Lynn is Principal Investigator on the Crafting Futures programme, SE Asia for Malaysia. Crafting Futures is a five year research programme, which focuses on the economic empowerment of women in SE Asia, through fostering the development of creativity, innovation and design-led skills for female artisans and designers. This extends to the role design research plays in better understanding and promoting crafts and intangible cultural heritage in SE Asia towards enhancing social inclusion and sustainable economic development.

The research is comprised of two research phases: firstly, the development of a pilot “Design Innovation Pop-up Studio” programme in partnership with Kraftangan, Malaysia, (the national body responsible for craft) and the Institut Kraf Negara (IKN); and secondly, geographically located research and fieldwork whereby the synthesis of the research will inform the reframing of cultural heritage discourses and craft narratives towards developing an equitable framework aligned to the UN Global Sustainable Development goals: gender equality, reduced inequalities, innovation and infrastructure, responsible consumption and production and decent work.