Traditional craftsmanship is an important subfield of Chinese design studies with unique local characteristics. This study systematically examines its research trajectories and paradigmatic features to identify dominant research orientations and construct its meso-level sub-paradigms. With 1 778 relevant papers from ten design journals published between 2010 and 2025 as the research subject, this study combines bibliometrics and qualitative analysis to conduct a systematic analysis across three dimensions: research themes, high-frequency key words, and temporal evolution. Three dominant research orientations, "Seeking Truth", "Seeking Solutions", and "Seeking Applications", were identified. The "Seeking Truth" orientation aims to restore historical truth and is subdivided into textual exegesis and genealogical analysis; The "Seeking Solutions" orientation aims to elucidate cultural logic and is subdivided into in-depth descriptions of craftsmanship, cultural symbols, and conceptual criticism; The "Seeking Applications" orientation aims to explore contemporary pathways and is subdivided into design innovation, heritage preservation, and educational transmission. These three orientations complement one another in terms of ontology, epistemology, methodology, and axiology, collectively constituting a meso-level sub-paradigm centered on traditional craftsmanship. The construction of this sub-paradigm provides a methodological framework for paradigm research in other subfields of Chinese design studies and lays a foundational basis for the future development of a research paradigm that establishes the subjectivity of Chinese design studies.