Week 1 – Week 3 | 05/02/24 – 23/02/24
Emily Soh Ching-Ling | 0359478
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Intercultural Design | Section 01 | GCD61304
Project 1 — Proposal
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 LECTURES
1.1 WEEK 1 — TASK 1 BRIEFING, CULTURE & DESIGN
TASK 1 BRIEFING:
- Theme: "Cultural Sensitivity in Design"
- Any culture can be chosen for this project, however, students going on the Osaka field trip have to pick Japan.
- 5–6 students per group, grouping will be decided by tutors on Week 2.
- The preliminary ideas can be about anything.
CULTURE & DESIGN:
- Definition of Visuals:
- Everything that can be seen:
- Wide and all-inclusive, including nature.
- Nature is not culture, unless there's meaning and representation attached to it.
- Everything produced / created by humans that can be seen:
- Specific to things created by humans that have a visual representation.
- Have functions, content, and communicative purposes.
- The Design System:
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| Figure 1.1-1: The Design System |
- Design Sensitivity:
- Cultural Sensitivity Awareness:
- 1. Symbolism & Imagery:
- Certain symbols and imagery carry different meanings in different cultures.
- Be mindful of potential cultural interpretations — to avoid misunderstandings and offence.
- 2. Colour Consideration:
- Certain colours have cultural significance and carry different meanings in different cultures.
- Be mindful of colour associations in their target audience.
- 3. Typography & Language:
- Choose fonts and text styles that are culturally appropriate.
- Consider language variations and ensure accurate translations — to reach diverse audiences.
- Addressing Cultural Sensitivity:
- 1. Inclusive Design:
- Accessible and inclusive of people from various cultural backgrounds (including those with different needs and abilities).
- 2. User Research:
- Conduct thorough user research (i.e. ethnographic studies, user testing across diverse groups) — to gain insights into cultural preferences and behaviours.
- 3. Localisation:
- Adapt designs to specific cultural contexts — to enhance the relevance and acceptance of a product / service.
- 4. Cultural Awareness Training:
- To develop a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives and sensitivities.
1.2 WEEK 2 — RESEARCH PROCESS
RESEARCH PROCESS:
- Your research should meet each tier of the Design System.
- Purpose of Research: To unite theory and practice to establish your project rationale.
- 1. Before Proposal:
- Secondary Findings:
- Data collected through published and existing resources.
- E.g. Wikipedia, websites, YouTube.
- Primary Findings: Sketches of proposed artworks based on the secondary findings.
- 2. After Proposal:
- Primary Findings:
- Data collected by you.
- E.g. On-site observations, interviews / surveys.
- 3. When Creating the Artwork: Document the process, group mates contribution etc.
2.0 INSTRUCTIONS
3.0 PROJECT 1 — PROPOSAL
Instructions:
- Theme: "Cultural Sensitivity in Design"
- Study a cultural phenomenon or a particular subculture that is perceived as "sensitive".
- Convey this cultural aspect without altering the actual facts.
- The interpretation and adaptation should raise awareness among the viewers.
- Produce preliminary ideas on how to visually express your interpretation using design language.
- Each idea should be supported by a short rationale.
Submission (PPT in PDF format):
- A 200-word write-up — Defining and interpreting the theme in relation to the chosen cultural elements.
- A minimum of three preliminary ideas — with detailed sketches and individual rationale.
- Citation, visual references (i.e. visuals that inspired / influenced the ideas), references, picture credits.
3.1 IDEATION
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), cultural sensitivity refers to the awareness and appreciation of the values, norms, and beliefs characteristic of a cultural, ethnic, racial, or other group that is not one's own, accompanied by a willingness to adapt one's behaviour accordingly. This is the definition of "cultural sensitivity" we will use when considering this project.
With that out of the way, I devised a list of Japanese subcultures to base the project around. Coincidentally, most of them are food-related. The subcultures:
- Cup noodles / Instant ramen culture
- Whiskey-making culture
- Onsen culture
- Vending machine culture
- Pokémon Go! culture
Once we were grouped, I suggested choosing the vending machine culture as our topic because the fact that vending machines could become a culture at all offers a unique insight into Japanese society and its practices. Initially, we were enthusiastic about this idea, however later on we struggled to produce any meaningful preliminary ideas, leading to only one idea (Figure 3.1-1) after multiple brainstorming sessions. We then decided to change topics entirely and start anew.
