenos dÃas! How did you as a German agency approach the project of the Mexican region? Carsten Buck: A campaign presentation in a hacienda, that was new for all of us. At first, me and my seven participating colleagues, international IDP-design-specialists, met for a briefing in Mexico City. From the big city we went to a small place on the YucatÃ¡n peninsula. There we visited the natives in their round clay-huts, in order to get a better understanding of their background and their culture. Finally, we developed our ideas together and presented them on site. What were your specific observations? The Maya living on the YucatÃ¡n peninsula are the most important and most fascinating people of the whole Mesoamerica's, the most important high-culture. All the tourists are fascinated by their 3000 years old culture, their mysterious world and the co-existence of tradition and modernity. How do you bring this fascination and modern design down to a common denominator? In our concept we singled out the aspect that is generic for this region: the embroidery. Mani especially distinguishes itself in the traditional blouse embroidery "Hipil" that is handed down from generation to generation. Many Maya-women produce and wear these typical handmade white cotton mestizio-dresses of, which are embroidered with traditional patterns in radiant colours and originate in the old special Maya-culture. It was important for us to convey this value and the nature of the Maya-culture with a consistent design. Here the own roots are lived with pride, and the products that are created here nowadays are a continuation of the conventional culture - that should also be projected. What kind of influence can design have on social change? A good design concept can contribute to the improvement of the quality of life, even in economically weak regions. For us design is always more than a logo. Especially with this project it is about context. We asked ourselves: What can we do to improve the life situation of the Maya in the Mani-region. What is your idea about, what effects does it have? True to the motto "Send the myth home" we developed souvenirs of a very special kind that reflect the original of this region: the traditional embroidered clothes. We decorated various products with the typical Mani-embroidery pattern. We propose postcards, writing paper, envelopes, packages with the imprint "Mensajero de Mani" - meaning "mail from Mani", Ã la "Mani greets the world". The embroidery-pattern can also be transferred to shirts, skirts, place mats, napkins, towels and so on and so forth. The offices in Chile and China have developed a logo for the region. What do you think is your role as a designer in a project with such a social and cultural scope? Which consequences do such initiatives have? Projects like this one that can strengthen the cultural attachment of the people across borders are forward-looking. In contrast to globalization we develop a design for a very small region in Mexico with the purpose of cultural embedding, proceed to the roots and in a way developed design for a tradition to be taken along. As a creative you ask yourself: What do I want to communicate? What is relevant to the natives and what to the tourists? It was important for me that deduced from this an aesthetic of the package develops. It is for instance also important to transport background information on the Maya-culture on the packages, in order to commercialize and to increase the value of the handicraft. Our design-proposals should express the subtle balance of the Maya between traditional roots and western lifestyle. So the proposals help to strengthen their self-confidence and improve their lifestyle. The great opportunity for future-designers is to participate in social projects, deal with cultures and integrate this in their daily business. Working for a good cause, that feels good. MUTTER und IDP MUTTER is an owner-managed design agency that develops packaging, corporate identity and corporate design for great brands like Tchibo, Schweppes Germany and Imperial Tobacco, among others. Besides the agency work, founder and owner Carsten Buck is consultant for the Hamburg Kunsthalle since 1997 and a member of the Art Directors Club since 2003. www.mutter.de IDP stands for International Design Partnership and is an exceptional network of 18 successful design- and marketing agencies from different countries all over the world. The aim of the IDP is to promote forward-looking design-trends and implement standards of trade around the world. About 400 professionals offer their experience for transboundary projects. Among the IDP-agencies there are the leading offices JKR in London or Switch Design in South Africa that is currently developing the logo for the coming Football World Cup. As the only German agency MUTTER from Hamburg has been a member of the international union since 2007. www.idpweb.com

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David Hancock

15 years ago

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Just read with interest. It's Now Sept 2009 and I can't seem to find any information about this project.
Anyone know more?
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Joe Schmoe

15 years ago

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I've looked into this unique project and have not found any further information. I realize I must look deeper into the heart of the source. There are no updates on the (IDP) site and other search engines only lead you back to this article. Strange? Next on Twilight Zone....nah-nah, nuh-nuh, neh-neh, nah-nah, na-naaaaaaa.
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Alberto Villarreal

15 years ago

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Is there a website where we can see pictures of the results?
Or to know more about the rest of the participants?
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