Rattan furniture design-training delivery towards commercial value of commodity sector

Rattans are climbing palms whose bare stem is used in
the construction of cane furniture and mats. It is a vine
that grows in tropical forests and is used primarily in
the furniture industry. In 2014, the export of rattan
furniture in Malaysia is ranked lowest with a value of
RM35.14 million compared with wooden furniture
exports valued at RM6.32 billion. The decline of the
export value will negatively affect the revenues of
rattan furniture industry and result the risk of job loss.
There are three phases conducted in this Knowledge
Transfer Programme, which are: design, production
and commercialization. It is believed that craftsmen
and rattan producers who engaged in rattan
production will receive immediate benefit. This article
is a perspective from industrial design academicians to
to cope with rattan furniture design development issue.
This perspective could be referred and adapted by
rattan industry players in Malaysia to be more updated
with current R&D process. This would enable them to
compete with international market. With proper design
development process, rattan furniture producers will
be able to produce more desirable products that could
attract foreign buyers, so it might increase the export
value of rattan furniture.