Culture & Tradition+

Contemporary Design

Xue Shang2012 FALL

cargo for nomads

Design research and proposal for a senior capstone project

by Joshua Lindman

http://lindmancargo.wordpress.com

Prototyping new states for work and travel

Industrial Design Program http://www.id-uarts.org

© 2012School for Design

College of Art, Media, and Design

University of the Arts320 South Broad StreetPhiladelphia PA 19102

http://uarts.edu

A final deliverable for IDES 431 Design Theory + Capstone Prep - Fall 2012

coordinated by Jason Lempieri and Jonas Milder

Project Context

Primary Research

Secondary Research

Tertiary Research

Project Statement

Project strategy

S.W.O.T. Analysis

Project Plan and Timeline

Appendix

ContextContext

+ Contemporary Design

Cultural Value

ContextContext

= ?Contemporary Design

Cultural Value

PrimaryResearch

Design studio “PINWU” is located in my hometown Hangzhou(China), founded by designers dedicated to pushing the tradition to the next level. To be completely honest, I had my doubt the first time I saw PINWU’s design. The aesthetic, the texture and the way products were presented, all made me questioned: “Is this another attempt of imitating Japanese design?”

“Piao” paper chair by PINWU

PrimaryResearch

Fortunately, I had a chance to actually visit PINWU this past summer. The assistant talked about their resent project “from Yuhang”. Yuhang is a small town located 40 minutes away from Hangzhou. For decades, Yuhang has been the center of Chinese painting paper making. As a paper especially used for Chinese painting, such paper is much thinner and lighter than regular printing paper. And it is not something you would see in every Chinese family.

Designers constructed a powerful relationship with local craftsmen and paper company by visiting their workshop, learning and study their traditional techniques. Eventually,

they created a chair called “piao”. Hundreds of layers of thin paper glued together, generating a smooth and comfortable surface, the Piao Paper Chair was completely hand crafted and surprisingly strong.

Besides the paper chair, almost all of PINWU’s design are connected to the traditional technique and aesthetic. Amazed by their well-made products, I was also realizing a quite realistic and urging problem: How to inherit our traditional techniques and help them to survive under the pressure of technology? It’s going to be an issue for all the Chinese future designers.

Studio of PINWU

WhAT ARe We miSSing FROm The PAST?

PrimaryResearch

Traditional umbrellaCounting frameVintage bicycleRattan chairGrass weavingEnamel mug

PrimaryResearch

nostalgicculture

valueout-dated

technologycraftsmanship

businesshand-crafted

laborneeds

aesthetic

I interviewed some of my friends about objects that used to be part of our lives. They are slowly replaced by new products mainly due to:Changing aestheticFunctionMaterial shortageApplication of new materials

Objects and techniques that my generation used to be so familiar with have became such “luxury” to be seen these days. I’m constantly hearing people saying: “I haven’t seen that in ages.” or “I wonder if they still exist.” Some of them, may already gone.

Learning a traditional technique requires time, dedication, and there’s no guarantee of profit in the future. Such uncertainty made craftsmen difficult to survive.

PrimaryResearch

Grass weaving was something my friends and I always enjoyed in the childhood. My friend was very excited when she saw it because you can barely see such craftsmanship these days. They are time-consuming objects sold for a minimum price. Also, it’s hard to make people pay for something purely decorative.

The sculptor on the right has been doing this for 20 years. I accidentally met him in Chinatown one weekend. He told me it would take over a month to learn such technique. Nowadays, he makes his living by teaching students two days a week and selling sculpted figures on the weekends. Sometimes he travels to other cities to perform and teach.

PrimaryResearch

WhAT i LeARneDThere are plenty of “forgotten objects” in our daily life, some of which could potentially be developed into a design project. People are emotionally connected to those objects. how to maintain the characteristic of such object in the new design is the key.

The outcomes of traditional techniques are slowly replaced by the mass produced products. Some of them are out-dated for a reason, but there are techniques and objects are regarded as a part of the culture and should be preserved.

Secondary Research

Traditional & Culture

CeramicBamboo Paper

Fabric

material studies

“Designed in China”

“Redesign” education

memories(Past)

The future of Chinese design

The history of Chinese design

What do we miss?What do we remember?What do we wish to preserve?

Are we teaching children our their culture?What do children know?how are we teaching them their culture?

Jingdezhen

Process

Secondary Research

The end of “made in China”?

“China +1”Besides maintain the production line in China, Companies over the world started to make their products in countries with cheaper labor such as Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Unlike China, those countries don’t have developed supply chain.

Designed in ChinaA lot of Chinese companies are developing their very own designs instead of copying successful designs.

From coastal area to inlandDue to the labor needs, many factories started moving to inland China. However, most provinces of inland have different tax policies. Sometimes transporting cargo in the inland cost even more than transporting overseas.

Awareness of labor protectionThe strikes happen last year in Foxconn showed that more and more factory workers started to realize the importance of labor protection. They started to ask for regular raise, which directly caused the rising cost of labor.

