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Published on August 1, 2007

Sakkachat Sivabovorn, 44, is chasing his dream of making design part of every product made in Thailand.

Sakkachat worked 17 years for TRK Bangkok Industry and Exporter - the manufacturer of the Carryboy-brand fibreglass canopies for pickups.

He resigned in 2001 to establish his own publishing company, iDesign, which he thought was the best way to communicate his ideas about product creation for added value.

"I would like Thailand to increase economic value by adding design to its production sectors, and move the country away from just being an original-equipment manufacturing [OEM] base for clients," says Sakkachat. He says product design allowed local manufacturers to stand out from competitors.

Sakkachat earned a degree in industrial design from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Lat Krabang in 1986.

He says the nature of OEMs concentrates on discipline rather than design and marketing knowledge.

Without design, he adds, Thailand cannot escape from a cycle of labour-intensive manufacturing where international purchasers come and shop for cheap goods.

Before forming his publishing company, Sakkachat was design manager for Carryboy products.

"It provided me the most valuable experience in learning that design and brand are most significant properties. It taught me about the thinking process in making those properties long-lasting," he says.

Carryboy is one of Thailand's most successful brands. The company exports fibreglass canopies and other automobile parts and accessories to more than 150 markets.

"My personal ambition is to encourage individual manufacturers to include design in their mindsets so they can create added value to their products," Sakkachat says.

He had an exhibition-organising agency called Industrial Design Network, too. It later joined with Pico (Thailand) in a joint venture called Ibrix.

Sakkachat says target readers of the company's iDesign magazine are business owners, designers and marketers, who would be educated and given design information.

Visiting exhibitions is an effective channel for these people to access new design technology and innovation.

Organised by Ibrix, Sign Asia Expo 2007 is being held from September 27 to 30 at Impact Muang Thong Thani.

The exhibition covers technology in printing, materials, display and point-of-purchase, and electric signs.

 "We learned OEMs were a strength of Thailand as they could attract a lot of money from outside. All manufacturers needed were orders, enough to make them at a good price. However, they lack marketing skills and are always in trouble when facing intense competition, particularly producers in China who can offer more competitive prices and faster production," says Sakkachat.

"Thailand should move itself from an OEM country to an original design manufacturer; adding design to merchandise ordered by clients still in charge of their own brands and marketing networks."

The ideal for Thailand is to move itself towards original-brand manufacturing, he says. Local suppliers can integrate value-added functions, including marketing, design and production to cater to long-term benefit.

Sakkachat - the president of the Industrial Designers Society of Thailand between 1999 and 2003 - is encouraged by advanced liquid-crystal displays and printing technology. Signs are an industry heavily reliant on design, he says.

Light and sound features are used by creators to make signs and advertising materials more outstanding and recognisable, he adds.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation