For the Palapa Project, we develop a typical table model and integrated several electrical sockets in the design to suit the current lifestyle. The Mancapat Table is a modern coffee table with a twist of traditional elements. The inspiration for this product came from the traditional Javanese philosophy of God called “Mancapat”. We took this philosophy as an irony towards today’s situation, whereas we get too attached to our electronic gadgets, they became our “God”. This table got showcased in London, after being selected as 30 best products, by curators from UK, Japan, USA and Indonesia.
By studying the potential market, we discovered that society is heading into a more design-led lifestyle. Thus, the integration of functionality, aesthetic and sustainable aspects in the Mancapat table design. To ensure the product line sustainability, we analyse the marketing, production and business strategy before applying it to the design concept. We took the strong movement among Indonesian product designers who adore local culture as our main inspiration. We travelled around Java for concept and material researches, and create designs based on the findings.
We mainly utilise the existing capability of carpenters, which is processing wood into furniture. Through several prototyping trials, we managed to combine this set of skills with design elements, in this case wood moulding and engraving. The wood came from recycled German containers, as our effort to reduce exploitation of new forests and prevent unnecessary waste. The excess wastes has potential as raw material for other wood products. The majority of the manufacturing process is done by hand, so it consumes less energy than fabricated products.