International Conference 2014 Burapha University, July 3-4, 2014

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHANAT NIKHOM BASKETRY IN CHON BURI FOR EUROPEAN MARKET

KRIANGSAK KHIOMANG Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Department of Product Design. 169 Longhard Bangsaen Rd. Saensuk, Muang, Chon Buri, Thailand. E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The main aim of this academic research was to magnify the value of local resources and basketry folk wisdom from Phanat Nikhom, Chon Buri Province in order to extend distribution channels out there to the international market, create a unique identity of the products and also suite to what target audience wants to fill the customers’ demand. According to the research results, experimenting on the design as well as developing basketry products from Phanat Nikhom, Chon Buri province itself, the researcher found that the C3 hanging lamp and the S2 stand lamp were suitable to be developed further on the design of these two forms. Since the European market tends to be interested and more familiar with geometric forms and also they prefer the simple forms of the products than others. This target market as well favors products made from natural materials. Consequently, the researcher has used the delicacy of basketry patterns which were designed and developed from the local people together with the research team. The patterns were used to decorate the lamps harmoniously with the composition and form. They also can be took off and adapted the positions comfortably by users themselves. In terms of distribution channel for these products to European market, the researcher has designed the selling, the purchasing, and the delivering through the system of E- commerce in order to create an easily way for the products to reach international market easy. In addition, if there are anyone who interested in this project, they can also take this up further to next level in more commercial way also.

Keywords: Design, Phanat Nikhom basketry, European market

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH

1. To study and develop urban material for highest benefit usage 2. To provide knowledge for the research in the future 3. To increase value of resource and urban knowledge for distribute its goods to Europe Market 4. To design the individual basketry by urban culture 5. To strengthen the community economics by urban knowledge 6. To cooperate with community of Phanat Nikhom District, Chon buri Province 7. To improve living quality of the basketry community 8. To transfer the product design skill to Phanat Nikhom Community

RESEARCH SCOPE

This research is based on the policy and strategy of The Nation Research (Year 2008 – Year 2010) which the tendency is from sustainable economic. The research scope is as following. 1. Mainly work on local natural material, Phanat Nikhom District by study its characteristic for develop and analysis then conclude the result to be database. 2. Collect Phanat Nikhom Basketry information for basketry design to match for Europe Market. The product is developed by bamboo to be community basketry product industrial. 3. Adapt equipment and material in this research for easy use to community. 4. Simple design process for transfer technology to community production. 5. Parallel research of traditional conservation with modern design to Europe Market by Industrial standard specification. 6. Marketing process by E- Commerce

DESIGN CONCEPT FRAMEWORK

This research is based on sustainable economic to develop the valued product from local material by local wisdom knowledge. The development process is parallel between tradition conservation and modern design for Europe Market.

RESEARCH METHOD

1. Study of basketry product from past data to present data then divide the basketry type for analysis its strength and weakness. 2. Design the product and test in the market for analysis and improve its pattern then conclude the result.

SOURCE OF DATA

Phanat Nikhom District, Chon buri Province, Thailand

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 ADVANTAGE OF RESEARCH

1. To collect local resource data and urban knowledge of basketry product 2. To Integrate of material, pattern, technique for new basketry product design 3. To get individual pattern of community industrial basketry product 4. To build the cooperation of private section and Phanat Nikhom Basketry Community 5. To recreated the addition wage to community 6. To transfer the suitable production process to community

RESEARCH PROCESS

The researcher has visited Phanat Nikhom District, Chon buri Province to collect all data which is linked of community culture and basketry design process then create the information for Phanat Nikhom Basketry Design to Europe Market. The researcher would like to design for individual basketry product by mixture of local culture as following step. Study of environment and natural Study of culture and local wisdom knowledge Study of local material, basketry product and distribution channel Analysis and learn of design trend to develop the product for Europe Market

Study of environment and natural

Form Phanat Nikhom, Chon buri sight visit, the researcher found that area is still maintained the natural life style and the people are still in agricultural way of life. The researcher has been observed that the people can be the main manpower to produce the basketry product if they are transferred the knowledge to produce the normal pattern of basketry product to add up their wage. Regarding the data fundamental which lead to design concept from above circle pictures, it is related to design principal that concerns about natural material with non-toxic and it is mixed with other data for develop the product to meet the research objective.

