Rob Walker spoke to the gathering on Saturday morning. As a fan and sometime reader of his column, “Consumed“, I was excited to hear him speak. He is the author of Handmade 2.0 and Buying in.

Mr. Walker states that he is interested

in the point of view of the buyer.

Here are 3 trends he points out that may or may not be true.

1: Authenticity!
Craft as a superior response to mass production. Consumers are concerned about how things are made, under what conditions and where they come from. There is a growing anxiety about the how what and where of products.

People want efficiency, but the rejection of mass production is highly selective. (he puts a photo of an iPhone on the screen).
2: Ethics!
Today’s consumer cares about labor. The notion of ethical consumption goes back to labor movements, civil rights, etc. He mentions the Boston Tea Party as an early protest against the unethical, unfair importation of tea.

The Consumer protection act has been in decline since the 1980′s which has given advocates like Ralph Nader stronger platforms and greater need in society.

Wanting to feel like an individual while being part of something.

3: Quality!
The idea of being “inclusive” is good but raises the ire of craft fundamentalists.

The Austin Craft Mafia began to attract attention and create meaningful interchanges when they made truly helpful tutorials and put them up on You Tube.

The urge to compete vs. the urge to cooperate struggle and raise a fertile soil from which to grow.

Walker says the story behind behind a handmade object is what sets it apart from the mass produced object. But then there is the picture of the iPhone again.

Handmade objects have a personal story, one of the making, connecting them to the maker. Walker tells us we need to focus on the story of the person we are making for. The maker is less important than the buyer.

These definitions of craft are becoming a bigger part of larger stories. Can they expand by connecting the DIY movement with the “high craft” world? Multiple versions of craft is just fine. Opening conversations that address these tensions can lead to a revitalized field.

Walker has included some links specific to his talk on his blog.

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