Design

The design....our bridge.

The makers, our partners, are rural women; often housewives.

The buyers, you, are a person from a completely different world, looking for a product with meaning, something of utility, and with a story.

Our design is the connection, the bridge between the makers and users, based around a human-centered design approach. We work in the sweet spot where our products are not only easy to use and beautiful, but also easy to make and teach.

You want that tad bit of convenience that a product could provide while someone with near to none embroidery and sewing skills needs work. So, how do you take two ends of a spectrum and finally get that journal cover with an integrated pen holder so you never have to worry about where that pen went?

One way we do this is through methods like “bag-in-a-bag” manufacturing and makers’ kits in which we provide the maker with a kit that has materials and easy to follow instructions for each product that they create.

With creation processes like the maker’s kit, there is flexibility around workplace and hours.

This allows the artisans to aim for greater financial independence. Through our constant exploring of different designs, patterns, and colors, each product is unique! And literally hand-crafting into them, the makers’ sense of self-belief.

Ohrna is a story about people through products. In extraordinary efforts towards empowerment, our makers, the women strive hard for perfection, while we are in constant pursuit of that balance between staying practical, pleasing, of the best hand made quality and yet within our makers' abilities.

We believe there is much beauty in simplicity.

Interested in the way we work? We are excited to tell you that considering design as a tool of inclusion and global outreach, Ohrna has presented at the Interaction Designers Association Education Summit in Lyon, France in Feb 2018 on the topic ‘Can Design with a Purpose Inspire the Underserved?’ Learn more about it at the Medium's article on the talk.