Increasing competition for handicrafts

Handicrafts are always in the top 10 export items with the largest turnover in Vietnam, bringing in revenue of more than 1.7 billion USD/year.

Pottery.

Worth mentioning, this is also a group of products with high profit margins. According to statistics of the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association, for every 1 million USD of exports, this industry brings about 5 to 10 times more profit than other industries. Not to mention handicraft villages across the country are creating jobs for millions of workers, contributing to ensuring social security.

The Vietnam Craft Village Association said that many years ago, our country's handicrafts were favored by foreign markets because of their novelty, but now, the attractiveness has been significantly reduced when there is no change in the model. code, while the needs of customers are increasingly enhanced. This is currently one of the biggest barriers on the way to maintain and expand the market of Vietnamese handicrafts. Currently, up to 90% of Vietnam's handicraft products are based on designs of foreign customers and using customers' labels, due to our lack of creativity in product design. If attending fairs and exhibitions about handicrafts in the country, it is difficult for people to avoid feeling bored when encountering familiar stalls and products such as traditional models: Four spirits paintings, paintings. quarters (for pearl inlay and lacquer industries); bronze cranes, bronze peaks (bronze casting industry); mahogany, altar, diaphragm, couplets (carpentry, wood carving); lampshades, tables and chairs (rattan and bamboo industry)…

The cause of this situation is that many craft village production households still do not attach importance to the design and improvement of designs, only producing according to old habits, slow to innovate, and stereotype the models available on the market. The vocational training process is not focused on creativity, application of design to meet requirements. The design team of handicrafts has many limitations, most of which are only made to order. Some designs are aesthetically pleasing and feasible in the manufacturing process, but cannot be produced in large quantities, so it is difficult to export.

Still know that "better wood is better than paint" but when competitors' products are of equal quality and competitive price, the design is the deciding factor in which items will be selected in the cart. Therefore, people who make handicrafts need to change their thinking about design, packaging, and especially, there must be a clear distinction between product quality and design quality to increase value for customers. product. The difficulty is that because it is still a traditional craft village, the design innovation process must both ensure "modernity", suit tastes and promote its own culture.

In order to have beautiful designs that suit customers' tastes, designers and manufacturers need to work more closely together. Businesses and artisans should enter into joint ventures with art and design training institutions, and regularly organize training for the creative team so that the designs meet the right criteria and requirements.

In addition, it is necessary to organize more contests to create designs for handicrafts, in order to choose models with high applicability and fine art for mass production. Having beautiful designs and designs is not a matter of "a day or two" but a whole process, Vietnamese handicraft products need the attention and care they deserve to stand firmly in the market and reach out. out to the world.

Nguyen Trang