STEDEX '10

Outstanding design can come about via many sources of inspiration, ideas and experiences involving a wide range of specialists from different fields of expertise (Wasson 2002:72). Nevertheless, many factors that have influenced the designs developed by manufacturers have been overlooked. For example, how products become accepted by users is an issue which tends to receive much less emphasis than technological changes and material-oriented product development.

Therefore, the benefits made by cultural factors in the marketing of a successful product has largely been neglected. It seems to be a forgotten element of the product development process. However, a number of scholars and design thinkers have emphasised the importance of integrating the culture of users into product development. Thus, over the course of recent years, there is an increase of interest in understanding users’ cultural needs as an important aspect of the design process (for example, Fernandes 1995; Diaz 2009).

Bloch (1995:22), in his consumer response studies, argues that preferences for product form are much driven by cultural factors and claims that nearly all Japanese auto manufacturers are setting up their studios in the United States with the aim of ensuring the commercial success of their products by paying more attention to understanding Americans’ culturally determined needs and demands. Fernandez (1995), studying design competitiveness in global markets, states that a region’s culture and quality of life are significant elements in the product development process despite moves towards global communications, economy and awareness. He stresses that designers should demonstrate more responsibility for the impact of their designs, not just by meeting the customer’s need but also by preserving cultural variety and values.

According to Portigal (1997), a successful product should be seen not just as a technical solution but also as a package of cultural solutions. Its success is also due to a successful understanding of the values, institutional arrangements and economic notions of the culture the product is targeted at. Portigal (1997) also claims that a product’s function, ergonomics, and cognitive aspect should be understood by designers and argues that the key ingredient in developing a successful product is a degree of which, he coined as ‘cultural fit’. Users culturally determined needs may be particularly unpredictable in a changing society. Additionally, as pointed out by Squires (2002:105), it is always a challenge for designers to know who their users (or stakeholders) are. According to Leinbach (2002:3), design should no longer be seen as a styling shape or just an art object but products should be designed and produced with appropriate features including cultural aspects which could provide a more competitive edge in the market. Rodriguez et al. (2006) have suggested that in creating products for current emerging markets, designers should become involved in a deep understanding of the needs and context of the people within it.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the changes in users’ lifestyles, tastes, demands and cultural values with the products people employ in their daily lives. Moving from traditional rural to advanced industrial urban (example from this article’s case study), users have been introduced to the interplay of conflicts between cultural values and the processes of adaptation. As culture is understood to be a ‘way of life’ and is integrated with products that people use (Hofstede 2005), the study of products’ transformation and understanding users’ experience can be useful for designers in attempting to understand and respond to this situation. In this situation, designers are required to offer more than just an improved version or a new product, but rather an appropriate design and social engagement system in which design and designer can both play a role in the social investigation that informs designing.