Intercultural Design - Project 1

05/02/2024 - 19/02/2024
Ameera RIhana binti Remy Ansara
Intercultural Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 1

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INSTRUCTIONS

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LECTURES

Fig 0.1 Cultural and Design - Week 1

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PROJECT 1

Requirements

The general theme is “Cultural Sensitivity in Design”

• You are to study a cultural phenomenon, or a particular subculture that is perceived as ‘sensitive’, and “frame” your study within the chosen theme.
• You are to convey this cultural aspect without altering the actual facts but within a presentable interpretation and adaptation that raises awareness from the viewers.
• Produce some preliminary ideas on how to visually express your interpretation using design language. Each idea is to be supported by a short rationale. Conduct visual research to help expand your idea generation.

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a) Topic Exploration:

Before we were assigned to our specific group for the project, we are inclined to make a bit of research and find a topic of our own to have a wider scope about the theme given. Therefore, I began to narrow down some of topics that has relation to cultural sensitivity.

1. Tea Ceremony Room (Chashitsu) Design: How can interior designers create tea ceremony rooms that respect Japanese tea culture, blending traditional elements with modern accessibility and comfort for all practitioners?

2. Tattoo Design: Navigating Cultural Taboos and Stereotypes with Contemporary Tattoo Art: Investigate how tattoo artists can create designs that respect Japanese cultural sensitivities surrounding tattoos, incorporating motifs and symbols that have cultural significance while also challenging stereotypes and promoting understanding of tattoo culture in Japan.

3. Ikebana (Japanese Flower Arrangement) Design: Examine how floral designers can create ikebana arrangements that honor traditional principles of balance, harmony, and seasonality while also incorporating modern interpretations and diverse cultural influences in a way that respects the integrity of the art form.

4. Street Art and Murals: Incorporating Local Heritage and Community Perspectives in Osaka's Urban Landscape: This research aims to investigate the role of cultural sensitivity in street art and mural projects within Osaka, Japan. The focus is on how artists, communities, and urban planners collaborate to create street art that respects and reflects Osaka's local heritage and diverse community perspectives.

5. Geisha Culture in Contemporary Japan: Preserving Tradition and Promoting Cultural Sensitivity: This research delves into the cultural significance and contemporary relevance of geisha culture in Japan. It explores efforts to preserve tradition while promoting cultural sensitivity in the portrayal and representation of geisha in various forms of media and entertainment.

Initial Chosen Topic: Ikebana (Japanese Flower Arrangement) Design {Week 2}

I decided to make a research about this topic and gather the information into the slides.

Fig 1.0 "Ikebana" Flower Arrangement - Week 2

Final Chosen Topic: Geisha Culture in Japan (Week 3)

Once we have been assigned to our own group, we began to narrow down the topics and make a poll by accumulating the votes on which topic is the best for us. In the end, we chose Geisha Culture in Japan for our design proposal.

b) Project Proposal:

Once we have confirmation on our research topic, we began to analyze and list down interesting knowledge regarding to geisha culture. We explored the general ideas on why and how does it have an impact on cultural sensitivity.

We divided these information into particular categories to help us refer and identify the essential keywords and records:

• Introduction
• History of Geisha 
• Skills to be a Geisha
• Research Statement
• Research Objective
• Mood board
• Sketches
• Rationales
• Research Method
• Research Questions
• Conclusion
• Citation

Proposed Ideas:
We all suggested on a product idea and we came up with two:

• Wooden Jewellery Box
• Fortune Cards

Expanded Design Exploration:

We created a Canva Board to expand our ideas and design concepts.

Fig 1.2 Canva Board "Geisha Culture"

Link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF9MmzORSQ/4uF42yid_V9Rfg_WUGe-Tg/edit

c) Final Project Proposal: Geisha Culture in Japan

With our lecturer's feedback, we were given a thumbs up and the chosen proposed idea will be wooden jewellery box.

Fig 1.3 Final Project Proposal "Geisha Culture in Japan" (SLIDES) - Week 3

Fig 1.4 Final Project Proposal "Geisha Culture in Japan" (DOCS) - Week 3

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AI2BsvHi_0wcetIMHP22kLQVMFclSxuTdPbe_dt0FMo/edit

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FEEDBACKS

Week 1:

General Feedbacks: Find a topic of your own before you are assigned to your specific groups. Make sure that you have an approach and how is it related to cultural sensitivity. The topic is very broad so ensure to refer to Miss Anis' lecture slides.

Week 2:
General Feedbacks: Finalize your topic with your groupmates and discuss your findings with each other.

Week 3:
General Feedback: Prepare a proposal for your chosen topic and ideation product for research. Present a record video proposal presentation slide before going to Japan.