Designing with Communities by Participatory Action Research on Nakhon Silver Nielloware Jewelry in Southern Thailand

1. 1. Rationale

Jewelry is used to express the status, beauty, and sentimental aspects of people (Batista, 2004). Pieces of jewelry are made with very noble materials, utilized for personal adornment, or to express a meaning (Batista, 2008). Therefore, jewelry must be elaborately designed research related processes are required together with creativity and continuous planning of jewelry production with an emphasis on aesthetic functions, convenience, and durability. These tasks are determined by the designer who always takes into account the creation of new ideas material selection appearance of the workpiece's practical use even before it goes to the production line (Batista, 2004).

Thailand is one of the world's major jewelry manufacturing centers in aspects of design and manufacturing Thai jewelry is therefore recognized in the world market potential. The jewelry design reflects the value and reflects wisdom, culture, and identity of Thailand as well. The country is home to skilled workers who can produce pieces of detail, meticulous, beautiful, which are widely accepted as well (National Gem and Jewelry Research and Development Institute, 2018 and the Ministry of Commerce, 2019) report that Thailand's top 10 export products in 2018 were gems and jewelry products with the third highest export value. Up to 3.83 billion baht, after computer products which have the export value of no. 1 which shows that jewelry is an important product. Thailand’s jewelry industry stands out significantly as a center of the jewelry trade of the region and craftmanship of Thai jewelry manufacturers with expertise to heat and cut gemstones intricately. However, the industry is faced with some limitations and challenges such as the upstream industry experiencing a shortage of raw materials resulting in sole reliance on imported materials, the midstream industry faced with a shortage of young-generation workforce and technological development in the country, and the downstream industry going through contemporary product development and design as well as ways to distribute and advertise the brands so that they are internationally recognized.

In addition, if considering the issue of people's needs in the present era found that wearing jewelry is still continuously and widely popular. Although jewelry is a luxury that is expensive and not considered one of human 4 basic life essentials, people still wear accessories to enhance their personalities and to decorate their bodies to beautify their bodies in addition to clothes. The jewelry industry is a large part of Thailand's economy (Thammaruaksa, Saneha, and Apirajkamol, 2010). which employed several thousand high-skill workers and millions of people in related industries (Rungreungpol, Kongjutirat, Dumrongsri, Prechasud, and Supanitpon, 2010). Thailand is one of the top exporters of silver jewelry in the global market. (UN Comtrade, 2018) Competing in the global jewelry market is a key challenge for the Thai silver jewelry industry. The jewelry industry is very dynamic. The price of raw materials is very fluctuated, especially for the precious metal. The jewelry product is a fashion product with a short life cycle. As a result, the manufacturing process is a fine process with low-volume production. Therefore, it relies heavily on high-skill labor processes. To be more competitive, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and traders of Thai jewelry. Among all precious materials, silver jewelry made in Thailand represents Thai culture. Therefore, Thai silver jewelry products are popular among Thai people. and foreigners as well (Department of Industrial Promotion, 2007). Silver jewelry in Thailand There is various formats. and there are important production sources scattered in major tourist attractions throughout the country, such as the production source at Wua Lai Road, Mueang District, Bo Sang District. and San Kamphaeng District Chiang Mai Province, Mueang District, Surin Province, Khlong Lan District, Kamphaeng Phet Province, and Mueang District Nakhon Si Thammarat Province (In Khong, 2014).

Nakhon Si Thammarat in the South of Thailand, geographical typography of golden peninsular braced by the ocean on both sides is a source of natural resources in the sea, coastal plain, and forests located close to the equator. The country is home to residents of multinational and multicultural backgrounds, seeking refuge through land and marine means of transport to settle. Among several nationalities were Malays, Chinese, and South Indians but the biggest majority is Thai Siam (Na Thalang, 2001). The province’s name means “Glorious City under the ruling of the virtuous king” (TAT Nakhon Si Thammarat. 2015). The province has progressed in its rich history and culture for thousands of years and fullness of cultural and wisdom heritage (Wasi,1993). With the vision “City of Learning, Agriculture, Tourism, Comfortable Living and Strong Community” in alignment with the National Economic and Social Development Plan Issue 11 “strategy directed to establishing a production base promoting strong and balanced economic growth”. The plan features a statement on the development of commodity production and services based on the creative economy by promoting the integration of creativity to add values to commodities and services, promoting and improving potential creative businesses, developing fundamental infrastructures and environment oriented toward the creative economy, promoting government agencies to adopt the applied work system for the public policy-based projects, especially those for development of a wide variety of One Tambon One Product (OTOP). There are many types of handicrafts that are unique to Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, especially Nakhon Si Thammarat nielloware, a refined work of art accepted on a national and international scale (Panchapak, 1991).

