Design students gain industry insight
IN conjunction with ID Material Day when design students gain an insight about the industry, The One Academy invited Artwright Malaysia to conduct a sharing session about the various products they manufacture and distribute as well as the process of making them.
Artwright Business Development manager Michael Loh Hon Whi said the company started operating out of a garage in 1965.
Initially, the company only sold drawing boards and T-squares for architects and engineers but eventually branched out to selling office furniture. The move to sell office furniture was decided after realising its potential as a niche market.
Loh spoke on what drives the process of designing and producing office furniture.
Students who attended also got the opportunity to visit an exhibition by Artwright. The exhibition consisted of pieces of office furniture along with an explanation about the designs and materials behind it.
He also gave a brief introduction on Artwright and its milestones
throughout the years. Loh explained what drives the thought process behind designing and producing office furniture.
He said that workplace evolution remains as a key factor to be considered. Another factor to look into is trend.
“In terms of architecture, the buildings are getting higher, hence the choice of material is also different,” he said.
Technology and skill also play a part in determining which trends are more likely to take off. Besides trend, globalisation also plays a pivotal role in designing the interior pieces for the office.
Another major factor to take into consideration is the environment. He explained that when people think of the environment, they immediately think of recycling furniture and pieces, however that is not always the case. It takes more than an individual effort to reduce and reuse, it has to be an institutional change.
The session ended with a brief Q&A session. Questions raised included the effort put in by Artwright in selecting materials, how they make their furniture sustainable and challenges around designing co-working spaces.
The One Academy continues to nurture its students through its “Masters Train Masters” coaching philosophy.