Intercultural Design - Final Compilation & Reflection

on

05/02/2024 - 29/03/2024 / Week 1 - Week 8
Joey Lok Wai San / 0350857
Intercultural Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media 
Final Compilation & Reflection


TABLE OF CONTENTS


LECTURES

Culture & Design
Living in a visual information society, most information you see is presented in the form of visuals (e.g. TikTok with subtitles or visualized with something else) yet we pay little attention to how they are visualized. Visuals are powerful persuasive mediums to provide most of our information about the world. 

Why do visual graphics exist? Why do they look the way they do?
Visual graphics exist to effectively communicate information to the audience 
  1. Visuals are everything that can be seen
    - Visuals are all-inclusive including nature. However, all of this does not have meaning and representation attached to it. The moment the visual is attached to a specific representation, it becomes a visual graphic
  2. Visuals are everything produced or created by humans that can be seen
    - Visual is everything that can be seen and which is produced by humans for the purpose of visual representation that has functions, content and communicative purpose. 

Fig. 1.1 Example of Visual Graphics, Week 1

For example, the image on the left is just a tree. The moment you relate certain symbols, and metaphors to it, the trees become something else. Adding symbols and content makes the 'Tree of Life', Buddhist culture, symbolism of community and cooperation, and a skincare brand product. The way people perceive it and the way visuals are presented give the design different meanings. 

Design Significance 
Designers need to be aware of cultural nuances, symbolism and context to create designs that are inclusive and resonate with diverse audiences. 

A designer needs to be able to identify the social, cultural and political sphere, to do so you need to understand your target audience. By understanding the significance of the graphics in its cultural studies, philosophy, sociology and origin history. 

Fig. 1.2 Example of Design Significance, Week 1

Design System
Cultural sensitivity in design goes beyond aesthetics; it also encompasses functionality, usability, and the overall user experience.

Basic assumption: the purpose of this design
Norms and values: the aesthetics - how it's being perceived to look like
Artefacts and products: the use of it - to capture the design into something more tangible by implementing it into products

Fig. 1.3 Design System, Week 1


Fig. 1.4 Example of Design System, Week 1

Cultural Sensitivity Awareness
  1. Symbolism and Imagery: Certain symbols and images may carry different meanings in different cultures. Designers should be mindful of potential cultural interpretations to avoid unintentional misunderstandings or offence. 
  2. Colour Considerations: Colors can have cultural significance, and their meanings may vary across different societies. Understanding the cultural associations of colours can help designers make appropriate choices.
  3. Typography and Language: Choosing fonts and text styles that are culturally appropriate is important. Additionally, considering language variations and ensuring accurate translations is crucial for reaching diverse audiences.
Addressing Cultural Sensitivity
  1. Inclusive Design: Designers should strive to create products and experiences that are accessible and inclusive for people from various cultural backgrounds, including those with different abilities and needs.
  2. User Research: Conducting thorough user research, including ethnographic studies and user testing across diverse groups, helps designers gain insights into cultural preferences and behaviours. 
  3. Localization: Adapting designs to specific cultural contexts through localization can enhance the relevance and acceptance of a product or service.
  4. Cultural Awareness Training: Design teams may benefit from cultural awareness training to develop a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives and sensitivities.

Fig. 1.5 Lecture Slides - Culture & Design, Week 1


INSTRUCTIONS


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NmqJ54ZC1snchkGlSLgPmW9_Z1_FK4E3/preview


PROJECT 1: Proposal

The general theme is “Cultural Sensitivity in Design”. We are to study a cultural phenomenon or a particular subculture that is perceived as ‘sensitive’, and “frame” our study within the chosen theme. 

We are to produce a 200-word write-up defining and interpreting the theme in relation to the chosen cultural elements. A minimum of 3 preliminary ideas to visually express our interpretation of the culture we studied using design language. Each idea is to be supported with detailed sketches and an individual rationale. 

We were asked to form groups of six based on the requirements of the lectures. My group consisted of:
- 0361521 Janice Marie Eng Chia Hui
- 0350857 Joey Lok Wai San
- 0369549 Siang Huey Yee
- 0366473 Tang Chin Ting
- 0364908 Teh Ming En
- 0360525 Vanessa Kei Kurniadi


Ideas and Cultures Proposal 
In the first week of lessons, we were tasked to do our own research on cultural sensitivity and brainstorm a selection of topics in relation to the theme of 'cultural sensitivity'. We would later do further research as a group on any one of the proposed topics.