Niello is a black material composed of one or more metal sulfides. It contrasts particularly with the metal when inlaid or fused into a recessed design in gold or silver, but is also found on bronze and brass. It has long been known as a high-class handcraft product, the pitch-black color of niello seeping into elaborately engraved Thai designs makes silver or gold containers or accessories stand out and be of higher value. Nakhon Si Thammarat’s nielloware artisans receive praises for their advanced craftsmanship, resulting in the nielloware products earning the name “Nakhon Nielloware” (Phuangpakdee, 1998), especially those executed by the Nariang nielloware group based in Phrom Khiri district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand which was listed as a One Tambon One Product (OTOP). in a category of appliances and accessories. However, even though the nielloware products are marked by uniqueness, prevailing production processes and design still conformed to old traditions either in the making of appliances or accessories, so typical prices of the nielloware are only affordable to a small exclusive group of customers at the dispense of other target groups.

The beginning of the nielloware product manufacture of the Nariang nielloware group was when the head of the group started practicing nielloware skills with a cousin and achieving a mastery level. The group has been operating for 35 years under support from government agencies having the community join the Nakhon Si Thammarat province OTOP group in the year 2003. At present, traditionally-made silver nielloware jewelry is produced with an emphasis on advanced craftsmanship that emphasizes refinement. As a result. Creating each piece, niello ornaments made of 95% silver, is time-consuming. The Nariang group specializes in producing each workpiece intricately as shown in the way it is formed only by hand to obtain the optimal and most proportionate shape. Additionally, there are exquisitely detailed patterns with delicacy. The overall appearance of Nakhon Niello jewelry ornaments of the Nariang group is defined by two colors: white (silver) and black (Niello) and the craftmanship on jewelry making is passed to local youths as well. The problem of the Nariang nielloware group in its current operation is the form of the product which is not diverse and the price is quite high. The product also appeals to a specific group of customers. The Nariang nielloware group aims to develop product designs to be beautiful, contemporary, and valuable, yet still convey the identity of the traditional wisdom of nielloware making. The research team, therefore, concluded that the members of the group would like to encourage the development of commercial Nakhon Niello jewelry products with the participation of the group members and the research team to achieve sustainable development in the future.

This pressing issue aspired the researcher to develop Nakhon silver niello jewelry for a commercial purpose with Participatory Action Research (PAR) with Nariang nielloware group. Participation has played an important role in the development of social design (Triggs, 2016). PAR - Participatory research attempts to promote democracy and equality among everyone involved in carrying out the research (Kara, 2017). A democratic aim in itself and a pragmatic effort aimed at creating better designs (Greenbaum and Halskov, 1993). Reason and Hilary (2001) define PAR as a participatory, democratic process concerned with developing practical knowledge in the pursuit of worthwhile human purposes. Simply stated, this is a systematic approach that seeks knowledge for social action (Fals-Borda and Rahman, 1991). Although many variants exist, action approaches possess commonalities based on their commitment to general. (Bennett, 2004). This Research silver nielloware jewelry design, it was observed the need of providing the communities with a methodology, to develop a structured, systematic, and organized work. To assist and guide the Nariang nielloware group throughout the jewelry design stages, the research team has developed a method composed of three main steps: Investigation and Analysis; Creation; Construction, and Evaluation. (SPINUZZI, 2005) (Batista, 2012). The group expects that the project will help to generate new contemporary designs representing the value and identity of Nakhon silver niello jewelry and also respond to the needs of the production community and Nariang nielloware group to take the product to a level encompassing aesthetic appeal, contemporariness, and value which coordinate with identity derived from Nakhon’s old wisdom of nielloware making. This is in alignment with the taste of new generations of customers and community development. Furthermore, the production group can build further progress upon the reinvented designs by themselves and will be able to expand into a national market.

