(This post was last modified: 04-20-2016, 01:59 AM by NeoXerxes.)
(04-20-2016, 01:43 AM)j-mt Wrote: For a product to be artisan (in my eyes) it has to be:
- Made by hand (no mechanical production)
- Made in small quantities (no mass production)
- Made of high quality ingredients/supplies
- Made in house
- An original recipe/design
- Non-utilitarian (focused on the experience)
Just to play devil's advocate, as an example of how these definitions can be a bit loose, here are some complications to each individual point:
1. What does it mean for the product to be made by hand? What if a production machine is designed, programmed, and automated by an artisan?
2. What if the type of soap, cream, or razor requires large batch purchases? I'd imagine that large batch production is different than small batch, individual made-to-order, and mass production methods.
3. What if some ingredients are exceptionally high quality and others are cheap? For example, some soaps that I've tried use a great base but use cheap and low quality fragrance oils.
4. What if some parts of the product are made in house but others are ordered? For example, an "artisan" might outsource a label, the packaging, or even the design/mixing of a fragrance.
5. Again, what if some parts of the finished product are original designs, but others are not?
6. Non-utilitarian assumptions require that the artisan have a particular motivation. How can we know or verify this in order to apply the label appropriately? Should we believe claims that are made in marketing materials?
To be clear mate, I'm not trying to refute or pick on your points in particular, but since you articulated some specific ones (and very well, I might add), it is helpful for me to use them as a device to contrast with my own point on the problems with using the "artisan" vs. "non-artisan" label.
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