The Role of Interior Product Designers in Improving the Welfare of Craft and Furniture Artisans After Pandemic

The creative industry is expected to drive economic growth in
Indonesia after the COVID-19 pandemic. Abundant local
materials and skilled human resources are two major strengths
that need to be optimally managed to increase the selling value
of design products. The pandemic has significantly impacted
the welfare of furniture and handicraft artisans in Java. This
paper aims to demonstrate the process and role of interior
product designers (IPDs) in improving the socio-economic
welfare of artisans after the pandemic. IPDs collaborated with
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), artisans, private
entrepreneurs, governments, exporters, and associations to deal
with vulnerabilities after the pandemic to achieve the
development of policies and strategies toward sustainable
community welfare. This IPDs role mainly focused on utilizing
water hyacinth and rattan as the material for interior products
to be accepted in local and global markets. The IPDs faced
challenges in collaboration and unification of aspirations and
interests between each party. The research used Kelley�s design
thinking method, implementing the empathize, define, ideate,
prototype, and test stages. The latest information on
commodities produced by SME artisans, the existing
advantages and disadvantages, and in-depth studies of
developing market issues in Indonesia, Asia, and Europe were
explored. The resulting design was then adjusted to the
availability of raw materials, the production capabilities of the
artisan, as well as the support of tools and technology used.
The production process involved the government and
industrial assistance in supporting the needs of machinery and
production technology. Market tests at home country and
abroad were conducted to determine the market response to the
product. With a good market response, it is hoped that there will be policy development from the government and industry
associations to support joint work to achieve a strategy for the
socio-economic welfare of the community, especially groups of
artisans.