Empowering Ethnic Footwear Artisans through Co-Design: A Case Study on Traditional Qiang Footwear

Co-design is one of the effective ways to support the innovation of ethnic footwear artisans. Taking the design of traditional shoes and boots of Qiang ethnic group as an example, this study collected field data through observation method and semi-structured interview method, explored the innovation dilemma of ethnic artisans by thematic analysis method. The research reveals a triple dilemma in the innovation of ethnic footwear artisans characterized by suppressed aesthetic self-determination, frozen cultural consciousness, and constrained technological autonomy. To address these challenges, three co-design principles are proposed in this study with ethnic footwear artisans—“Aesthetic Equity”, “Cultural Liberation”, “Technological Replenishment” and six related action steps to guide designers, ethnic footwear artisans, and other stakeholders towards a clear direction in co-design.