1. 2. Research objectives

1. To design and develop Nakhon silver niello jewelry

2. To develop Nakhon silver niello jewelry for a commercial purpose

1. 3. Anticipated research outcome

1. The production group can design and develop Nakhon silver niello jewelry.

2. Nakhon silver niello jewelry can be made for commercial purposes.

1. 4. Research scope

1. Area scope: Nariang Nielloware Group, Phrom Khiri district, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

2. Content scope: content scope is determined in compliance with the research objectives to design and develop Nariang niello jewelry for decoration of the head and body parts.

3. Population scope: research population was recruited using purposive sampling which is Nariang niello jewelry, Phrom Khiri district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. The researcher proceeded through the preliminary data search before commencing this study, starting from field observation by visiting the sites of niello jewelry production groups and selecting the Nariang nielloware group stating its needs to have their silver niello products developed.

3. 1. Research result and problem analysis

3. 2. Results concerning solutions to the problems

3.2.1. In the aspect of local wisdom: Members of the Nariang Silver Nielloware Group are residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat inheriting Nakhon nielloware craftsmanship from ancestors, all of whom are equipped with the dedication to nielloware making which is cultural wisdom and identity of the province.

3.2.2. In terms of community groups for occupation: the Nariang Silver Nielloware Group practices the art of nielloware making as a major way to earn income and asks younger siblings to join for practices taking the rookie to mastery level.

3.2.3. In terms of continuation of wisdom: the Nariang Silver Nielloware Group is capable of transferring the craftsmanship knowledge of local youths to encourage them to make the most of their free time.

3.2.4. In terms of the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s designs: Members of the group had acquired an understanding to a certain level because they were pursuing a vocational certificate at The College of Arts and crafts and Nakhon SI Thammarat. Promotion of knowledge and opinion sharing with professional designers are believed to establish the solid potential for the group’s development of product design.

Research results concerning solutions to the problems of silver nielloware jewelry’s product design development are 1) high production costs 2) expertise and delicate production processes 3) time-consuming production processes and 4) a very specific customer group and difficulty expanding beyond it. With these issues being brought to light, the researcher was able to outline approaches to developing the design of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry as follows:

• 1. Products of contemporary designs which still strongly preserve the local wisdom
• 2. Easy production processes in a technical sense
• 3. Have aesthetic and interesting appeals which are not commonly seen
• 4. Utilization-appropriate sizes
• 5. Affordable prices allow little time to make a purchase decision

Figure 1

approaches to developing design of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry for a commercial purpose

3. 3. Result of the plan to solve problems

The objective is to develop Nakhon silver niello jewelry for a commercial purpose which is to design and develop Nakhon silver nielloware products into new and saleable products. Activities and procedures for the development of Nakhon silver niello jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose. There were actions taken to develop Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry for a commercial purpose going side by side with the transfer of knowledge and technologies of product design by a professional designer team and sharing of knowledge and experiences among the project participants. Four activities were arranged. Participants in the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose set specific responsibilities and benefits that Nariang silver nielloware jewelry will get. Participants in the development of Nakhon silver niello jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose will gain the following benefits.

• 1. The community acquired knowledge about reinvention of Nakhon silver niello jewelry’s design.
• 2. Development of teamwork and appreciation of the cooperation
• 3. Develop prototypes of Nakhon silver niello jewelry.

The team succeeded in creating the prototypes of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design which will be developed into new products to offer a wider range for consumption, and improve sales opportunities.

3. 4. Result of implementation of the plan

Development of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry’s Design 1

The product successfully delivered beauty, contemporariness, and value yet preserved the authentic identity of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry. In terms of production, there would be an integration between modern procedures and local materials such as coconut shells, colored stones, and gems to reduce costs and revolutionize against the commonly produced designs.

Figure 2

Designs of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry 1

Development of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry’s Design 2

Authentic local wisdom was still preserved in the patterns the group specializes in and all the traditional techniques were still made imperative however with a reduction of the size. Also, the surface area which would have been typically filled with niello was decorated with materials of different colors instead. Slight adjustments to the process also shortened the overall production time, yet each piece of the jewelry still reflected both beauty and interest in an unprecedented fashion appealing to teenagers and adults.