Fig. 2.1 Preliminary Research on Cultures and Cultural Sensitivity, Week 1 (05/02/2024)

Once our group was formed, we got to work coming up with and discussing topics we would be interested in exploring. Most of the suggested topics were based on our individual preliminary research. We proposed our list of cultures and culturally sensitive ideas to our lecturers for feedback.

Fig. 2.2 Ideas and Cultures Proposed, Week 3 (23/02/2024)

Task Delegation
Following the suggestions from our lecturers, we selected the topic of 'Dragon Symbolism in the East and West'. We divided the research into sections and delegated the tasks among ourselves. Each group member selected which section of the work they would like to do, and they made sure that the necessary research/ content, citations, and picture credits were included for their part. I chose to do research on Western Dragons.

Fig. 2.3 Task Delegation for Project 1, Week 3 (19/02/2024)

Research Document 
The information was compiled into Google Docs as it is easier to view the content as a whole and make any editing changes. Once all the information was finalized, we summarised and transferred our information into Canva slides for submission and presentation.

Fig. 2.4 Final Research Document, Week 3 (23/02/2024)


Final Proposal Slides & Presentation 
Fig. 2.5 Final Proposal Slides, Week 3 (23/02/2024)

Fig. 2.6 Final Proposal Video Presentation, Week 3 (23/02/2024)


PROJECT 2: Data Collection

We are required to collect visual, oral, textual and tactile artefacts that would be part of their research materials for the ideation in Project 1 (proposal). All collected artefacts and materials must be recorded, kept and documented, accompanied by necessary information such as the type of artefact and material, its purpose, its symbolism, its cultural/historical background, and more, depending on the kind of artefact and material.

Suggested data collection methods:
  • Observation study
  • Interview of relevant stakeholders 
  • Online and/or actual physical material *visual research of the selected culture (the people/arts/symbols/architecture/text/calligraphy etc)

Planning  
The first week of this assignment was spent doing general further research on our topic. This is due to the fact we were waiting for confirmation of our topic and supervisor and thought it wise to not do any data collection before that. On top of this, we started researching on temples we could do a site visit, and finding dragon artefacts to visually analyse.


Fig. 3.1 Ideas for Site Visit, Week 3 (23/02/2024)

Task Delegation 
During the second week of this assignment, we were finally informed about our chosen topic and assigned supervisor, Ms. Anis. Following this, we split the data collection work between us.


Fig. 3.2 Task Delegation for Project 2, Week 4 (03/03/2024)

Data Collection Methods
We used three methods of data collection, including: 
  1. Site visit: Visit Chinese temples around Malaysia to observe Chinese dragons as decorations in architecture 
  2. Online visual analysis: Visual analysis of Western and Eastern Dragons using Google Arts & Culture and museum archives
  3. Google online survey: Collect information about the public's opinions on Dragon symbolism in design, media or culture between Eastern and Western Dragons

1. Site Visit/ Field Study 
Our group members visited temples in Selangor and Melaka. They discovered several types of dragons in different parts of the temple and captured images of them. We conducted this field study to observe the decorative dragon architecture of Eastern culture.

Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q56Oy9xV-yVqJUBm7dmf4G7CJjLzS_ge?usp=drive_link


Fig. 3.3 Site Visit on Eastern Dragons in Temples, Week 5 (04/03/2023)

2. Online Visual Analysis  
We also did visual analysis on both Western and Eastern dragons. Due to the fact we could not find any temples or sites with Western dragons to visit, we found artefacts of them online through Google Arts and Culture and museum archives. 


Fig. 3.4 Online Visual Analysis on Dragons, Week 5 (04/03/2023)

3. Google Form Survey 
We conducted a survey on 'Dragon Symbolism in Eastern and Western Culture' to understand the public's perception of dragons. There are 8 questions in the survey and it was promoted on social media. The responses were then analyzed and summarized with explanations.



