Culture Makes Who We Are

Culture is an important element in the design. Increased globalisation has been characterised by international cooperation amongst designers (Clarke, 2011). Product or service development, product, and assembly have all been affected by globalisation. Globalisation has brought different cultures around the world closer to each other. As a result, designers have focused on coming up with products or services that would have the global image. When designers from different cultural backgrounds come together owing to globalisation, there are high chances that design processes will take a cultural perspective (Smith, 2008). Cultural differences are very fundamental especially in defining and determining a number of aspects relating to design management. In other words, the design processes are likely to incorporate different cultures of the designers. Culture, defined in its simplest form as ideas, norms, customs, and social behaviour of a specific group of people, continues to influence the process of creativity and innovation, which then yield to new products or services aimed at solving set problems (Hands, 2009). Furthermore, cultural interplay means that problems requiring solutions or needs that need to be fulfilled are now becoming cultural oriented. Once the problem identification and definition has been influenced by cultural underpinnings, it follows that all the other designing process stages will also take a cultural perspective (Clarke, 2011). The surest way of solving such problems and meeting the identified needs is coming up with products or services considered to be intercultural. Culture plays a significant role in the designing processes and their outcomes.

Whereas personal characteristics of designers are known determinants of designs, cultural plays a significant role in explaining personal characteristics (Smith, 2008). The personal characteristics of an individual may be a culmination of the different values, norms, customs, and social behaviours that have been inculcated by culture. It is due to cultural differences that designers also have varied personal characteristics, which are likely to impact on the overall designing process (Hands, 2009). Designers that work efficiently with others also portray high chances of creating successful products and services that solve identified problems. There have been increased intercultural designs in the recent past. In addition, cultural differences are also identified as aspects that influence the overall design management practices. However, there are concerns over traditional and modern designs. It is believed that traditional designs are solely defined and determined by culture (Smith, 2008). Nonetheless, for the modern designs, technology has been identified as the main factor. Technology, like culture, has been able to define conducts or behaviours of individuals. The daily activities in the 21^st century are highly determined by technology. This would mean that designers are likely to evaluate their environment for purposes of understanding technology, which is the used in influencing the processes of designing new products or services. It is believed that whereas cultural perspectives influence personal characteristics that are incorporated in the designing process, the moment technology starts to define the human activities dissipates the influence of culture on designing process. There is a need to explore in-depth the role of culture in design and design management.

References

 

 

Clarke, A. J. (2011). Design anthropology: Object culture in the 21st century. NY: Springer

Hands, D. (2009). Vision and values in design management. London: AVA Publishing

Smith, K. (2008). How to be an Explorer of the World. London: Penguin

Figures

Figure 1. (2016) Winter of Jilin, Author’s own photograph

Figure 2. (2015) Author’s own photograph

Figure 3. (2016) Author’s own photograph