Root Challenge
Across remote regions, traditional handicrafts — rich with heritage, symbolism, and intricate techniques — are disappearing.
Modernization, limited market access, and declining cultural transmission leave many women artisans struggling to sustain their craft or pass it on to future generations.The challenge was twofold:
• Cultural Preservation — Prevent the loss of endangered heritage crafts.
• Economic Empowerment — Create sustainable livelihoods that respect cultural authenticity while connecting artisans to global markets.
Systematic Solution
Legacy Weavers was designed as a digital-first ecosystem to preserve endangered crafts while creating new economic pathways for the artisans who sustain them.
The system integrated four interconnected pillars:
• Cultural Preservation — A responsive “digital museum” platform showcasing high-quality visuals, artisan stories, and technique archives.
• Economic Empowerment — Seamless e-commerce integration enabling direct artisan-to-consumer sales and luxury brand collaborations.
• Artistic Innovation — Co-branded limited collections with global fashion houses, blending heritage techniques with contemporary design.
• Public Awareness & Education — Competitions, exhibitions, and online storytelling campaigns to connect new audiences with cultural legacy.
This holistic approach ensured that heritage craftsmanship could thrive in the modern market — not as nostalgia, but as a living, evolving art form.
My Role & Leadership
I led the full product design lifecycle — from concept ideation to launch — while shaping the platform’s commercial and cultural strategy. Working directly with founder Deng Li (former Chief Editor of Marie Claire China) and our cross-functional team of designers, engineers, and content creators, I:
• Defined the platform vision and translated mission and business goals into a cohesive, user-centered digital experience.
• Led user research — conducting on-the-ground visits to remote artisan villages, in-depth interviews with craftspeople, and testing with digital-native customers and modern designers.
• Architected the digital platform as a responsive “digital museum” — balancing rich storytelling with lightweight, high-performance UX for low-bandwidth environments.
• Orchestrated cross-functional collaboration — aligning engineers, designers, and stakeholders through agile sprints, feedback loops, and cultural sensitivity reviews.
• Designed for cultural respect — ensuring UI patterns, content tone, and visual language honored tradition while appealing to modern audiences.
This role combined strategic leadership with hands-on design execution, requiring deep cultural empathy, technical problem-solving, and market-savvy decision-making to deliver a system that was both emotionally resonant and commercially viable.
I : Experience & Platform Design
The Legacy Weavers platform was designed as a responsive digital museum — a space to experience the richness of heritage crafts without overwhelming users or sacrificing performance.
Design Principles
• Storytelling at the Core — Every user pathway, from product browsing to artisan profiles, was built to tell the story behind the craft, not just display it.
• Graceful Complexity — Reveal depth progressively, so casual visitors can browse easily while enthusiasts can dive deep into archives, techniques, and cultural history.
• Performance Without Compromise — Optimized for low-bandwidth environments to ensure accessibility for both artisans and global audiences.
Key UX Strategies
• Modular Content Architecture — Content grouped by theme (e.g., seasons, embroidery, artisan stories) and revealed progressively via collapsible modules, swipes, and filters.
• Adaptive Media Loading — Images and video streamed responsively based on device and connection speed, with lazy loading to preserve quality.
• Personalized Navigation — Features like “Recently Viewed” and “You Might Like” used lightweight behavioral tracking to guide return users.
• Bilingual Support & Cultural Contextualization — UI elements and content tailored to both local and global audiences, preserving authenticity while ensuring clarity.
By combining rich cultural storytelling with lightweight, user-friendly design patterns, we created an experience that honored tradition, engaged modern audiences, and performed flawlessly across devices and network conditions.
Rule-Based Logic — Simplified Example
Commercial & Partnership Strategy — Blending Heritage with High Fashion
The platform’s commercial model was built to generate sustainable income for artisans while elevating the cultural value of their work through premium positioning.
E-commerce Model
• Limited-Edition Drops — Exclusive seasonal collections blending traditional techniques with contemporary design.
• Artisan Spotlights — Dedicated pages showcasing each artisan’s story, process, and product catalog.
• Transparent Direct Sales — Enabled artisans to sell directly to consumers, building trust and preserving authenticity.
