A.G.C. van Boeijen
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23 records found
1
Different flags over shared terrain
Making sense of ‘design labels’
Design students, professionals, and academics often use design labels, such as social design, co-design, and sustainable design, to position or explain their work. We argue that the labels are insufficient for a clear and nuanced approach to describing design practices, and suggest a way to say a bit more. Seventy design labels were collected and categorized, yielding five clusters. Four clusters derive their name from a necessary element of a design project, namely resources, outcomes, criteria, and methods. The fifth cluster indicates application domains. The discussion explores the clusters and the related elements. We conclude that the labels are often insufficient to clarify a position, that the elements can assist in describing and planning a design practice. But that the labels remain valuable: although these do not describe or explain how these practices are conducted, they do serve to identify specialist communities, and highlight new directions in the field.
...
Design students, professionals, and academics often use design labels, such as social design, co-design, and sustainable design, to position or explain their work. We argue that the labels are insufficient for a clear and nuanced approach to describing design practices, and suggest a way to say a bit more. Seventy design labels were collected and categorized, yielding five clusters. Four clusters derive their name from a necessary element of a design project, namely resources, outcomes, criteria, and methods. The fifth cluster indicates application domains. The discussion explores the clusters and the related elements. We conclude that the labels are often insufficient to clarify a position, that the elements can assist in describing and planning a design practice. But that the labels remain valuable: although these do not describe or explain how these practices are conducted, they do serve to identify specialist communities, and highlight new directions in the field.
Erasing stigmas through storytelling
Why interactive storytelling environments could reduce health-related stigmas
Journal article
(2024)
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Niko Vegt, Valentijn Visch, Wilbert Spooren, Elisabeth F. C. van Rossum, Andrea W. M. Evers, Annemiek van Boeijen
In this article we describe how designers can apply storytelling to reduce health-related stigmas. Stigma is a pervasive problem for people with illnesses, such as obesity, and it can persistently hinder coping, treatment, recovery, and prevention. Reducing health-related stigma is complex because it is multi-layered and self-perpetuating, leading to intertwined vicious circles. Interactive storytelling environments can break these vicious circles by delimiting the narrative freedom of stigma actors. We theoretically explain the potential of interactive storytelling environments to reduce stigma through the following seven functions: 1) expose participants to other perspectives, 2) provide a protective frame, 3) intervene in daily conversations, 4) persuade all stigma actors, 5) exchange alternative understandings, 6) elicit understanding and support for stigma victims, and 7) support stigma victims to cope with stigmatization. We elaborate on these functions through a demonstration of an interactive storytelling environment against weight stigma. In conclusion, this article is a call on designers for health and wellbeing, scientists, and practitioners from various disciplines to be sensitive to the pervasiveness of stigma and to collaboratively create destigmatizing storytelling environments.
...
In this article we describe how designers can apply storytelling to reduce health-related stigmas. Stigma is a pervasive problem for people with illnesses, such as obesity, and it can persistently hinder coping, treatment, recovery, and prevention. Reducing health-related stigma is complex because it is multi-layered and self-perpetuating, leading to intertwined vicious circles. Interactive storytelling environments can break these vicious circles by delimiting the narrative freedom of stigma actors. We theoretically explain the potential of interactive storytelling environments to reduce stigma through the following seven functions: 1) expose participants to other perspectives, 2) provide a protective frame, 3) intervene in daily conversations, 4) persuade all stigma actors, 5) exchange alternative understandings, 6) elicit understanding and support for stigma victims, and 7) support stigma victims to cope with stigmatization. We elaborate on these functions through a demonstration of an interactive storytelling environment against weight stigma. In conclusion, this article is a call on designers for health and wellbeing, scientists, and practitioners from various disciplines to be sensitive to the pervasiveness of stigma and to collaboratively create destigmatizing storytelling environments.
