Asrol Hasan, Nurul ‘Ayn Ahmad Sayuti, Nurazlina Jamalludin, Syazliyati Ibrahim and Abu Hanifa Ab Hamid
Keywords: nipa palm leaves midrib stick, creative industries, craft, lighting design
Abstract: Craft Industry has been developed as part of the Creative Industry Policy in Malaysia (DIKN) which was launched in 2009. The creative industries have become a focused policy area for the Malaysian government which is in line with the current Eleventh Sustainable Development Goal focusing on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. The Malaysian craft industry used to focus on woven products such as basket or other daily use craft products made from rattan and bamboo. Although other handmade craft products which are created using natural resources (coconut tree, banana trunk, eggshells, etc.) are seen to have commercial values, some of these materials are still undervalued and not fully recognised in the craft industries. One of the most undervalued natural material is Nipa Palm (Nypa Fruticans) Leaves Midrib Stick which has not been seriously considered as a core substance in the craft industries in Malaysia. Consequently, this study is carried out to explore the potential use of nipa palm leaves midrib stick in product and craft design. The LEDLIDI is designed to give new dimensions in the development of creative products in Malaysia which focuses more on lighting design or home interior decoration products that are made from nipa palm leaves midrib sticks. This project focuses on the development process, idea generation and material exploration where coconut stick is identified to have aesthetic commercial values, diverse usage and durable features. The LEDLIDI is uniquely designed to be multifunctional and can be converted into a table light, a freestanding light and a pendant light. The silhouette which is projected from the arrangement of the coconut sticks will not only illuminate but create an ambience for modern contemporary living spaces. One of the significant impacts of this project is to give ideas and be an exponent for cottage industries to explore more natural materials for craft production in their designs. It is hoped that the use of nipa palm leaves midrib sticks can help the craft industries’ entrepreneurs to develop and produce more home interior craft products which are able to compete in the global market.
