Open research questions in Crafts, Textile, and Design
73 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,595 Crafts, Textile, and Design papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The paper identifies the challenge of extracting essential cultural meanings while radically transforming use contexts, particularly for children lacking prerequisite knowledge and requiring ergonomic optimization for developing bodies. The paper identifies the challenge of reconciling seemingly contradictory imperatives, such as maintaining philosophical depth while achieving developmental appropriateness.
Educational children's furniture design: a review of new Chinese style, cultural elements, and pedagogical principles · 2026 · DOIFuture research should develop the concepts into professionally designed prototypes for empirical evaluation. Future research should explore the application of the framework in different cultural contexts.
Educational children's furniture design: a review of new Chinese style, cultural elements, and pedagogical principles · 2026 · DOIThe paper focuses primarily on the 17th and 18th centuries. The research is limited to the analysis of historical documents and artifacts. The paper does not provide a comprehensive analysis of all art manufactures during this period.
Further analysis of the technical and artistic aspects of art manufactures. Examination of the role of other key figures in the history of the manufactures. Expansion of the research to include other time periods and geographical regions.
The study identifies the challenge of translating cultural identity into contemporary design without losing the cultural significance and meaning. The research also highlights the need for a rigorous methodology in heritage-based design.
The design process can be different due to cultural context - Limited research on CPD in Indonesia
Understanding Cultural Product Design Process of Indonesian Designers: A Grounded Theory Approach · 2026 · DOIEnsuring cultural accuracy and equitable collaboration in the design process. Balancing the honouring of history with contemporary aesthetics and practical needs. Avoiding cultural appropriation.
Bidayuh Ethnic Material Culture: A Visual Documentary and Narrative Study of Indigenous Heritage as New Ideas for Contemporary Fashion Design · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the literature on the reinterpretation of cultural heritage elements within contemporary design processes. The study highlights the need for a systematic design process for reinterpreting cultural heritage elements within contemporary design processes.
FROM ARCHITECTURAL MOTIFS TO TEXTILE SURFACES: REINTERPRETATION OF THE FLORAL MOTIFS OF KONYA ALÂEDDIN MOSQUE · 2026 · DOIThe study had a limited sample size of 140 responses. Some participants did not answer all of the questions, resulting in varying sample sizes for each analysis.
Revising the Ritual but Reproducing the Culture: Unequal Experiences of Belonging in the Iron Ring Ceremony, 2024-2025 · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in understanding the experiences of demographic groups in social rituals. The iron ring ceremony has not been previously studied in the context of social reproduction and ritual.
Revising the Ritual but Reproducing the Culture: Unequal Experiences of Belonging in the Iron Ring Ceremony, 2024-2025 · 2026 · DOIFuture research could explore the implications of the paper's findings for understanding modern society. Further study could analyze the relation between technical action and other aspects of modernity.
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the predominance of technique in the modern world. The study aims to address this gap by analyzing Weber's concepts and their relevance to modernity.
The textile industry's excessive use of water, chemicals, and energy contributes to environmental pollution. The lack of awareness about sustainable embroidery practices and their cultural importance. -
Further research can be done to explore the potential of sustainable embroidery practices in reducing the textile industry's environmental impact. The cultural importance and history of traditional embroidery techniques like Kantha embroidery and patchwork can be further studied. -
The paper notes that the craft is facing a demographic crisis due to the aging of artisans and the lack of knowledge transmission. The study also mentions that the hyper-industrialization has eroded the production environment and caused a severe intergenerational transmission crisis in the artisan community.
From Agrarian Rituals to the Factory of the World: The Materiality, Aesthetics, and Sociocultural Transformation of Chashan Clay Sculpture · 2026 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in the recognition of the Chashan clay sculpture as an important part of Chinese traditional art. The study notes that the craft is facing a demographic crisis due to the aging of artisans and the lack of knowledge transmission. The research highlights the need to understand the social impact of hyper-industrialization on traditional crafts.
From Agrarian Rituals to the Factory of the World: The Materiality, Aesthetics, and Sociocultural Transformation of Chashan Clay Sculpture · 2026 · DOIFurther study of the ways in which language and material practice intersect to structure value regimes in other contexts. Examination of the implications of the study's findings for the development of more equitable and sustainable laundry practices.
