Journal of Visual Art and Design

Preserving Cultural Heritage through Collaborative Design: A Participatory Action Research on Nakhon Silver Niello Jewelry in Thailand

Jedsada Suksikarn, Rewat Suksikarn — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This research developed innovative Nakhon silver nielloware jewelry appealing to younger and professional demographics while safeguarding traditional craftsmanship through community-based collaboration. Utilizing participatory action research with Actor-Network Theory principles, twenty community members co-created two jewelry collections inspired by water droplets and "Nakhon Song Tham" symbolism. The designs achieved high consumer satisfaction (4.57/5.0) and successful commercialization with 52,000 THB revenue from initial market testing. Comprehensive knowledge preservation through multimedia documentation received 4.56/5.0 satisfaction ratings. The study demonstrates how participatory approaches can effectively balance cultural authenticity with commercial viability, contributing to UNESCO's safeguarding framework and Sustainable Development Goals 2030 for cultural sustainability.

Navigation Interconnectivity Improvement to Increase User Satisfaction of Web-based Asset Management Services using the System Usability Scale (SUS)

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study evaluated and redesigned navigation interconnectivity within the Tomps Aset asset management system in a public-sector context. Initial usability testing involving six participants from diverse professional backgrounds revealed several navigation inefficiencies, reflected in an average System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 58.75, indicating below average usability. In response, a user-centered redesign was developed with a focus on improving consistency, readability, clarity, interactive affordance, efficiency, and structural coherence. The redesigned interface was then re-evaluated through task-based usability testing and SUS assessment with five participants. The results showed a substantial improvement, with the SUS score increasing to 78, surpassing the global benchmark average of 68. These findings underline the importance of well-structured and interconnected navigation in enhancing user satisfaction, particularly in data intensive asset management systems. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on usability driven visual interface refinement in semi-public digital environments and offers a practical framework for iterative navigation optimization in complex information systems.

Time-Motion Study: Uncovering the Bottleneck in Jepara’s Chair Design Development

Hendriana Werdaningsih, Ira Handayani Samri, Noel Febry Ardian — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study examines efficiency improvements in the research and development (R&D) process of Jepara’s furniture industry in Indonesia. Despite its international reputation as a wood-carving hub, Jepara remains constrained to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) model, leaving it vulnerable to competitors in China and Vietnam. Transitioning to an original design manufacturer (ODM) model requires structured R&D. However, traditional frameworks like time-motion Study (TMS) prioritize linear mass production rather than iterative, culturally grounded creative workflows. To address this gap, a TMS, work pattern analysis, and technology evaluation were conducted across the Inspiration/Immersion, Ideation, and Prototyping stages across three designer setups. The findings reveal that time allocation varied significantly by organizational structure: Designer 1 spent 25–27% of time on Immersion and Prototyping due to production conflicts; Designer 2 allocated 41–44% across Ideation and Prototyping; and Designer 3 spent only 9–10% on Immersion and Ideation by using Computational 3D modeling to merge the design into prototyping. The study confirms that Immersion preserves local cultural identity, while digital 3D tools dramatically compress R&D lead times. To support Jepara’s OEM-to-ODM transition, the research recommends establishing dedicated prototyping units to shield R&D from production demands and integrating computational 3D modeling to accelerate design iterations.