Design Brief
Cultures from around the world are nowadays interpreted through the aesthetic of products and images. Ensuring the authenticity of such language is important for encouraging cross-cultural understanding, essential in achieving sustainable development in emerging countries. The notion of branding has shifted in recent years. Some studies show that perceptions of environmental, ethical and social responsibility are the fastest growing contributors to consumer brand value. If designed and branded intelligently, souvenir products could become the perfect medium for communicating cross-cultural values worldwide. Very often, souvenirs are expected to be affordable, kitsch and poor in aesthetic detail. Yet, shouldn’t they be the inspiring evidence of a travel experience that could otherwise be forgotten? Why can souvenir products not be more grounded in their local environment and less superficial? Shouldn’t local designers play an important role in the conception of souvenir items? This workshop is a study on the role of design in the creative tourism industry, notably how traditional craft industries and new technologies could be integrated in the Nagoya area. It will concentrate on cultural innovation requiring new tastes and behaviors. Its aim is to propose solutions that would help places to develop their own design culture and build their identity through design strategies.
There will be three phases to the workshop
- 1. Explore and do field research in the Nagoya area in order to analyze existing souvenirs and traditional products associated to the region. Which ones are popular? Which ones are successful design/craft pieces? Can they be more culturally relevant? How could designers enhance them?
- 2. Identify places or experiences that are unique to the Nagoya area. How could designers reinterpret them? Can a place/experience be meaningfully turned into a product or image?
- 3. From the information and conclusions gathered from the field research, start sketches and prototypes that redefine the concept of souvenirs in a culturally relevant way.