Craftmapper
Building value and trust for Indigenous crafts
Industry
Social enterprise
MuseTech
B2B2C
Role
Brand strategy and design
Year / Duration
2016
Overview
Craftmapper has spent over 20 years addressing the decline of indigenous craft traditions in remote villages across Kenya, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and beyond. Their tireless efforts centre around a mission to safeguard endangered cultural heritage, such as craft practices, while fostering sustainable livelihoods. Craftmapper combines the distribution and authentication of handmade products while bringing global attention to the stories and materials behind these traditions.
In 2016, founder Chris Delaney partnered with Rabid Technologies as part of the Mahuki programme to "map" the community-focused collection of documentation for endangered craft practices. Craftmapper faced the challenge of ensuring credibility and trust for the handcrafted artefacts they distribute globally and wanted the brand to reflect authenticity and cultural preservation.
Results
With a focus on strategic design and cultural sensitivity, Craftmapper transformed its mission into lasting outcomes, helping indigenous communities thrive while preserving their rich traditions for the future.
After the 2016 Mahuki programme, Craftmapper achieved some key milestones:
Partnership
with Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Expanded distribution
of authenticated Indigenous crafts to museums and galleries worldwide
Continued cultural preservation
Craftmapper's work to revitalise endangered crafts and strengthen local economies is ongoing, with further mapping and training initiatives for local youth
A silent struggle, declining heritage in isolated villages
Secluded geographically and often socially, the remote nature of the villages Craftmapper works with amplifies the challenges they face:
Globalisation
threatens a loss of traditional craftsmanship, along with the materials and knowledge to sustain the practices.
Limited market access
without recognition or support, cultural treasures risk disappearing entirely.
Credibility and authenticity
balancing recognition of Craftmapper as a distributor while ensuring the cultural significance of each object can be preserved and respected.
Embodying the collective heritage of Craftmapper communities
I collaborated closely with Papuan designer Omphalus Kua and content strategist Laura Scatchard to design an identity that honours the artistry and legacy of these communities.
The visual language centres around a unifying mark – the flat-based triangle – a shared symbol across Polynesia, Melanesia, and Africa. This simple shape reflects concepts of home, strength, and navigation, central to Craftmapper’s ethos.
Intentionally taking a minimalist design approach, we worked to balance Craftmapper's refreshed identity and retain the focus on Indigenous artefacts and the skilled artists who create them. The brand bridges the traditional crafts and modern mapping technology while instilling confidence in the GLAM-sector distribution partners and respecting the cultural heritage Craftmapper represents.
What I did
Strategy
Discovery and desktop research
Values, purpose and proposition
Storytelling
Design
Brand and visual identity
Collateral design
Design systems and guidelines
I'm always keen to collaborate when I have the time. Give me a shout about an upcoming project, email:
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