From Tradition to Universality: Reimagining Handicrafts Through Inclusive Design and Participatory Innovation

Previous uses of Universal Design (UD) in handicraft products have focused mainly on evaluation, identifying how products do not meet the seven principles of UD, rather than offering practical redesign suggestions or empirical evidence to support improvements. To overcome this shortcoming, this study proposes a design-based approach that integrates the Craft Universality Taxonomy (CUT) and the Participatory Redesign Protocol (PRP) to assess, redesign, and validate the universality of handicraft products without compromising their cultural authenticity. The study builds upon existing inclusive design and co-design research, which proposes the seven UD principles as moving, culturally based parameters instead of static evaluations. The two-stage identification process, consisting of a cross-domain design survey (n = 31) and a craft-specific Delphi panel (n = 30), was used to rank and classify 10 vital universality attributes using the Relative Importance Index (RII) and the Kano model. They are grouped into four dimensions: (1) Functional Usability, (2) Cultural Legibility, (3) Adaptive Flexibility and (4) Economic Accessibility, a dimension not featured in any previous UD frameworks, identified by the craft domain experts as being a near-baseline condition for handicraft universality. The PRP was applied to two traditional Indian handicraft products (bamboo/cane stool and Moojh grass basket) through a structured co-creation process involving practising artisans and the craft-specific expert panel (n = 30). Ten attributes were rated on a Likert scale to determine baseline universality scores based on the CUT. Redesign interventions were co-created with artisans under a Cultural Integrity Boundary Condition that did not involve changing the fundamental craft process, primary material, or symbolic identity. A Universality Gain Index (UGI) was used to compare pre- and post-assessment expert scores, quantifying improvements at both the attribute and dimension levels and allowing a replicable measure of gains in inclusivity for craft-based products. The results indicate that "universality" in handicraft design does not belong to the attributes of the object itself but is the result of informed, iterative redesign. Gains were greatest for the stool on ergonomics and adaptability (UGI 64% and 60% respectively), and for the basket on affordability (UGI 57%), lending further credence to this attribute's status as a critical "must-be" feature whose absence most clearly signals dissatisfaction. The framework treats universality as a field transformation rather than a homogenisation of the universal, in which usability and cultural relevance are treated as adaptive intensifications. The study provides a replicable and scalable toolkit for designers, artisans and policymakers, illustrating how Universal Design principles can be integrated into craft-based practice with measurable, evidence-based results that help preserve cultural heritage while increasing market access.