How to include the sociocultural context in food design
Insights, tools and strategies
Designers hope that their innovations will be adopted by the people they are designed for. How well their designs align with consumers’ cultural contexts is a key determinant of whether they are accepted or rejected. This is especially
important for food solutions, as eating habits are deeply rooted in local cultures. However, academic disciplines from the humanities and social sciences that study food culture not always provide the knowledge, methods and tools that food
designers need. Whereas these disciplines mainly investigate the past and present, designers look to the future to create new possibilities. In addition, designers often look for concrete, physical touchpoints they can use, whereas the other disciplines may look for sources of underlying meaning and, thereby, may generate conclusions that remain rather generic or abstract. In this article we discuss how culture and cultural context can be understood and utilized by designers. We describe models and tools designers can use to gain sociocultural insights, and we describe different strategies designers can employ to build on such knowledge in their design process. We conclude with suggestions to close the gaps between designers, design researchers and the other disciplines that study food culture ...
important for food solutions, as eating habits are deeply rooted in local cultures. However, academic disciplines from the humanities and social sciences that study food culture not always provide the knowledge, methods and tools that food
designers need. Whereas these disciplines mainly investigate the past and present, designers look to the future to create new possibilities. In addition, designers often look for concrete, physical touchpoints they can use, whereas the other disciplines may look for sources of underlying meaning and, thereby, may generate conclusions that remain rather generic or abstract. In this article we discuss how culture and cultural context can be understood and utilized by designers. We describe models and tools designers can use to gain sociocultural insights, and we describe different strategies designers can employ to build on such knowledge in their design process. We conclude with suggestions to close the gaps between designers, design researchers and the other disciplines that study food culture ...
Designers hope that their innovations will be adopted by the people they are designed for. How well their designs align with consumers’ cultural contexts is a key determinant of whether they are accepted or rejected. This is especially
important for food solutions, as eating habits are deeply rooted in local cultures. However, academic disciplines from the humanities and social sciences that study food culture not always provide the knowledge, methods and tools that food
designers need. Whereas these disciplines mainly investigate the past and present, designers look to the future to create new possibilities. In addition, designers often look for concrete, physical touchpoints they can use, whereas the other disciplines may look for sources of underlying meaning and, thereby, may generate conclusions that remain rather generic or abstract. In this article we discuss how culture and cultural context can be understood and utilized by designers. We describe models and tools designers can use to gain sociocultural insights, and we describe different strategies designers can employ to build on such knowledge in their design process. We conclude with suggestions to close the gaps between designers, design researchers and the other disciplines that study food culture
important for food solutions, as eating habits are deeply rooted in local cultures. However, academic disciplines from the humanities and social sciences that study food culture not always provide the knowledge, methods and tools that food
designers need. Whereas these disciplines mainly investigate the past and present, designers look to the future to create new possibilities. In addition, designers often look for concrete, physical touchpoints they can use, whereas the other disciplines may look for sources of underlying meaning and, thereby, may generate conclusions that remain rather generic or abstract. In this article we discuss how culture and cultural context can be understood and utilized by designers. We describe models and tools designers can use to gain sociocultural insights, and we describe different strategies designers can employ to build on such knowledge in their design process. We conclude with suggestions to close the gaps between designers, design researchers and the other disciplines that study food culture
Design Labels
The Words that Divide & Unite Us
"This paper explores the limitations and functions of design labels, such as social design, codesign, and sustainable design. It argues for a clearer and more nuanced approach to describing design practices. The authors collected over seventy of such labels and categorized them into five clusters. Four of these clusters derive their name from a necessary element of a design project, namely resources, outcomes, criteria, and methods. The labels in the fifth cluster pertain to specific application domains. The discussion explores the relations between these labels and the elements they represent, highlighting that each element can evolve during a design project. The authors conclude that the elements can assist students, professionals, and academics to planning and describing the execution of a design practice. It’s important to notice that although design labels do not define the practices, they do serve to identify specialist communities, and indicate new directions in the field. "
...
