Architect Eve Blossom’s design thinking in the business world creates job stability.
For a couple years after graduation she worked but felt something was missing, which led to traveling and working abroad.
The Long Journey of Starting Lulan Artisans
Eve Blossom moved to Hanoi, Vietnam in 1995, to renovate French villas, an American architect’s dream come true. However, one night she witnessed first-hand the transaction of a six year old girl being sold for sex by her father to a European man. Blossom intervened but was threatened at knife point. And as so Blossom was unsuccessful at altering the outcome. The experience truly moved and grabbed Eve Blossom. That night she realized her life’s work was to prevent human trafficking. Creating Lulan took consideration after the shock of seeing human trafficking.
Blossom striking realized that human trafficking is a market place and needs to be addressed at an economic level. Her expertise, background and research around human trafficking led her to find design methods that create social change. “The path isn’t easy,” said Eve Blossom and she doesn’t regret a moment of it.
Design is a solution to the human trafficking problem. Prevention is key because the traumatizing effects are devastating. During an economic downturn people move from villages to cities for work and at that juncture are especially vulnerable so analysis of urban migration trends is important.
Artisan groups are risk affiliated due to their low incomes. Blossom realized leveraging her expertise in design thinking lent a hand in the business of creating stable jobs for artisans. Lulan is about job creation and celebrating the techniques and work artisans already do.
As a business woman, Eve Blossom utilizes untapped resources such as talented, trained, skilled and organized artists. Trained in century old methods and skilled with unique talents Eve Blossom realized their products are an untapped resource. Design is not just arts and crafts but markets, working and collaborating and partnering with artisans. They need to reach markets in order to have stable jobs and incomes. Blossom creates the partnership between the business world and artisans.
The artisans create products that have meaning. The immerging market is all about meaningful products as decorative objects. People want products with individual meaning and with a positive impact on someone else’s life, even if it’s a world away.
“Material Change, Design Thinking and the Social Entrepreneurship Movement,” by Eve Blossom discusses social entrepreneurship, human trafficking and Lulan Artisans. It provides the business model Lulan uses in their for profit social venture. The model shows a successful interaction design any business can use. Blossoms says, “You can do good and still be profitable and that is the right model to teach artisans and other groups so they can be self-sustaining. That is the movement of social entrepreneurship.”
The Business World and Interaction Design
Material Change also gives examples of social entrepreneurship projects around the world including Lulan. They work collaboratively to ensure everyone is strong and brings their best expertise. Lulan sells hand-woven fabrics to different markets, educates children, and provides co-housing allowances to artisans partnering with Lulan. Additionally, cultural sustainability differs within each community so “disruptive entrepreneurs” are needed to examine systems in place and coherency. This is innovative design thinking. The business model provided in the back of the book is adaptable for any business. We are evolving the design of how we do business.
Currently Eve Blossom is working on a new website offering artisans goods, launching in 2012, at; www.wevebuilt.com
“Material Change, Design Thinking and the Social Entrepreneurship Movement,” by Eve Blossom is available at www.amazon.com
Similar artists to watch: Massimo Vignelli, Yves Behar, Paula Scher, Bob Gill and Oliver Haas.
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