Fig. 3.5 Dragon Symbolism in Eastern and Western Culture Google Form, Week 5 (04/03/2023)

Finalized Idea
Ms. Anis approved of our findings and data collection. Based on the result of the Google Form survey, the majority of our respondents think making a shirt with dragon designs is a better way to raise awareness than jewellery. We created a few clothing designs to connect our collected data to the final design. After further feedback from Ms. Anis, we decided to focus on crop tops and appeal our merchandise to a younger audience.


Final Data Collection Slides

Fig. 3.6 Final Data Collection Slides, Week 5 (08/03/2024)


PROJECT 3: Final Project

For our final project, we are to create a fashion magazine featuring dragon-themed crop tops. We had a list of tasks to accomplish for the final project, including: 
  • Creating dragon crop top designs
  • Creating a fashion magazine
  • Take the model photos to display the designs 
  • Edit the designs onto the model photos
  • Presentation

Task Delegation 
Each group member will create one dragon crop top design. Every design has its own rationale and crop top style.

Following this, we divided into two teams to take on two separate tasks. The first team will design the magazine, focusing on the layout and aesthetic of the zine. The second team will focus on photography and editing the design onto models.

1) Magazine Design Team (Cathy, Joanna, Joey, Huey Yee)
- Come up with the layout of the zine
- Decide the aesthetic of the zine
- Put together the zine

2) Photo Team (Janice, Vanessa)
- Decide the location of photo taking based on the aesthetic of the design team
- Take model pictures
- Edit design onto pictures


Fig. 4.1 Task Delegation for Final Project, Week 6 (13/03/2024)

Dragon Crop Top Designs
These are the crop top designs made by our group:


Fig. 4.2.1 Sleeveless Crop Top - Janice, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.2.2 Oversized Crop Top - Joey, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.2.3 Crop Top Hoodie - Huey Yee, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.2.4 Oversized Cropped Jacket - Joanna, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.2.5 Long Sleeve Crop Top - Cathy, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.2.6 Tie Waist Crop Top - Vanessa, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.2.7 Crop Top Tee - Janice, Week 6 (16/03/2024)

Photoshoot
We decided to have our photoshoot on March 16th, Saturday. We wanted to get the final product done before the deadline, even if it meant going to campus on a weekend.
  • Date: March 16th, Saturday
  • Time: 8.30 AM
  • Location: Stairs next to the lake (near Typography class) 
  • People: Huey Yee (model/camera), Vanessa (model/camera), Janice (model/camera), Joey (camera)
Fig. 4.3 Photoshoot, Week 6 (16/03/2024)


Fig. 4.4 Photoshoot, Week 6 (16/03/2024)

Photo Editing 
Janice did a few test runs on Adobe Photoshop to experiment with editing the designs onto shirts. These are the results of the editing experimentation: 


Fig. 4.5 Photoshop Experimentation, Week 6 (14/03/2024)

After the photoshoot, the pictures are uploaded onto Google Drive. Janice and Vanessa edited the dragon designs onto the raw images in Photoshop. For crop tops that we did not have, we found the closest shirt style we had and edited the colours to match our design. 


Fig. 4.6 Photoshop Progress, Week 7 (18/03/2024)

These are the final edited pictures with the dragon designs.

Fig. 4.7 Final Edited Pictures, Week 7 (18/03/2024)

Magazine Design
For the magazine design, we decided to use Canva because it is easy to use and has lots of built-in features and designs. We looked for references of magazine designs and layouts to start the design process.


Fig. 4.8 Magazine Visual References, Week 6 (14/03/2024)

This is our initial layout design, following a dark green and beige colour scheme. The font type was a cursive, serif font. We also created a few variations of our magazine cover designs. This progress was shown to our supervisor for feedback.


Fig. 4.8 Initial Layout Design, Week 6 (14/03/2024)


Fig. 4.9 Initial Cover Designs, Week 6 (14/03/2024)

After Feedback (Week 7)
After feedback from Ms. Anis about our magazine design, she advised us to change the typeface used as it did not match the vibe of the merchandise we were promoting.

We changed the font style to a blocky, sans-serif font, 'Anton'. We also changed the style and colour palette of the magazine to be more simple and minimalistic, following a red, black and beige colour scheme. To further follow this colour scheme, we requested the model pictures to have a black and white background and only have the dragon design in colour. Not only does this make the images more consistent across the magazine, it also highlights the crop tops.