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| Figure 3.1-1: Vending Machine Culture — The Solo Idea, Week 3 (20/02/24) |
Eventually, we came up with the topic of Japanese fashion accessories. Clothing and self-expression are incredibly personal matters. Different aspects of a culture (e.g. beauty standards, status, taboos) can influence how a person presents. Furthermore, accessories aren't simply just for decoration. They communicate a person's interests, beliefs, and principles.
We had the idea to combine traditional Japanese fashion accessories with a different aspect of Japanese culture for each preliminary idea.
- Preliminary Idea #1: Japanese Fashion Accessories × History — Emily & Lizzie
- Preliminary Idea #2: Japanese Fashion Accessories × Art — Tao Yuze & Velicia
- Preliminary Idea #3: Japanese Fashion Accessories × Toys — Ying Ying & Aisya
Lizzie and I will do Preliminary Idea #1. I think it will be interesting to see how different periods in Japanese history can be expressed through fashion accessories.
3.2 RESEARCH
3.2.1 HISTORY — BAKUMATSU PERIOD
I started my research on Japanese history with the Bakumatsu period. The Bakumatsu period (AKA Late Edo period) was a time in Japan characterised by political instability, change, and the end of the feudal Tokugawa shogunate (What characterised the Bakumatsu period in Japan?, 2023).
What started the Bakumatsu period was the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and his squadron, the Black Ships. Japan's isolationist foreign policy known as sokaku was brought to an end (From the Edo Period to Meiji Restoration in Japan., n.d.). The opening of Japan to foreign trade and the influx of Western technology and ideas eventually led the country to the Meiji Restoration (What characterised the Bakumatsu period in Japan?, 2023).
Essentially, the Bakumatsu period was a transitional period between two important eras in Japanese history.
3.2.2 FASHION ACCESSORIES
Accessories such as bags, pouches, seal cases, hair ornaments, and sword accessories (i.e. hand guards, hilts, sheaths) were very popular during the Edo period (Male and female accessories — techniques and designs from the Edo and Meiji periods, n.d.).
In the Bakumatsu to early Meiji period, kanzashi (AKA Japanese hair sticks and hairpins) rose in popularity and could even be used as weapons, the most well-known style being the tsumami-kanzashi (Kanzashi, 2020; Tzumami-kanzashi Museum, n.d.). Chrysanthemums, plum flowers, butterflies, cranes, and phoenixes are common motifs, while red, blue, purple, and white are popular colours (Traditional Crafts of Tokyo, n.d.). Tsumami-kanzashi are traditionally made with silk and wood. Since flower symbolism is heavy in Japanese accessories, morning glories would be a good flower to include in my design, as they represent new beginnings and the passing of time.
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| Figure 3.2.2-1: Edo Period Tsumami-Kanzashi, Week 3 (22/02/24) |
3.3 PRELIMINARY IDEA #1
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| Figure 3.3-1: Preliminary Idea #1, Week 3 (22//02/24) |
*Sidenote: Preliminary Ideas #2 and #3 along with Lizzie's take on Preliminary Idea #1 can be found in the final submission PPT and my group members' blogs.
3.4 FINAL SUBMISSION
Figure 3.4-1: Project 1 — PPT, Week 3 (23/02/24)
Figure 3.4-2: Project 1 — Presentation, Week 3 (23/02/24)
4.0 REFLECTION
To be honest, I didn't expect to struggle this much since this is only Project 1. First off, I came down with a case of designer's block and couldn't for the life of me think of preliminary ideas and how to relate everything back to cultural sensitivity.
Second, the group part of this assignment started off poorly. One of my group members seemed to not realise that we couldn't wait until the Osaka trip to decide on a topic and it took a lot of back and forth before we could settle on anything.
Third, since we were only grouped together on Week 3, it meant we had less than a week to come up with suitable preliminary ideas, complete the PPT, and present our case. I would much rather we were grouped from Week 1 so that we had more time to plan and research.
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