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Elaine Bellezza
Design, Build Capacity, & Link
4
Then I introduced broom fibers into the weaving. They thought I was crazy until they saw how well these products sold. The runner/wall hanging to the right is locally grown hand-spun cotton and disassembled local brooms that sold as many as 500 a month on a consistent basis.
Full-Cycle Product
Development Case Study
One example among many
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We took the woven
brooms and used them in a variety of handbag styles. This increased incomes for leather workers as well. These are now being sold in large quantities throughout Mali.
I began working with Hamed Bocoum (above), a young nomadic herder, when he 17 years old. Like hundreds of traditional weavers, he made blankets much like the one to the right. Though attractive, on average they sold about two a month.
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To create products with broader market appeal, I introduced weaving other local materials not traditionally woven. For example, we dyed and wove an inexpensive raffia type grass, creating runners and wall hangings. Within a month after showing the new products to buyers, we were shipping them in quantities of 500 to France and the US.
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Lamps made with
woven brooms were highly successful. We did a dozen styles that continue to have robust sales today.
Wood and metal workers received constant orders for lamps that often led to furniture orders with similar styles.
3
We then added the raffia to different types of baskets, increasing sales further and basket makers began getting orders as well.
Results
From simple design inputs, results were incredible!
On average, sales were:
Sisal Runners -- 100 month
Broom Runners -- 500 month
Lamps -- 60 month
Baskets -- 200 month
Also many other products not shown here