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 Study of culture and urban knowledge

According to The Nation Plan of Economic and Social Development version 10th which is related to 2nd article in the plan as the cultural and traditional policy to support using urban knowledge for create the products that is high market opportunity growth such as food product, handicraft, health service and tourism service by maintain the urban identity to be express in merchant term.

Study of local material, basketry product and distribution channel

The material, the researcher found that the material is bamboo named “Sri Nuan” from or sometime from Cambodia and also knew the main 3 problems effected to way of life as, 1. Lack of material, Sri Nuan bamboo, problem 2. Continuous cost increasing of basketry product 3. Lack of skilled basketry labor.

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 The distribution channel at the present is mainly in Phanat Nikhom Area where is many basketry shops with the owners are mainly old people. For export market, some new management who has creative idea and high efficiency can export the product to foreign market such as Japan, Korea and etc. From the observation of basketry shops at Phanat Nikhom Market, the researcher found many products such as bamboo cover, bamboo cap, bamboo pan, bamboo lamp, souvenir and etc.

Analysis and learn of design trend to develop the product for Europe Market For the design and develop of Phanat Nikhom Basketry for Europe Market, the researcher has chosen ceiling lamp and table lamp to be the design model for alternative product of Phanat Nikhom District, Chon buri Province. The design theory is based of design data as following.

Figure 1 Analysis of Design Trend

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014

Figure 2 Analyze design trend data for Key word

Figure 3 Table Lamp, S1 Design Figure 4 Ceiling Lamp, S1 and S2 Design

Design Conclusion and Product Development The design and develop basketry product for Phanat Nikhom District, Chon buri Province, the researcher found the problem of some negative attitude from people who do the weaving. However, they are finally familiar and accept the different idea after they know that the design concept is started with urban knowledge mix with design concept for functional product. The researcher designs the product with geometry form as main structure then covers its surface by natural bamboo weaving and decorate by fine color design of weaving pattern. The main benefit of the product is to change the pattern according to its functional.

Distribution Channel E-Commerce is the distribution channel for this research because it is easy to access of target group. The website is provided into 2 languages, English and French which has the link of logistic company information to serve of transport the product to purchaser as below.

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014

Figure 5 Home page of www. phanatcrafts.com with 2 languages, English and French Sourced by : www.phanatcrafts.com, access on 19th September 2011

Figure 6 Phanat Nikhom Basketry Product List Sourced by : www.phanatcrafts.com, access on 19th September 2011

SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS The research on designing and developing basketry products of Phanat Nikhom, Chon buri province in order to export these products to the European market. The researcher is able to conclude the result of the research and also able to suggest some advantageous advises to people who interested on this subject. They can also manipulate and apply this conclusion further in more commercial approach in the future. As well as, integrate the idea to some other fields of knowledge. The basketry lamp design in this research consisted of 2 forms which are: 1. the Ceiling lamp 2. the Table lamp