"This paper explores the limitations and functions of design labels, such as social design, codesign, and sustainable design. It argues for a clearer and more nuanced approach to describing design practices. The authors collected over seventy of such labels and categorized them into five clusters. Four of these clusters derive their name from a necessary element of a design project, namely resources, outcomes, criteria, and methods. The labels in the fifth cluster pertain to specific application domains. The discussion explores the relations between these labels and the elements they represent, highlighting that each element can evolve during a design project. The authors conclude that the elements can assist students, professionals, and academics to planning and describing the execution of a design practice. It’s important to notice that although design labels do not define the practices, they do serve to identify specialist communities, and indicate new directions in the field. "
Weight-related stigma’s have an negative health effect on the stigmatized. To reduce stigma, it is essential to create awareness and discuss the underlying beliefs and consequences. The problem is that people avoid talking and thinking about it. To solve this we designed a storytelling space by means of a game (‘Ball & Stick’) for community centres in vulnerable neighbourhoods. The game consists of a gameboard and a mobile application that verbally guides the players through the storytelling space by narrated stories and discussion tasks. During the game, the players are confronted with stigmatizing situations that people with obesity encounter. The stories used in the game were created by an iterative co-creative research-through-design method that alternated between collecting, reflecting upon, and adjusting stigma related stories. Study results at community centres (N = 22 in five groups) showed that all participants reported high or medium narrative transportation, (18) had personal similar experiences (19) indicated that the game raised their awareness, for (16) the game made it easier to talk about obesity and for (12) the game changed their attitude towards people with obesity. Our game demonstrated that interactive storytelling is a powerful tool to reach and motivate people to become aware and reflect upon and discuss stigmatizing behaviour. This is likely to be generalizable to other tabooand stigma-related subjects such as differences and inequality in gender, income, culture, immigration, religion, and mental health. Follow-up research is needed to set the next step from stigma awareness and discussion towards a behavioural change.
...
Weight-related stigma’s have an negative health effect on the stigmatized. To reduce stigma, it is essential to create awareness and discuss the underlying beliefs and consequences. The problem is that people avoid talking and thinking about it. To solve this we designed a storytelling space by means of a game (‘Ball & Stick’) for community centres in vulnerable neighbourhoods. The game consists of a gameboard and a mobile application that verbally guides the players through the storytelling space by narrated stories and discussion tasks. During the game, the players are confronted with stigmatizing situations that people with obesity encounter. The stories used in the game were created by an iterative co-creative research-through-design method that alternated between collecting, reflecting upon, and adjusting stigma related stories. Study results at community centres (N = 22 in five groups) showed that all participants reported high or medium narrative transportation, (18) had personal similar experiences (19) indicated that the game raised their awareness, for (16) the game made it easier to talk about obesity and for (12) the game changed their attitude towards people with obesity. Our game demonstrated that interactive storytelling is a powerful tool to reach and motivate people to become aware and reflect upon and discuss stigmatizing behaviour. This is likely to be generalizable to other tabooand stigma-related subjects such as differences and inequality in gender, income, culture, immigration, religion, and mental health. Follow-up research is needed to set the next step from stigma awareness and discussion towards a behavioural change.
Playful Learning by Design in Kenya
Remote Development of Design Education Workshops for Rural Kenya
Book chapter
(2023)
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Marten Westerhof, Mathieu Gielen, Annemiek G.C. van Boeijen, James Otieno Jowi
Design projects can function as a carrier for learning a subset of 21st century skills – but how does that play out in a rural community in Kenya that is unfamiliar with this approach to design education, and in a culture and context that the developers of such design education are not familiar with? This chapter recounts the development of a workshop programme that aims to teach design-related skills to primary school aged children in the non-formal context of a community centre in rural Kenya. As a collaboration between a Dutch academic design school and a local Kenyan non-profit organisation, the project required rethinking design education for a different cultural and economic context. This impacted the educational approach, including learning goals and design goals, didactics, educator support, and communication channels. Travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic enforced a remote development process, which created space for increased agency of the participating children and facilitator. The resulting workshop instruction guide scaffolds the local facilitators’ design (education) knowledge and supports playful group learning processes.
...
Design projects can function as a carrier for learning a subset of 21st century skills – but how does that play out in a rural community in Kenya that is unfamiliar with this approach to design education, and in a culture and context that the developers of such design education are not familiar with? This chapter recounts the development of a workshop programme that aims to teach design-related skills to primary school aged children in the non-formal context of a community centre in rural Kenya. As a collaboration between a Dutch academic design school and a local Kenyan non-profit organisation, the project required rethinking design education for a different cultural and economic context. This impacted the educational approach, including learning goals and design goals, didactics, educator support, and communication channels. Travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic enforced a remote development process, which created space for increased agency of the participating children and facilitator. The resulting workshop instruction guide scaffolds the local facilitators’ design (education) knowledge and supports playful group learning processes.
