Design In Culture

2009-10-21T21:18:00.005+08:00

Tutorial 1: Lets DO Research!

Question: How does living in a HDB estate shape Singaporean lives?
a. Identify 3 people.
b. Record the basic data of each person: First Name, age, sex, occupation.
c. Use one method described in the box below to answer the question.

Qualitative research: structured, unstructured interviews, life histories, conversations, observation and even participant-observation.

Data Collection is done to understand social life in context. The purpose of this exercise is to help you identify mixed and/or conflicting messages in our culture. The eventual outcome of this exercise has to do with discovering how difficult it is to reach agreement on the meaning and ‘value’ of the various forms of information. There are no right or wrong answers. Any conclusion is partial, mostly incomplete and your perception which should not be discountered.

Submission: Students will prepare their findings for an presentation, accompanied by a 100-word Report.

2009-10-20T17:37:00.004+08:00

Project 1 - A Minute in the day of Singapore

Description: Students will source original material to make up a visual submission mounted on one A3 paper identifying a behaviour that is representative of Singaporean culture.

Objectives:
i. to help students understand Singapore culture, traits and practices
ii. to identify the means by which Singaporeans express culture through their social behaviour
iii. to explain the significance of the identified cultural behaviour in the context of a modern urban society
iv. to compare and contrast with past social norms and practice

Research: Students are to undertake reading and research activity to help them choose a cultural behaviour that is representative of Singaporean culture. The research work done is to be recorded into the Report by each individual and all sources of information given attribution.

Visuals: Appropriate choice of visuals in terms of relevance and quality to the aim and subject matter of the Assignment. Students can use a series of photographs or any other available 2D submission format. All visuals must be titled/ labelled. Sources identified/attributed in bibliography.

Submission: Students will prepare their findings for an presentation of the mounted visuals, accompanied by a 100-word Report.

2009-10-20T17:36:00.004+08:00

Tutorial 2: Origins and Meanings of Gestures

Choose one Body or Facial gesture from any culture…then answer these questions.
• Is the gesture unique to that one culture?
• Are there variations of the gesture?
• Does the same gesture have a different meaning in another geographic region?
• Is the gesture universally understood?

Research: Students are to undertake reading and research activity to help them choose a Body or Facial gesture. The research work done is to be recorded into the Report by each individual and all sources of information given attribution.

Students will write a 100-word answer and submit to your tutor in the usual way.

2009-10-20T17:32:00.010+08:00

Tutorial 3: User Research

Why and what?
For designers to come up with successful products and services, they need to understand the people who are going to use them. What makes them tick? Why do they buy what they buy? What do they really need that they’re not getting now?

Market research based on questionnaires about buying habits or on large-scale multiple choice surveys can provide very general information. But to get the full picture designers often have to go deeper, and that's where user research comes in. It means watching what people do in real life situations rather than listening to what they say they do. The difference can be crucial.

When Philips asked a focus group whether its new radio should be grey or coloured, they said coloured. But the designers noticed that when, at the end of the exercise, members were offered radios as thanks for taking part, all of them took the grey model. Without user research, designers rely on guesswork and run the risk that their designs will fail commercially because they don’t meet customer needs.

How and when?
User research is often carried out early in the design process to kick-start new ideas, sometimes alongside other types of research such as analysis of existing products. Observation helps build understanding of what people need from design and what prompts them to choose certain products and services.

Observation Activity – Looking for Clues
Take a trip on a form of public transport. Observe 3 individuals.
Instructions:

Look at the persons carefully, one at a time, and interpret what you see to build up an accurate impression of who they are.
List everything you see – even seemingly trivial details.
Look for clues to who the people are. How old are they? What are their interests? What is their family situation? Do they work?

Tips:

Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly
Make sure your judgments are based on evidence you observe

THERE IS NO WRONG ANSWER - JUST POOR OBSERVATION & IMAGINATION

Students will then write a 100-word description report of their 3 observations and submit to your tutor in the usual way.

2009-10-20T17:28:00.007+08:00

Tutorial 4: Field Trip Activity

Description: The object of this exercise is to research Singapore culture by observing existing use and utilisation of a designed space and product. The aim is to prepare for the Project which requires you to propose a uniquely Singapore attraction: The Museum of Our Future.

Students will undertake research on one Singapore Museum to observe what is on display, target audience, the response and any other useful information. You will make the selection from the sites at http://www.nhb.gov.sg/WWW/

Students will then write a 100-word description report of their visit and submit to your tutor in the usual way.

2009-10-20T17:24:00.005+08:00

Tutorial 5: SINCITY 2030

These are some of the characteristics of a fictional Asian city of the future:
i. The daily temperatures soar to 40 degrees in the day and plunge to 16 degrees at night - exposure to the sunlight causes sunburn in 16 minutes – UV light exposure is so great that prolonged exposure to the sun causes cancer and eye damage.

ii. 99% live in compact space saving homes.

iii. People work largely indoors and many work from home.

iv. Public transport is the main mode of travel.

v. Many people are health conscious and exercise often – medical advances mean that people live till 100.

vi. Genetic mutations cause viruses to become deadly. There are seasons for illnesses just like seasons for weather.

vii. People travel at least once a year to get away from the urban cityscape.

Use this scenario to propose one original product or service that meets the needs of a group of people living in this society.

Use a search engine to check that this product does NOT already exists.

Students will then write a 100-word description report of their product or service, the group of people whose needs it meets and submit to your tutor in the usual way.

2009-10-20T17:19:00.007+08:00

Project 2 - WHO WE ARE

Creating Identity
Description: Students attempt to create a comprehensive concept proposal for a uniquely Singapore attraction: The Museum of Our Future for a specific target audience.

Objective:
i. To understand value in Singapore’s natural assets
ii. To respond to global culture, traits and practices
iii. To identify the needs wants and desires of the global marketplace

Proposal: The submission for this project must be in the form of appropriate visuals on one A3 paper with board. A specific target audience must be identified. All visuals must be labelled be given attribution in the Research Report to be fixed on the back.

Research : No more than 100 words. Any research work done and all sources of information is to be given attribution in the Research Report to be fixed on the back.

Analysis: Cultural sensitivity and objective perception of the existing practice(s) must be reflected in the proposal and analysis undertaken. The guiding principle is of preparation of material for a global audience.

LATE WORK WILL BE PENALISED
Project due: Tutor to Inform
Students will submit to your tutor as specified