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 The result can be separated into 5 parts which are: Exploration on environment and nature From the field study, the researcher found that the environment of this area still be quite natural with more of the cultivation sites. Local people own their agricultural land and grow some crops, for examples, rice, sugarcane, water lotus, domesticate cows, buffalos, and ducks. The researcher also notices that the government hasn’t paid any attentions on supporting the important raw materials for the basketry productions which is bamboos. Around Phanat Nikhom district, there is none of the special specie of bamboo that use in basketry industry which has a scientific name of Dendrocalamus membranaceus. Acordingly, the researcher will advise some idea about this in the next part. Exploration on culture, way of life, and folk wisdom The community still conserves the folk wisdom, tradition, as well as culture. For examples, Phanat Nikhom district, Chon buri province always holds the Wan Kong Kao Ceremony (the Thai traditional ceremony on harvesting rice). Private organizations and government take different part to support this event. Community provides activities that related to the Phanat Nikhom basketry products, for examples, they arrange the competition and parades in order to present the traditional folk wisdom of craft production and also show the products to more people and tourists. Local materials, basketry products, and distributions Basketry production composes of a raw material which is bamboo. From the field observation, the researcher found that the special bamboo (Dendrocalamus membranaceus) does not grow in this area of Phanat Nikhom. They need to order this bamboo from Chan buri province. The way they spread the raw material is process by middlemen who go to Chan buri and buy the materials there. Then they come back to Phanat Nikhom and sell those to the people in the area with a higher price. The production system is affected by the orders. They produce these products at home and then when they finish, they again send the products to another middlemen or shops to place their products. There are two main ways to distribute these products; place them in shops in Phanat Nikhom Market (known as old market) in the city; and place them to shops in different provinces. Some of these products are developed the design and forms to be able to match with the international market demands. Design for European market From the result of the analysis on the theory, the research found that the form of the products should be simple and be able to suite with different decoration styles, for examples, house interior decoration and public space decoration. The diameter of the product is not less than 20 centimeters in order to protect to products from burning and increase more space for the heat ventilation when the products have been turned on for quite a long period of time. And from the analysis, the type C3 hanging lamp has got the highest point which is good to take further on development to be a model basketry lamp. The type S2 stand lamp also got the highest point, so it was took on to development process as well. From the development process result, the basketry lamp needed to be simple, not really complex which some products are limited to some styles and won’t be able to produce exactly like the design. Colors are one the most important things for customers to decide to buy products, from the research, plain dull colors are good for European market, so the researcher figures out to use only the nature color of the bamboo itself and the dyed soft and formal colors. Moreover, the design trend of 2012, people tend to pay more attention on using natural materials and use less of the synthetics. European market distribution This research is aiming to support community to work on their proactive distribution strategy. Besides selling the products to only Thai market, the researcher has designed an E-

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 commerce website in order to encourage and expand more channels for the products.

RECOMMENDATIONS From the research results, the researcher suggests people who interested on this subject to take this further on development and conserve the basketry products to be the identity of Phanat Nikhom. 1. Main raw material - Government or any related organizations should pay attention on growing the bamboo within the area of Phanat Nikhom and also provide some knowledge about cultivating this kind of bamboo specie around the area. - They should encourage local people to grow the bamboo along their farm ridge, enough for the basketry production and reduce the need to order them from the outside. Furthermore, it would also decrease the cost of transportation and more that needed to be paid to middlemen. 2. Skilled workers - Phanat Nikhom district in 10 years future will be lack of basketry skilled workers. It is because nobody would be carrying this knowledge on. It is also a delicate artwork that needs patient and skill to do. - From the interviewing of the head of the local basketry group, the government pushes forward schools around the area to arrange training activities for students on the basketry products and production. However, students, after the trainings, they didn’t get a chance to develop their skill and continue work on the products. Finally, they stop producing them from some other reasons as well. 3. Designing - The design of the products should not be very complex. Besides from the basketry patterns that have been designed for the local skilled workers to work on, there should be paper or some other suitable material models of the designs for them as well. It would be easy for them to work follow the designed models. - Before designing products, craft workers should study and understand to characteristics of the products and materials first. - Designing lamps, it is important to pay attention on the safety of how users will be using the products. Thus, the most suitable diameter of the lamp has to be at least 20 centimeters for the heat can be well released. 4. Distribution channels - In the case of selling products with the E- Commerce system, it is a very good proactive distribution strategy but there should be people who maintain the websites and as well as introduce them to the target audience. - Administrate the websites and update more new products frequently. - Exhibit and promote products in more events that contain with international target audience who able to afford and interested on the natural handcraft products.

Burapha University International Conference 2014 Burapha University, Thailand July 3-4, 2014 REERENCE Jurerat Baokeaw. and others. (1997). Local Crafts Case study of Krajood Product. Songkla : Prince of Songkla, Pattani Campus. Viboon Lisuwan. (1997). Thai Basketry. Bangkok : Ministry of Education. Viboon Lisuwan. (1989). Basketry in Thailand. Odienstore Publishing. Ministry of Industry. (1999). Thai Handicraft Product. Bangkok.