This paper presents two master graduation design projects that address unconscious biases (UB) in the context of design education related to two topics: gender and skin colour. In addition to their sensitivity to exclusion and injustice, two design students brought in their analytical, design research and creativity skills to find solutions for design education. The projects revealed UB regarding the two topics of both teachers and students. The databases with examples from the real world and a poster campaign helped them to unlock these biases, and to understand that implications of prejudice are critical. The developed model, method, and guidelines provided them with lenses to discover biases, and also to have opportunities to find solutions by design. Evaluation of training material showed the need to have a language to talk about these sensitive topics in a nuanced way. Finally, these cases show the possibility of involving students in the development of curricula that strive to unmask biases.
...
This paper presents two master graduation design projects that address unconscious biases (UB) in the context of design education related to two topics: gender and skin colour. In addition to their sensitivity to exclusion and injustice, two design students brought in their analytical, design research and creativity skills to find solutions for design education. The projects revealed UB regarding the two topics of both teachers and students. The databases with examples from the real world and a poster campaign helped them to unlock these biases, and to understand that implications of prejudice are critical. The developed model, method, and guidelines provided them with lenses to discover biases, and also to have opportunities to find solutions by design. Evaluation of training material showed the need to have a language to talk about these sensitive topics in a nuanced way. Finally, these cases show the possibility of involving students in the development of curricula that strive to unmask biases.
Contributing to the broader concept of a sociable smart city enabling a transforming society into a more participative domain where innovation takes place, the chapter addresses the economic revitalization of Middellandstraat, a multicultural shopping street in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Through a growing influx of immigrants, Middellandstraat has evolved into a unique multicultural neighborhood with a similar mix of shops. This chapter aims to push the current envelope of the smart city debate by adding a culture-sensitive design perspective on placemaking. This elaborates upon learnings from a local contextually grounded design project in the context smart city revitalization challenge and promotes design as a means to improve and revitalize the street. After presenting the rich insights of the contextual study, the chapter describes the findings of the culture-sensitive design approach following its four stages and the resulting concept, called SmaakReis. Next, barriers and enablers of culture-sensitive design are discussed along five themes that are found key in designing for the revitalization of the shopping street and reflect on the value of design and cocreation. Based on the lessons learned, the chapter concludes with ten guidelines for smart urban design and implementation. It can be concluded that SmaakReis was helpful in codesigning futures with the local stakeholders and enabled them to act on the designed smart city vision in aligning their strategic activities. Interestingly the implementation of the SmaakReis concept in one of the local restaurants stresses the importance of capacity building and the relevance of the guidelines for cultural and local embedment
...
Contributing to the broader concept of a sociable smart city enabling a transforming society into a more participative domain where innovation takes place, the chapter addresses the economic revitalization of Middellandstraat, a multicultural shopping street in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Through a growing influx of immigrants, Middellandstraat has evolved into a unique multicultural neighborhood with a similar mix of shops. This chapter aims to push the current envelope of the smart city debate by adding a culture-sensitive design perspective on placemaking. This elaborates upon learnings from a local contextually grounded design project in the context smart city revitalization challenge and promotes design as a means to improve and revitalize the street. After presenting the rich insights of the contextual study, the chapter describes the findings of the culture-sensitive design approach following its four stages and the resulting concept, called SmaakReis. Next, barriers and enablers of culture-sensitive design are discussed along five themes that are found key in designing for the revitalization of the shopping street and reflect on the value of design and cocreation. Based on the lessons learned, the chapter concludes with ten guidelines for smart urban design and implementation. It can be concluded that SmaakReis was helpful in codesigning futures with the local stakeholders and enabled them to act on the designed smart city vision in aligning their strategic activities. Interestingly the implementation of the SmaakReis concept in one of the local restaurants stresses the importance of capacity building and the relevance of the guidelines for cultural and local embedment
'Er is nog één smal stoeltje vrij. Wat doe je?’
Spel maakt stigmatisering van overgewicht bespreekbaar
Zware mensen hebben vaak te maken met vooroordelen. Hier kun je iets aan doen door erover te praten, maar dat is moeilijk. Welke taal gebruik je dan? Er is nu een spel dat hierbij helpt. Het werd bekroond tijdens het DRONGO talenfestival
...
