Characteristics of Design Process Organization in Selected Furniture Manufacturing Companies

The aim of the study was to conduct and present an analysis for the characteristics of new products development process in selected furniture manufacturing companies, focusing on the competences and vocational training of individuals designing furniture. The results of survey conducted among 75 furniture factories were presented. The obtained data was elaborated statistically taking into consideration for example the size of the company. It was shown that designing of furniture in medium-sized and large enterprises is increasingly often performed by multidisciplinary design teams composed of designers and engineers. However, at the same time a vast number of furniture companies use the artistic talents of employed engineers. These results constitute an important signal, indicating the directions of changes for providing adequate education for students of engineering faculties of universities to meet modern market requirements.