• Premium Customer Experience — Wishlist, pre-order, and gift card features tailored to the luxury segment.
Luxury Brand Partnerships
• Collaborated with 8 high-end brands to co-create products that integrated heritage craftsmanship with modern luxury aesthetics.
• Leveraged brand credibility to bring artisans into new global markets and raise cultural awareness.
• Provided partner brands with rich cultural storytelling, media exposure, and alignment with sustainability values — deepening long-term engagement.
Annual Income for Minority Artisans
> 90%
Luxury Brand Partnerships
> 8
Artisan Participation Growth
> 220%
Subscription
Growth
Rate
> 120%
II: Sustainable Ecosystem & Educational Initiatives
Multi-Channel Sustainability
• Integrated diverse revenue streams: artisan-direct e-commerce, luxury co-branded collections, limited-edition drops, and cultural exhibitions.
• Offered luxury brands free cultural storytelling and media exposure in exchange for collaboration, aligning them with sustainability and heritage values while deepening public engagement.
• Designed market segmentation strategies to appeal to both prestige-focused luxury buyers and culture-focused younger audiences.
Behavioral Science–Driven Engagement
• Developed lifestyle-sharing features for artisans to showcase their process, environment, and inspirations — restoring pride and agency.
• Built feedback loops where “likes” and comments influenced which artisan stories or products were featured, ensuring the most resonant content rose organically.
• Allowed artisans to upload modular content — from step-by-step technique clips to personal narratives — at their own pace, creating a dynamic and evolving cultural archive.
Educational & Awareness Programs
• Award Panel Design — Curated a panel of public figures, celebrities, and cultural experts to mentor modern designers in integrating heritage techniques into new creations.
• Digital-to-Physical Integration — Extended the platform into physical exhibitions and competitions, offering immersive experiences that bridged online storytelling with in-person cultural encounters.
• Created opportunities for co-creation between artisans and contemporary artists, fostering innovation rooted in tradition.
By weaving together commerce, community, and culture, Legacy Weavers evolved into a platform that doesn’t just preserve heritage crafts — it actively revitalizes them, ensuring they remain relevant for future generations.
III : Strategic Foresight
— Designing for Adaptability and Growth
Legacy Weavers was built to evolve alongside shifting market dynamics, consumer behavior, and cultural needs. The roadmap anticipates both technological and societal changes, ensuring the platform remains relevant and impactful over the long term.
Mobile-First Evolution
• Transitioned to a mobile-only format hosted on the WeChat platform to align with China’s unique e-commerce ecosystem and the ongoing decline of desktop traffic.
• Optimized for in-app engagement, social commerce, and micro-interaction models favored by younger digital-native consumers.
Expansion of Cultural Storytelling Tools
• Plans to integrate AI, VR, and AR to deepen storytelling, enable interactive product exploration, and broaden craft appreciation for global audiences.
• Development of immersive digital archives to document endangered techniques before they are lost, accessible to both researchers and the public.
Inclusive Customization Model
• Expanding beyond luxury collaborations to introduce customer-driven design tools — allowing buyers to customize products using traditional techniques.
• Opens new revenue streams while scaling artisan exposure to broader market segments without diluting cultural integrity.
Next-Generation Artisan Development
• Launching mentorship programs and digital education initiatives to train emerging artisans and designers in both craft and market-ready business skills.
• Cultivating a self-sustaining network of creators who can preserve tradition while innovating for the future.
By embedding flexibility into both the technology and the business model, Legacy Weavers is positioned not just to survive market shifts — but to lead in defining how heritage and innovation can grow together.
IV : Reflection & Key Takeaways
Self-Reflection
Legacy Weavers reinforced my belief in design as a cultural force — one that empowers communities, shifts perceptions, and creates lasting economic change.This project demanded:
• Systems thinking to merge culture, commerce, and tech.
• Empathy and execution to honor tradition while driving growth.
• Strategic foresight to ensure adaptability in a changing market.
More than a platform, it became a living space where tradition gained new relevance and artisans were recognized as cultural innovators. It shaped my ambition to design products and systems that champion purpose, dignity, and future-forward heritage innovation.