Zware mensen hebben vaak te maken met vooroordelen. Hier kun je iets aan doen door erover te praten, maar dat is moeilijk. Welke taal gebruik je dan? Er is nu een spel dat hierbij helpt. Het werd bekroond tijdens het DRONGO talenfestival
Culture Sensitive Design
A guide to culture in practice
Societies worldwide are increasingly interconnected through trade, migration, education, and digitisation. This has resulted in a profound new complexity of cultural groups. Consequently, designers are confronted with the challenge of gaining a clear understanding of this cultural diversity. Culture is a complex phenomenon defined by an on-going process of shifts in human interactions and experiences. In addition to the functional, technical, and economic requirements, it is primarily culture that defines how any designed object and service will perform and prove itself: a process that largely takes place outside the domain and control of the designer.
This book provides an overview of theory as well as practical models and methods, aimed to motivate and inspire design students, practitioners, and educators; to get in touch with different cultural values, customs, and symbols; to avoid mistakes that may be obstructive for certain groups of people; to enable cross-cultural cooperation; to learn more about the diverse and complex layers of culture that define who we are, how we think, how we imagine, and how we create; to open up the design space, thereby creating a tremendous source of new ideas.
Richly illustrated by examples of real-life situations, the book provides everything necessary to generate optimal circumstances for the best design solutions to emerge.
DESIGNER can use it to fine-tune their cultural lens, to stage their design processes, and as a source of inspiration.
DESIGN EDUCATORS can use it as a reference manual to support students in their earning process.
EVERYONE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC can use it to discover layers of what constitutes culture.
...
Societies worldwide are increasingly interconnected through trade, migration, education, and digitisation. This has resulted in a profound new complexity of cultural groups. Consequently, designers are confronted with the challenge of gaining a clear understanding of this cultural diversity. Culture is a complex phenomenon defined by an on-going process of shifts in human interactions and experiences. In addition to the functional, technical, and economic requirements, it is primarily culture that defines how any designed object and service will perform and prove itself: a process that largely takes place outside the domain and control of the designer.
This book provides an overview of theory as well as practical models and methods, aimed to motivate and inspire design students, practitioners, and educators; to get in touch with different cultural values, customs, and symbols; to avoid mistakes that may be obstructive for certain groups of people; to enable cross-cultural cooperation; to learn more about the diverse and complex layers of culture that define who we are, how we think, how we imagine, and how we create; to open up the design space, thereby creating a tremendous source of new ideas.
Richly illustrated by examples of real-life situations, the book provides everything necessary to generate optimal circumstances for the best design solutions to emerge.
DESIGNER can use it to fine-tune their cultural lens, to stage their design processes, and as a source of inspiration.
DESIGN EDUCATORS can use it as a reference manual to support students in their earning process.
EVERYONE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC can use it to discover layers of what constitutes culture.
Journal article
(2020)
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Ena Voûte, Pieter Jan Stappers, Elisa Giaccardi, Sylvia Mooij, Annemiek G.C. van Boeijen
Over the last half century, design education has diversified and developed considerably, in part in the arts academies, and increasingly in universities and vocational technical education. The TU Delft design program was founded in 1969, and has since grown quickly into a large, university-based, technology-aligned set of programs presently housing 2000 students and 100 academic staff. In the 50 years the Delft program changed due to: (1) changes in societal demand (from products, via services, to the systemic level of societal challenges), (2) the maturing of design as an academic discipline between science and engineering, and (3) international developments of the educational system (e.g., the Bologna agreement). In this paper we describe the development of this program within the broader disciplinary context of TU Delft, and how it brought together engineering, social sciences, and business studies in project-based education. We draw lessons from a unique position, made possible by this large scale and positioning next to engineering sciences. This position supported a large pool of in-house expertise; it fostered an intertwining of education, research, and practices in the industrial and wider societal context. And it also posed challenges of making design education work at a large scale.
...
Over the last half century, design education has diversified and developed considerably, in part in the arts academies, and increasingly in universities and vocational technical education. The TU Delft design program was founded in 1969, and has since grown quickly into a large, university-based, technology-aligned set of programs presently housing 2000 students and 100 academic staff. In the 50 years the Delft program changed due to: (1) changes in societal demand (from products, via services, to the systemic level of societal challenges), (2) the maturing of design as an academic discipline between science and engineering, and (3) international developments of the educational system (e.g., the Bologna agreement). In this paper we describe the development of this program within the broader disciplinary context of TU Delft, and how it brought together engineering, social sciences, and business studies in project-based education. We draw lessons from a unique position, made possible by this large scale and positioning next to engineering sciences. This position supported a large pool of in-house expertise; it fostered an intertwining of education, research, and practices in the industrial and wider societal context. And it also posed challenges of making design education work at a large scale.
