The Art of the Handmade

When most people check out a piece of handmade jewelry they check the current market price of gold or silver and wonder why the price tag on the piece doesn’t match the weight of the material.

The Artisan’s Bench helps answer that question.

In this digital narrative, browser-based simulation, you step into the shoes of a professional jeweler working going through daily tasks and decisions. It is quickly evident that the price of the raw materials is the least important part of the jewelry making process. The game forces players to make decisions with trade offs that artisans face daily.

The moral of The Artisan’s Bench serves as a vital lesson in the “Hidden Value” of the handmade. In a society which promotes mass consumption and fast fashion the value of handcrafts is fading away. When you purchase from an artisan, you are paying for a high-stakes balancing act where artisans attempt to balance profits, mental health and physical wellbeing. It teaches that when you buy handmade, you aren’t just buying an object, you are buying the story behind it.

Through 15 different scenarios players get an insight into the lives of artisans and can track the effects of their decisions in terms of profits, mental capacity and energy.

Here is the link to my first draft https://spectacular-wisp-8478a7.netlify.app/

Please let me know if you have any comments, questions or points for improvement as I’d truly appreciate it.