Feeling clean: Language materiality and the discursive production of value in hotel ‘laundry routes’ · 2026 · DOIThe lack of attention to the practice of hotel laundry work in existing research. The need for a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which language and material practice shape the value of laundry.
Feeling clean: Language materiality and the discursive production of value in hotel ‘laundry routes’ · 2026 · DOIFurther studies on the handloom sector in India, using an anthropological lens to explore the lived experiences of weavers and the material culture of the loom. Research on the applications of the Socio-Technical Systems (STS) and Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) perspectives in understanding technological practices in other contexts.
Reweaving Technology and Culture: Rethinking Indian Handlooms through an Anthropological Lens · 2026 · DOIThe lack of anthropological perspectives in studying technology, particularly in the context of artisanal traditions. The need for a more nuanced understanding of the handloom sector in India, beyond economic or developmental terms.
Reweaving Technology and Culture: Rethinking Indian Handlooms through an Anthropological Lens · 2026 · DOIThe paper notes that the CNC milling process is time-consuming and generates significant material waste. The authors mention that the steam bending process requires experimentation and can be prone to errors. The paper highlights the need for further refinement of the design process.
Future research could focus on refining the design process and improving the sustainability of the materials and methods used. The authors suggest exploring new manufacturing techniques, such as laser cutting and 3D printing. The paper highlights the potential for further development of multifunctional hair accessories.
Future studies can further explore the application of Daoist principles in contemporary design practices. The paper's findings can be used as a starting point for investigating the creative philosophy of other traditional crafts.
A deeper interpretation of the philosophical underpinnings that guided the creation of Ming-style furniture remains a fertile ground for research. The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature regarding the connection between Daoist philosophy and Chinese Ming-style furniture.
The study identifies a gap in understanding the collaboration between choreographers and arborist-dancers. The study highlights the need for a provisionally shared way of thinking to bridge epistemic divides.
Diagramming the Possible: Situated Improvisation as a Way of Inhabiting Professional Worlds · 2026 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Crafts, Textile, and Design
- Cultural Objects, Material Culture, and Materiality · Annual Review of Sociology · 2023 · 54 citations
- Refigurative politics: understanding the volatile participation of critical creatives in community gardens, repair cafés and clothing swaps · Social movement studies · 2020 · 45 citations
- Technological intimacy: Re-engaging with gender and technology in the global factory · Ethnography · 2011 · 41 citations
- Culture Sustainability through Co-Curricular Learning Program: Learning Batik Cross Review · Education Sciences · 2021 · 32 citations
- Maker culture and its potential for STEM education · International Journal of Technology and Design Education · 2022 · 29 citations
- Netnography and design thinking: development and illustration in the vegan food industry · European Journal of Marketing · 2021 · 28 citations
- The experience of luxury craftsmanship – a strategic asset for luxury experience management · Journal of Marketing Management · 2022 · 26 citations
- Negotiating Authenticity in Technological Environments · Philosophy & Technology · 2021 · 22 citations
- ‘Knit “n” natter’: a feminist methodological assessment of using creative ‘women’s work’ in focus groups · Qualitative Research · 2020 · 21 citations
- Digital Ethnography for Sociology: Craft, Rigor, and Creativity · Qualitative Sociology · 2022 · 20 citations
Most recent work
- Feeling clean: Language materiality and the discursive production of value in hotel ‘laundry routes’ · Language in Society · 2026
- Traditional craft and sustainable development: a study on Indian craft · Social Responsibility Journal · 2026
- <i>More</i> · Art Therapy · 2026
- Market Potential for Handmade Designer Boutique Products · International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology · 2026
- Sustainable Fabric Surface Embellishment · International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering · 2026
- Crafting narratives: co-producing content for social storytelling of Indian, craft-based brands · International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education · 2026
- From “Thermal Pants” to “Guochao”: Generational Aesthetics and the Reinvention of Cultural Identity in Contemporary China: How Post-90s and Post-00s Chinese Youth Redefine Chineseness through Hanfu and Neo-Chinese Design · Studies in Linguistics and Literature · 2026
- Threads of Identity: Exploring Gendered Costume Practices in the Raika Community of Western Rajasthan, India · TEXTILE · 2026
- Women Who Know and Make It Happen: From Ancestral Female Knowledge to the Textile Industry · Heritage · 2026
- Educational children's furniture design: a review of new Chinese style, cultural elements, and pedagogical principles · Frontiers in Education · 2026
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