Delft Design Guide
Perspectives, models, approaches, methods
Delft Design Guide provides an overview of the perspectives, models, approaches, and methods used in the bachelor's and master's curriculum of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). Some of these are unique to the university, others are well known and are used by designers worldwide. Designing products and services at this faculty is considered a systematic and structured activity, deliberately and purposefully, and with moments of increased creativity.
The methods and techniques are each described in a practical one-page text, illustrated for further clarification and enriched with images that should encourage reflection and further reading.
Design students can use the book as a reference guide in their design projects and in managing their personal development. Design teachers can use the book as a reference guide to assist students in learning a method. Design professionals can use the book as a reference guide to support their design processes
...
The methods and techniques are each described in a practical one-page text, illustrated for further clarification and enriched with images that should encourage reflection and further reading.
Design students can use the book as a reference guide in their design projects and in managing their personal development. Design teachers can use the book as a reference guide to assist students in learning a method. Design professionals can use the book as a reference guide to support their design processes
...
Delft Design Guide provides an overview of the perspectives, models, approaches, and methods used in the bachelor's and master's curriculum of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). Some of these are unique to the university, others are well known and are used by designers worldwide. Designing products and services at this faculty is considered a systematic and structured activity, deliberately and purposefully, and with moments of increased creativity.
The methods and techniques are each described in a practical one-page text, illustrated for further clarification and enriched with images that should encourage reflection and further reading.
Design students can use the book as a reference guide in their design projects and in managing their personal development. Design teachers can use the book as a reference guide to assist students in learning a method. Design professionals can use the book as a reference guide to support their design processes
The methods and techniques are each described in a practical one-page text, illustrated for further clarification and enriched with images that should encourage reflection and further reading.
Design students can use the book as a reference guide in their design projects and in managing their personal development. Design teachers can use the book as a reference guide to assist students in learning a method. Design professionals can use the book as a reference guide to support their design processes
Developing cultural sensitivity
A student’s perspective
Conference paper
(2019)
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Annemiek G.C. van Boeijen, Marieke Sonneveld, Chen Hao, Yassaman Khodadade
Cultural sensitivity is an important issue in design and not only about dealing with cultural diversity, but also about designing for cultural dilemmas that are related to multi-cultural contexts. This paper is concerned with cultural sensitivity and presents students’ perspectives, which were obtained through workshops. For this aim at first workshops on cultural sensitivity in design were briefly introduced. Then the last workshop, which was performed in Kish Island (Iran) at University of Tehran, was explained and some design results were presented through illustration. 70 design students with different backgrounds and nationalities participated. In order to obtain the students’ perspectives, an online questionnaire was sent to them. The mix of open and closed questions was related to students’ learning experiences. The results were categorised into five themes that arose from the open questions. The findings indicate that students had a fruitful experience in the workshop and obtained a large amount of knowledge and experience regarding cultural sensitivity, not only through the workshop approach and teaching style, but also through the international character and its socials aspects.
...
Cultural sensitivity is an important issue in design and not only about dealing with cultural diversity, but also about designing for cultural dilemmas that are related to multi-cultural contexts. This paper is concerned with cultural sensitivity and presents students’ perspectives, which were obtained through workshops. For this aim at first workshops on cultural sensitivity in design were briefly introduced. Then the last workshop, which was performed in Kish Island (Iran) at University of Tehran, was explained and some design results were presented through illustration. 70 design students with different backgrounds and nationalities participated. In order to obtain the students’ perspectives, an online questionnaire was sent to them. The mix of open and closed questions was related to students’ learning experiences. The results were categorised into five themes that arose from the open questions. The findings indicate that students had a fruitful experience in the workshop and obtained a large amount of knowledge and experience regarding cultural sensitivity, not only through the workshop approach and teaching style, but also through the international character and its socials aspects.
This paper presents insights from a new course format, in which design practitioners from all over the world participate online together with master’s design students, who work both online and offline. This case study shows that such a double blended form of education is motivating and successful for both groups. Also, the highly international character of this format benefits the learning content well. The online key-term tool is well received. The interaction between practitioners and students via video conferencing and peer feedback is appreciated from both sides.
...