TertiaryResearch

SilkSilk is one of the most representative products of China. “`” is a kind of silk produced only in the city of Hangzhou, with the very original weaving technique. Nowadays, there is only one factory, Fuxin Silk Factory, that is still making such silk. And they are having a hard time to survive.

It cost 26.6 yuan (about $4.27) to produce 1 meter (3.28 foot) of Hangluo, but the market price is around 24 to 25 yuan ($3.85 to $4.00) per meter.

Fuxin Silk Factory used to produce 100,000 meters every year, now the number reduced to 400,000.

“Chains: the unbearable lightness of being”, 2003 as part of the nature series no. 79 by Liang Shaoji

TertiaryResearch

BambooSince 1998, Bamboo became popular due to its unique strength, flexibility and fast production. A regular factory located in Sichuan Province, one of the major bamboo manufacturing areas, is able to produce 800 bamboo trees a day, about 20 tons.

“The Chinese bamboo industry created a value of $5.5 billion in 2004. The bamboo-based GDP grew by 120 percent from 2000 to 2004, while export earnings reached $600 million, a 20 percent increase.”

- UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization

Upper left:‘LED-bamboo’ by Jeff Dah-yue Shi Lower left:bamboo chair “Jun Zi” by Jeff Dah-yue Shi Right:‘tea ceremony chair 2010’ by Hiroki Takada

ProjectStatement

i’m inspired by the fact that certain traditional techniques are disappearing along with the booming economy and urban development of China.

While materials such as bamboo becoming the new favorite, traditional silk Industry is facing a difficult business situation. Certain kind of silk such as hangluo, due to the aging of the machinery and lack of needs, is on the edge of distinction.

Project Strategy

my interest as a designer is in creating objects that play crucial roles in people’s daily life. Furniture, tableware, lighting, and so on. Things that are so ordinary, that we tend to forget its importance. Also, as an Chinese international student who lived in different countries. Culture differences forces me to explore and evaluate my culture in a unique and brand new perspective. i’m fascinated with designs that resonate culture and tradition.

For the Capstone project, i would like to focus on two traditional materials bamboo and silk, including their traditional fabrication technique and potential business model. i want to take the different characteristics of these two materials and design a installation or furniture that represent the Chinese aesthetics and cultural value.

S.W.O.T.Analysis

This project allows me to re-explore Chinese culture i grown up with in the perspective of a designer.The outcome shoud generate cultural resonance for the users.

Due to the culture orientation of the project, most of the resources are located in China, which means i will have to find an indirect way to obtain information and accomplish interviews.

- Potential opportunities to cooperate with local manufacturers

- Sending final design to manufacturers

- A chance for the users to appreciate the culture again

- exploration of traditional techniques

- Business model redesign

WeAKneSSSTRengTh

OPPORTUniTieS ThReADS

Project Plan & Timeline

Week 1-2- Research on the fabrication

process of silk & bamboo- Research on the existing products

& designs

Week 1-2- Continuing Contact & interview

design studios/manufacturers- Define the market profile (who/

what/why)

Week 1Secondary ideation/

brainstorming

Week 1-2- Start making the book

- Final Design

Week 2- Prototyping &

feedback- Material

search

Week 3-4- Contact & interview design

studios/manufacturers- Define the industry (mapping,

graphics, etc)

Week 3- Initial ideation/brainstorming

- Quick prototyping & feedback

Week 3- Refining

design- Material

search

Week 4- Start

looking for manufacture (if

needed)

January

February

march

April

Appendix

Zhang, Hongxing, Lauren Parker, and Beth McKillop. China Design Now. London: V & A Pub., 2008. Print.

Justice, Lorraine. China’s Design Revolution. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2012. Print.

Dilnot, Clive. “Which Way Will the Dragon Turn? Three Scenarios for Design in China Over the Next Half-Century.” Design Issues 19.3 (2003): 5-20. Print.

“Beijing Design Week: Where Made in China Is a Good Thing.” Wall Street Journal (blog). N.p., 27 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/09/28/beijing-design-week-where-made-in-china-is-touted/>.

Lee, Wing -sze. “All Light on the Night.” South China Morning Post 15 Sept. 2005: 7. Print.

Eu, Geoffrey. “Bridging the Gap; A Traditional Village in China Seeks to Bring Back an Appreciation of Chinese Crafts.” The Business Times Singapore 6 Mar. 2010: n. pag. Print.

Gotterson, Annie. “Cane and Able; Designer Jeff Shi Says Bamboo Deserves the Pole Position in Chinese Crafts, Writes Annie Gotterson.” South China Morning Post 2 Dec. 2011: 6. Print.

Marsh, John, and Nigel Smith. “New Bamboo Industries and Pro-Poor Impacts: Lessons from China and Potential for Mekong Countries.” N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.

GALLAGHER, SEAN. “China’s Appetite for Bamboo Is Damaging Forests.” China’s Bamboo Industry Skyrockets. N.p., 12 Aug. 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.

“Subscribe to Free Email Newsletter.” Celebrated Silk’s Story of Survival. Culture China, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.

http://www.bundshop.com/

Bibliography