Integration of Culture in Product Design

This book explores the relationship between culture
and design, a topic on which there is little
previous research. Evidence from the literature
shows that users around the world are no longer
settling for standardised products and they want
differentiated products and services. The pinnacle
of good product design innovation is when it is
grounded on the sensitive cultural analysis of
users culture. A culture-orientated design model has
been proposed to assist designers and design
educators to consciously integrate culture in their
design practice. The framework demonstrates how to
specify, analyse and integrate socio-cultural
factors in the early stages of the design process by
advancing local thought, content and solutions. It
advances a new approach to design education, theory,
research and practice. It emerged that culture can
be used as a resource of information and a source of
inspiration for product innovation that connects
with users traditions. The findings show that
culture-orientated products have meaningful content
that reflects users lifestyles, provides them with
symbolic personal, social and cultural values to
facilitate product acceptance.

Autorentext

Richie Moalosi, PhD is an Industrial Design lecturer at the University of Botswana, Botswana. He studied at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. He is the Coordinator of the BDes Design programme. His main research interests are in cultural ergonomics and human-centred design.

Klappentext

This book explores the relationship between cultureand design, a topic on which there is littleprevious research. Evidence from the literatureshows that users around the world are no longersettling for standardised products and they wantdifferentiated products and services. The pinnacleof good product design innovation is when it isgrounded on the sensitive cultural analysis ofusers culture. A culture-orientated design model hasbeen proposed to assist designers and designeducators to consciously integrate culture in theirdesign practice. The framework demonstrates how tospecify, analyse and integrate socio-culturalfactors in the early stages of the design process byadvancing local thought, content and solutions. Itadvances a new approach to design education, theory,research and practice. It emerged that culture canbe used as a resource of information and a source ofinspiration for product innovation that connectswith users traditions. The findings show thatculture-orientated products have meaningful contentthat reflects users lifestyles, provides them withsymbolic personal, social and cultural values tofacilitate product acceptance.