This paper presents insights from a new course format, in which design practitioners from all over the world participate online together with master’s design students, who work both online and offline. This case study shows that such a double blended form of education is motivating and successful for both groups. Also, the highly international character of this format benefits the learning content well. The online key-term tool is well received. The interaction between practitioners and students via video conferencing and peer feedback is appreciated from both sides.
Cultura
A communication toolkit for designers to gain empathic insights across cultural boundaries
Designing successful products and services that people like, requires an understanding of the context and the aspirations of those people. Over the past decade, a range of methods has been developed to help designers gain such empathy. These have worked well when designer and target user share a cultural context. However, designers often find it difficult to empathize with the user insights of individuals from a culture beyond their first-hand experience. To help designers step beyond this limitation, those user insights need to be placed in a larger understanding of the cultural context. In this paper, we present Cultura: a toolkit that uses nine cultural aspects based on cultural models, informing designers about user insights in a broader cultural context. The toolkit was evaluated in design sessions with four design teams. The findings indicate that Cultura provides inspiration and motivation for designers to gain empathic insights into users beyond their own cultural boundaries and to make effective designs for people.
...
Designing successful products and services that people like, requires an understanding of the context and the aspirations of those people. Over the past decade, a range of methods has been developed to help designers gain such empathy. These have worked well when designer and target user share a cultural context. However, designers often find it difficult to empathize with the user insights of individuals from a culture beyond their first-hand experience. To help designers step beyond this limitation, those user insights need to be placed in a larger understanding of the cultural context. In this paper, we present Cultura: a toolkit that uses nine cultural aspects based on cultural models, informing designers about user insights in a broader cultural context. The toolkit was evaluated in design sessions with four design teams. The findings indicate that Cultura provides inspiration and motivation for designers to gain empathic insights into users beyond their own cultural boundaries and to make effective designs for people.
Generative Research Techniques Crossing Cultures
A Field Study in China
The value of understanding user needs has been recognized by industry, and user research methods have become an accepted part of industrial design practice. These techniques were originally developed and tested for Western markets, with participants from Western cultures. More recently, companies developing goods and services for the Chinese market realize that these goods have to fit the needs of Chinese users. Like the products, the techniques for involving participants in research may also need to be adjusted. Many of the current techniques make use of social interaction forms that are more common in the West than in China. In this paper, we describe our experiences with applying contextmapping, a well-documented set of generative user research techniques, critically review the techniques using cultural theories, present modifications of the techniques, and evaluate these modified techniques in the field with a commercial design context. We discuss how cultural parameters are used to help understand local social interactions. The results show that the modified techniques fitting the local culture made generative user research successful in China.
...
The value of understanding user needs has been recognized by industry, and user research methods have become an accepted part of industrial design practice. These techniques were originally developed and tested for Western markets, with participants from Western cultures. More recently, companies developing goods and services for the Chinese market realize that these goods have to fit the needs of Chinese users. Like the products, the techniques for involving participants in research may also need to be adjusted. Many of the current techniques make use of social interaction forms that are more common in the West than in China. In this paper, we describe our experiences with applying contextmapping, a well-documented set of generative user research techniques, critically review the techniques using cultural theories, present modifications of the techniques, and evaluate these modified techniques in the field with a commercial design context. We discuss how cultural parameters are used to help understand local social interactions. The results show that the modified techniques fitting the local culture made generative user research successful in China.
Culture sensitive design education
The best of all worlds
The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of sensitivity for cultural aspects of design, in design education. This relates to the cultural context of the intended users, as well as to the cultural context of design students and design educators. In both cases sensitivity for cultural diversity is a prerequisite for a success.
The paper starts by framing what we mean with cultural diversity, emphasizing on the sensitivity of the topic itself, elaborating on the thin line between stereotyping and acknowledging patterns and nuances. Next, we describe our experiences with two design courses addressing specifically the cultural context in design (by the design brief) and in design education (by organising a design course in an international setting). The paper concludes on the themes that are relevant for cultural sensitivity
in design education, and reflects on the overall insights that need to be further developed. ...
The paper starts by framing what we mean with cultural diversity, emphasizing on the sensitivity of the topic itself, elaborating on the thin line between stereotyping and acknowledging patterns and nuances. Next, we describe our experiences with two design courses addressing specifically the cultural context in design (by the design brief) and in design education (by organising a design course in an international setting). The paper concludes on the themes that are relevant for cultural sensitivity
in design education, and reflects on the overall insights that need to be further developed. ...
