This working paper is a case study about the development of a faience product
line in Royal Copenhagen and illustrates several aspects of how, at what stages
of development, and by whom, cultural products in general are evaluated.
Three theoretical issues emerge. One concerns the constraints imposed upon
design and production by the use of materials and, to a lesser extent, technology.
Another argues that product development has to take place within a particular
brand and genre – in this case, those of Royal Copenhagen. A third reveals the
way in which the design and manufacture of a particular cultural product had
to be negotiated within a particular organizational world embracing both
management and workers, with differentiated skills. These issues lead to a
more general discussion of craftsmanship and storytelling.
