Proceedings of the International Conference on Economics, Business, Social, and Humanities 2025 (ICEBSH 2025)

Transformation Of Traditional Values Into Contemporary Design: A Culture-Based Furniture Design Model Inspired By Toraja Case Study: Arkatana Chair

Authors
Ferdinand Ferdinand1, *, Maitri Widya Mutiara1
1Interior Design Department, Universitas Tarumanagara, Jakarta, Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: ferdinand@fsrd.untar.ac.id
Corresponding Author
Ferdinand Ferdinand
Available Online 29 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-495-2_25How to use a DOI?
Keywords
furniture design; local culture; design identity; cultural transformation; glocalization
Abstract

Indonesia possesses a rich cultural heritage, which holds significant potential as a source of inspiration for developing furniture designs with a distinctive identity. However, the Indonesian furniture industry faces several challenges, including a lack of design innovation, a heavy reliance on foreign design influences, and a shortage of local furniture designers. This shortage often results in dependence on designs provided by clients or foreign designers, limiting the creative potential of locally produced furniture. Additionally, the issue of design duplication further weakens the industry, as high-value products are frequently copied by other manufacturers, leading to price degradation and reduced exclusivity. As a result, local furniture products struggle to compete in the international market. Many products tend to adopt foreign design styles without optimally incorporating local cultural elements. Therefore, this study aims to formulate a culture-based furniture design model by adapting traditional values into contemporary designs. This research employs a qualitative exploratory approach using a culture-based design method, consisting of three stages: cultural identification, cultural transformation into design, and design validation. Data collection is conducted through literature studies, observations of traditional and modern furniture products, interviews with design experts and artisans, and semiotic analysis to understand the symbolic meanings embedded in design elements. The design process utilizes the IMO (Input, Metaphor, Output) method, enabling the transformation of cultural elements into products relevant to the contemporary market. The findings of this study establish culture-based furniture design parameters, including cultural identification, symbolic value transformation into design, utilization of local materials, community involvement, and the application of sustainability principles. Additionally, this research develops a conceptual model for culture-based furniture design, serving as a guideline for designers and industries to create furniture products that embody Indonesia’s unique identity. This study is expected to contribute to strengthening Indonesia’s design identity, enhancing the competitiveness of furniture products in the global market, and promoting sustainability through the use of local materials and the empowerment of artisan communities. The implications of this research include the application of a culture-based design framework in the creative industry, the formulation of sustainable design policies, and the development of furniture products that are not only aesthetically appealing but also deeply rooted in Indonesian cultural values.

Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the International Conference on Economics, Business, Social, and Humanities 2025 (ICEBSH 2025)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
29 December 2025
ISBN
978-2-38476-495-2
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-495-2_25How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

TY  - CONF
AU  - Ferdinand Ferdinand
AU  - Maitri Widya Mutiara
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Transformation Of Traditional Values Into Contemporary Design: A Culture-Based Furniture Design Model Inspired By Toraja Case Study: Arkatana Chair
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Economics, Business, Social, and Humanities 2025 (ICEBSH 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 269
EP  - 284
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-495-2_25
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-495-2_25
ID  - Ferdinand2025
ER  -