Figure 3

Designs of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry 2

Development of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry’s Design 3

The value of local wisdom was still maintained under more contemporary designs responding to the interests and styles of all customers across genders and ages. This design scheme adopted the concept “Nakhon Silver Nielloware Jewelry, Wisdom to the world”. New production processes were adopted and the overall production time was shortened through the use of Centrifugal Casting. However, to preserve the characteristic values of silver nielloware, the old process played a part at some stages.

Figure 4

Designs of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry 3

Figure 5

Designs of Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry 3

Prototypes created based on the Nariang silver nielloware jewelry for a commercial purpose

Participants of the project of silver nielloware jewelry’s design development for a commercial purpose succeeded in creating prototypes in activity 3 to be used for reproduction and distribution. The production community was the party overseeing the reproduction for sale and other different applications as guided by Nariang silver nielloware jewelry’s approaches until being able to execute the saleable works.

Figure 6

Prototypes created on the basis of Nariang silver niello jewelry for a commercial purpose

3. 5. Results of follow-up and evaluation

Follow-up on the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose. Implementation of the action plan resulted in success in the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s reinvented design for a commercial purpose which corresponded well with the objectives. Despite certain challenges arising due to the members’ obligations and full-time job responsibilities, every member demonstrated enthusiasm for the assigned responsibilities and completed them to the best of their knowledge. After having taken part in four sessions in the project of development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose, participants offered the silver nielloware jewelry with reinvented designs created based on the Nariang nielloware group’s methods for sale at trade fairs. The products received encouraging responses from customers and had good sales. According to the customers, factors influencing their buying decisions included unique designs, affordable prices, and daily utilization. The project inspired and trained a group of youth leaders to take part in the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose and be able to further manipulate the process into producing works under trendy designs. Results from the follow-up suggested that the youth group applied the taught techniques and methods acquired from the project to their designs. Also, a line of products reproduced based on the prototypes collaboratively developed during their participation in the project of development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose. Participants in the project of development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose reported satisfaction with the reinvented designs created during the project and a sense of pride in what all the project participants had achieved together. They developed confidence in building more designs upon the ones they had just succeeded in creating and experienced a positive feeling when the products proved saleable.

Evaluation results from three experts in the development of Nakhon silver niello jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose, 13 participants in the project of development of Nakhon silver niello jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose, and 50 other individuals including customers or those interested in silver niello jewelry.

Evaluation results of the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose were at a high level ($$ \overline{\text{X}}$$ =4.43, S.D.=0.61). To be more specific, the evaluation results from three experts in the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose were at the highest level ($$ \overline{\text{X}}$$ =4.72, S.D.=0.41). The evaluation results from 13 participants in the project of development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose were at a high level ($$ \overline{\text{X}}$$ =4.15, S.D.=0.64) and the evaluation results from 50 other individuals including customers or those interested in silver niello jewelry were at a high level ($$ \overline{\text{X}}$$ =4.14, S.D.=0.8).

3. 6. Feedback

Follow-up on the results of the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose revealed that the goals set in every step of the entire development project were achieved. The study was conducted using Participatory Action Research until 23 designs and 10 prototypes of Nakhon silver niello jewelry for commercial purposes were successfully produced in Activity 1, 2, and 3. The Nariang niello Jewelry group applied the reinvented designs and produced jewelry products for sale in Activity 4 and succeeded in producing 12 pieces of jewelry. In addition, local youths acquired the design reinventing techniques from professional designers and assumed the role of youth leaders in the development of Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry’s design for a commercial purpose in the community. Evaluation results of the newly reinvented jewelry designs suggested a high level of appropriateness and received useful feedback for the product’s further improvement. Discussions, opinion sharing, and questioning of the project participants reflected how the activities were perceived. Some put forward that, perceived from the marketing point of view, the design proved to be a success in maximizing the value of products because project participants were able to create prototypes based on the designs developed by professional designers. Designs of the products still required further and continuous expansion in terms of ideas. Unlike the previous assumption in favor of the familiar designs’ duplication, the new assumption adopted among the participants was in favor of evolvement. They reported a sense of satisfaction and confidence. Also, turning to the production process, production costs were not as high as initially anticipated and production time was also shortened considerably. Lastly, the product’s further improvement leaned toward diversification of designs potentially achieved by integration of each maker’s knowledge and ability which will reduce both production costs and time. Also, alternative materials to the typical ones can be brought into the process to add value to the product and offer a wide variety of interesting design choices for customers.