Kala Raksha, NGO website design
At a glance
During my second year of Bachelor's in Design, I had the opportunity, along with four of my classmates, to collaborate with Kala Raksha, an NGO based in Kutch. Our objective was to enhance sales and revive the underexplored art and craft heritage through the creation of an informative website. The website aimed to provide comprehensive information about Kala Raksha and facilitate online purchases through an e-commerce platform. This project was design-oriented, culminating in the development of a website utilizing HTML/CSS bootstrap technologies.
Empowering Artisans, Enriching Heritage
Design brief
Despite its rich cultural heritage and unique artistic traditions, Kutch-based NGO Kala Raksha faces challenges in effectively showcasing and marketing its products. Limited online presence and inadequate sales channels hinder its ability to reach a wider audience and promote its artisans' craftsmanship. In order to revitalize this cultural legacy and empower artisans, there is a critical need for the development of an informative website with integrated e-commerce functionality. This platform must not only educate visitors about Kala Raksha's mission and artisans but also provide a seamless online shopping experience, thus facilitating increased sales and sustainable growth.
About Kala Raksha and it's craft
The Kala Raksha project began in Kutch in 1991. The project focused on a group of embroiderers in Sumrasar Sheikh who had migrated from Nagar Parkar in Sindh in 1972. They brought with them some fine traditional embroideries.
It comprises of artisans, community members, and experts in the fields of art, design, rural management and museums.
Kala Raksha works with 7 distinct hand embroidery styles:
The Sindh-Kutch regional styles - Suf, Khaarek, and Paako
The ethnic styles - Rabari, Garasia Jat, and Mutava.
Handicraft style - Patchwork & Applique
SWOT Analysis
Competitor study
Design researcher model
We adhered to the design process, commencing with a comprehensive understanding of the organization's needs through primary and secondary research. This enabled us to define our user group and identify problem areas, prompting us to search for gaps. Subsequently, we engaged in the ideation process, concentrating on defining the theme, reviewing content, and establishing UI style guidelines. This progression led us to create wireframes and develop them using HTML/CSS Bootstrap templates. Finally, we conducted usability testing to refine the product further.
Defining users
The primary target user was considered to be the users who will come to the website to learn about Kala Raksha and purchase their products.
The secondary target user was considered to be the artisans who work at Kala Raksha.
Inspiration board
The inspiration board helped us align as a team to decide on the style that could be used while designing the website.
Final website designed
This is the redesigned website along with an ecommerce element, developed using HTML/CSS.
Click here to view the recording of developed website :