The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of sensitivity for cultural aspects of design, in design education. This relates to the cultural context of the intended users, as well as to the cultural context of design students and design educators. In both cases sensitivity for cultural diversity is a prerequisite for a success.
The paper starts by framing what we mean with cultural diversity, emphasizing on the sensitivity of the topic itself, elaborating on the thin line between stereotyping and acknowledging patterns and nuances. Next, we describe our experiences with two design courses addressing specifically the cultural context in design (by the design brief) and in design education (by organising a design course in an international setting). The paper concludes on the themes that are relevant for cultural sensitivity
in design education, and reflects on the overall insights that need to be further developed.
The paper starts by framing what we mean with cultural diversity, emphasizing on the sensitivity of the topic itself, elaborating on the thin line between stereotyping and acknowledging patterns and nuances. Next, we describe our experiences with two design courses addressing specifically the cultural context in design (by the design brief) and in design education (by organising a design course in an international setting). The paper concludes on the themes that are relevant for cultural sensitivity
in design education, and reflects on the overall insights that need to be further developed.
Culture sensitive contextmapping
Discovering the strengths of Eastern and Western participants
Contextmapping - a set of generative design techniques, used by designers to understand the context of their intended users - has been used successfully over a decade with Western participants, both in practice as well as in design education. However, for East Asian participants, the techniques are found not well attuned to their cultural norms and values. For example, in comparison with Western
participants, many Asian participants tend to be more modest in expressing their feelings, which requires more supports in contextmapping sessions. In this explorative study we compared differences and commonalities regarding the understanding and application of contextmapping techniques among four groups: East Asian design students (from China and South Korea), an international group of design students (from Europe and America), and two groups of design students from the Netherlands,
where the techniques have been developed. In this paper we discuss their behaviour and reflect on four identified culture respective strengths useful for learning and using contextmapping: creativity, autonomy, sensitivity, and effort. Some of the techniques’ characteristics are found to fit better with either Western or East Asian cultures, and could be modified to better accommodate the participants’ cultural preferences. ...
participants, many Asian participants tend to be more modest in expressing their feelings, which requires more supports in contextmapping sessions. In this explorative study we compared differences and commonalities regarding the understanding and application of contextmapping techniques among four groups: East Asian design students (from China and South Korea), an international group of design students (from Europe and America), and two groups of design students from the Netherlands,
where the techniques have been developed. In this paper we discuss their behaviour and reflect on four identified culture respective strengths useful for learning and using contextmapping: creativity, autonomy, sensitivity, and effort. Some of the techniques’ characteristics are found to fit better with either Western or East Asian cultures, and could be modified to better accommodate the participants’ cultural preferences. ...
Contextmapping - a set of generative design techniques, used by designers to understand the context of their intended users - has been used successfully over a decade with Western participants, both in practice as well as in design education. However, for East Asian participants, the techniques are found not well attuned to their cultural norms and values. For example, in comparison with Western
participants, many Asian participants tend to be more modest in expressing their feelings, which requires more supports in contextmapping sessions. In this explorative study we compared differences and commonalities regarding the understanding and application of contextmapping techniques among four groups: East Asian design students (from China and South Korea), an international group of design students (from Europe and America), and two groups of design students from the Netherlands,
where the techniques have been developed. In this paper we discuss their behaviour and reflect on four identified culture respective strengths useful for learning and using contextmapping: creativity, autonomy, sensitivity, and effort. Some of the techniques’ characteristics are found to fit better with either Western or East Asian cultures, and could be modified to better accommodate the participants’ cultural preferences.
participants, many Asian participants tend to be more modest in expressing their feelings, which requires more supports in contextmapping sessions. In this explorative study we compared differences and commonalities regarding the understanding and application of contextmapping techniques among four groups: East Asian design students (from China and South Korea), an international group of design students (from Europe and America), and two groups of design students from the Netherlands,
where the techniques have been developed. In this paper we discuss their behaviour and reflect on four identified culture respective strengths useful for learning and using contextmapping: creativity, autonomy, sensitivity, and effort. Some of the techniques’ characteristics are found to fit better with either Western or East Asian cultures, and could be modified to better accommodate the participants’ cultural preferences.