Developing Sustainable Production Management Process for a Guest House Customized Décor Appliances: A Class Experience Report

This paper reports on a class experience of customizing décor appliances for a guest house. The décor appliances included bed lining and home décor. These items were created by fashion design students who took the Textile Manipulation Course, which focuses on contemporary textile making. In line with the global issue of eco-fashion, the products in this project have a strong emphasis in eco-friendly concept, not only the design and material but also the production management. This textile manipulation class maximizes the use of natural and synthetic fabric waste. Meanwhile, the demand for eco-friendly décor appliances for the guest house is the motivation to run this project. The method used in this work is the “action research” which aims to discover and solve the problem during the process simultaneously. This action research was held as a problem-solver in fulfilling demand and introducing an eco-friendly production system to the students. The process management of this action research is divided into stages: (1) Material collection, (2) Material grouping, (3) Material distribution, (4) Research design, and (5) Finishing. Students were assigned tasks based on the kinds of products and level of difficulty regarding human resource management. Each product has different steps and methods, and this paper also discusses how to minimize human error. This report focuses on the process management from beginning to end and the client assessment of the final product. The client assessment of the final product and students’ opinions about the process they have been going through serve as essential data for this action research. The discussion context is expected to inspire more ideas on teaching strategies for practical classes related to design and production, fostering better relations between students and the professional working environment. In addition, the final product assessment from the clients can contribute to product quality evaluation for better future projects.