Fig. 4.10 Revised Layout - Without Contents, Week 7 (17/03/2024)

It was also suggested for us to change the magazine name so as to not have the magazine be called 'Intercultural Design'. As a group, we chose the name 'Dragon's Duality: Fashion Fusion'. 


Fig. 4.11 Magazine Name Selection, Week 7 (18/03/2024)

Once the name was chosen, we then made variations of our magazine cover. They were inspired by Vogue covers and we incorporated dragons elements in it. We also decided to make the front and back covers of the magazine red to be more distinguishable and stand out from the rest of the magazine pages.


Fig. 4.11 Photoshop Experimentation, Week 7 (18/03/2024)

This is the final magazine layout design with content (rationales, edited pictures, dragon designs). To display our crop top designs, we showed a full page of the dragon design on a model, followed by a close-up of the crop top, and finally the design with the rationale.


Fig. 4.12 Final Magazine Layout, Week 7 (22/03/2024)

Presentation
We were required to record a final presentation for our final output. The presentation was limited to a maximum of 10 minutes long and the video size to 100MB. It was decided that everyone would present - the presentation parts were split and each part had a time limit. We filmed our presentation on March 24, Sunday, on Zoom.


Fig. 4.13 Task Delegation for Presentation, Week 7 (24/03/2024)


Final Project Slides & Presentation 
Fig. 5.2 Final Project Slides, Week 8 (26/03/2024)


Fig. 5.3 Final Project Video Presentation, Week 8 (26/03/2024)

FEEDBACK
WEEK 3
20/02/2024
Come up with 3 sketches for your project output. The 3 sketches combo can be for example: 1 rationale + 3 sketches or 3 rationale + 1 sketch each, and vice versa. The context must be based on the project brief and theme.

WEEK 4
28/02/2024
You can proceed with data collection for 3 topics first, then we will narrow it down for final output to just 1.

WEEK 5
04/03/2024
Good find. It would be great too if you could add depiction of dragons in other parts of Eastern culture (you can extract this from online info such as https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/dragons/asian-dragons).
 
Based on your current compilation, it seems that you can sort of start thinking what is the design for the merchandise that you want to create. You can base this on your target viewers as well, as younger people may have different expectations compared to older ones. Perhaps concentrate more on streetwear that depicts dragons and portrays design sensitivity from that aspect? Casual wear, but still present the proud, powerful nature of dragons?

08/03/2024
Impressive compilation of data. Since your group already decided to create a shirt design with dragon motifs, you can now sketch out the look + motifs to go with the shirt as well. Perhaps you can also target a specific fashion trend (i.e. crop top feels like the 90s right? While the onesies feel more like the cutesy type) for the output. I leave that to you to decide, as long you provide a rationale for your decision. Good job!

WEEK 6
13/03/2024
You can take picture of yourself wearing a blank t-shirt and then photoshop the design on top of it. Give that one a try. 

15/03/2024
Not a good choice of font type for the magazine, try to make the fonts consistent. Don't include one large body of text in one page.


REFLECTION

Experience
My experience with this module is a rather positive one. To be honest, it was a little confusing at the start because we did not have a clear idea of what to do. Once we got a general idea of our tasks, it was all good and fun. There are barely any restrictions in the module and we were given creative freedom to do whatever we wanted as long as it fits the assignment brief. I am very grateful to our lecturers and especially to our supervisor, Ms. Anis, for all the feedback she has given us.

Observation
Throughout the assignments, I observed that the best way to get work done in a group setting is to split the tasks evenly, delegate them and set a deadline. Each member gets to choose which task they would like to take on. Not only does this let us do a task that appeals to us more and makes us more willing to complete our work, but it also means the tasks get done on time and to a high quality. I am very thankful for all my group members. I think we worked well together, everyone gave their best efforts and we completed everything on time. 

Findings
From this module, I learnt a lot more about dragons than I ever thought I would in my lifetime. I have also learnt that cultural sensitivity is an important aspect of design, which has taught me that we need to do proper research on a topic before designing anything that could potentially offend someone. Furthermore, I have also found what good teamwork is. Usually group projects are stressful because of a bunch of reasons, but this was not the case. Everyone did their part, and really quickly and really well. I am really extremely grateful for all my group members because, without them, the module would have been hell. Thank you guys once again, love yall.

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