Solo Design in Mind is about uniquely furniture which designed and manufactured by the designers and producers in Solo region.

Exploring the design, the most predominate characteristic is the lack of frivolous decoration for the sake of adornment. Form is indeed function. With this in mind, there are many avenues of design to follow all of which lead to an honest expression of purpose and a statement of ideal.

Design plays an essential role in the advancement of the furniture industry, particularly so in the Indonesia as well as Solo Region furniture industry. As the importance of design grows ever more significant, it is imperative that furniture manufacturers elevate their production status to that of a design-oriented one. The realisation on the premium reward and competitive advantage that original creations can command has encouraged an awareness towards the importance of design in furniture manufacturing. With the increasingly competitive global market, furniture producers in Solo Region need to be innovative to stay in the competition.

To support the furniture producers in Solo region in order to face the global competition in the furniture industry, GTZ Regional Economic Development (RED) Program in co-operation with the regional branch of the Indonesian furniture and handycraft association Surakarta (Asmindo Komda Surakarta) conducted a Design Development Program. This program is designed to create a sustainable input for the manufacturers in the area of design management and product development and to enable them in the long run to improve their performance.

It is geared to allow the manufacturers to create confidence within the companies design departments that they are capable of properly interpreting and executing designs for the so called contemporary furniture market. This program also been designed to estalish the dialogue between the university/vocational trainings and producers in the furniture industry.

This brochure is produced as a promotion tool to position the Solo region in the global furniture market, as well as to exposure both the designer and the region to receive recognition for the ability to not only design but produce quality products that are saleable in the furniture market.

JB Susanto

Chairman of the regional branch of
the Indonesian furniture and handycraft
association Surakarta (Asmindo Komda Surakarta)