Cultural Considerations
Asynchronous Session
Sitting in Uncertainty: Untangling Personal Identities and Bias towards Equity-centered Design Education View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Heidi Schlegel, Rim Fathallah
How can one engage in a design process, through constructive relations and co-creation within diversity, if one does not understand the positionality of their ‘Self’? In 2016, the Stanford d.school added two design modes to its Design Thinking model seeking equity-centered design: Notice and Reflect. These new steps involve bringing more transparency around the Self of the designer. Before transformative thinking and practice can begin, designers need to engage in a process of untangling the makeup of their identities (a term intentionally pluralized to represent the multiple intersecting identities and cultures we all possess) and the systems of oppression they have been part of, or subjected to. Through this process, we can develop a greater potential for engaging diverse perspectives and inciting a new universal paradigm of inclusion and equity-oriented design. Our arguments are supported by data collected in 2021 & 2022, from undergraduate interior design students and instructors participating in global cyber design charrettes focused on cultural bias and identity. Participants were located in varied universities throughout North America, and the Middle East. Data was collected through reflection logs, video footage, individual and group interviews with students and teachers, and post project surveys. Intended as a qualitative study on intercultural dialogue through design, one of the unexpected research findings was the struggle that design students faced, across all locations, in untangling their cultural identities. This ‘untangling’ should not be taken for granted and requires self-reflection/reflexivity, which can be uncomfortable and uncertain. This is the focus of our presentation.
User Interface Creative System: Study Based on Aesthetic Theory View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Chen Peilin
The method of this study is to use the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to learn the style features of the ten aesthetic principles, and use the generator in the GAN to generate user interface (UI) images of various design styles, and then label them through the classification model. When designers enter style keywords, the system can output related architectural pictures as their reference materials. This system is designed to help designers complete tasks within a limited time while improving design quality. Through machine learning and generative technology, it provides diverse reference materials to stimulate designers' creativity while ensuring work efficiency.
Featured The Future of Fashion Communication Strategies in the Age of Visual Rhetorics and Digital Transformations View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Siddhali Doshi
Over the years, the landscape of product marketing has dramatically shifted, owing to advancements in technology and communication. Gone are the days when products were simply placed on shelves and advertised on billboards. Today, fashion brands rely on visual rhetorics and symbolic representations to connect with their audience. Emotions have evolved into a currency in our increasingly digital world, and fashion brands are leveraging this development to draw customers from various socioeconomic backgrounds. These brands appeal to consumers' deep-seated needs to feel loved, acknowledged, understood, and seen by leveraging smart visual presentation techniques. This study seeks to delve into the trending fashion communication strategies and propose innovative techniques for consumer engagement through visual communication in the digital transformation era. By analyzing the evolving trends in the industry, the research provides valuable insights into the most effective methods for brands to captivate their audience and drive sales.
Product Design, Food and Wellness: Exploring the Symbiosis of Artificial, Natural and Human Experience View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gabriela Madureira, Joao Dias De Oliveira, Silvia Daniela Passos Soares
The global significance of the human-food relationship in the 21st century spans social, economic, and environmental domains, raising serious questions about people's well-being and lifestyle, as well as its impact on the planet's environmental balance. Despite technological advancements in modern kitchens, the dwindling time spent on daily home food preparation intensifies stress, unhealthy and unsustainable human development. This article aims to provide insights on how product design can promote mindful living and foster a sustainable human-food relationship, enhancing wellness in contemporary and future kitchens. Accordingly, to advance product design, food and wellness literature, we explore the interconnected dynamics of food preparation, kitchen design, and human behavior. The study advocates a paradigm shift in kitchen spaces and food preparation, started by "change makers" to initiate holistic design changes influencing the kitchen's ecosystem and its users. Product designers act as key influencers in shaping future sustainable and mindful cooking practices rooted in Slow movement principles and emphasizing the symbiosis of artificial, natural, and human experiences. This work concludes that product design holds transformative potential to drive behavioral change toward sustainable and healthy food preparation, accounting for intrinsic wellness and acknowledging the limitations of current frameworks.
Unveiling Black Feminist Design: Exploring Identity and Creativity in Black Hair Styling View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kaleena Sales
This paper explores design through the lens of Black feminist perspectives. By examining Black hair styling, this study uncovers profound design lessons embedded within the cultural practices and identity negotiations surrounding Black hair. Central to this analysis is the recognition of Black hair as a site of both oppression and empowerment, where historical legacies of colonialism, racism, and sexism intersect with contemporary struggles for self-determination and visibility. I unpack the ways in which Black women navigate these complexities through creative acts of styling, braiding, and natural hair care, reclaiming agency over their bodies and identities in the process. Furthermore, this study highlights the broader implications of Black feminist design, challenging conventional notions of beauty and aesthetic norms within the design industry. By centering the experiences of Black women, I underscore the importance of intersectionality in design practice, advocating for more inclusive and equitable approaches that honor the diversity of human experiences. Through the use of critical discourse analysis, I interrogate how Black hair serves as a locus for identity construction, self-expression, and resistance against societal norms. By scrutinizing the narratives, symbols, and practices associated with Black hair, I unravel the intricate web of meanings and ideologies that underpin Black women’s experiences. This paper offers a nuanced exploration of design, highlighting the transformative potential of Black hair styling as a site of resistance, resilience, and creativity.
