Intercultural Design Continuous Assesment
06/02/2025 – 21/03/2025 (Week 1 – Week 7)
Valerius Ethan Wirawan / 0372774
Intercultural Design / Creative Media / School of Design
Project 1 (Proposal) and Project 2 (Field Study)
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Instruction
2. Lectures & Learning Process
3. Feedback
4. Reflections
1. INSTRUCTION
Fig. 1.1. Module information Booklet
2. LECTURES & LEARNING PROCESS
Week 1 (Module Introduction)
Online lecture
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Culture and design are inherently linked, and as aspiring designers, it's essential to understand this connection.
Visual Informative Culture: Visuals serve as a highly influential medium to convey much of the information we encounter. Visual culture involves analyzing visual objects beyond their textual interpretations.
Visual: This encompasses anything that can be perceived through sight, including both nature and human-made creations. To be classified as visual, these elements must have a functional, meaningful, and communicative purpose.
A good example of intercultural design is tattoos. For sailors, tattoos often symbolize a journey or serve as a tribute to loved ones, whereas in Japanese culture, tattoos have a more traditional significance, often reflecting societal status, such as among the Yakuza.
A good example of intercultural design is tattoos. For sailors, tattoos often symbolize a journey or serve as a tribute to loved ones, whereas in Japanese culture, tattoos have a more traditional significance, often reflecting societal status, such as among the Yakuza.
Week 2 (Research Method)
Lecture: Everyday Design (KL Design Festival)
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Everyday design influences how we interact with objects and spaces, focusing on usability, aesthetics, and problem-solving. Effective design is intuitive, accessible, and efficient. When done well, good design becomes seamless and unnoticed. By prioritizing user experience, everyday design plays a crucial role in enhancing efficiency.
Fig. 2.1. Kuala Lumpur Design Festival Website
Week 3 (Proposal Presentation)
Our Group members:
1) Shannen Hiew Kar Yee ( 0354055 ) - Group Leader
2) Raida Abdoul Kader ( 0353038 )
3) Sacha Poetry Pradhani ( 0371796 )
4) Shema Goldie Angwen ( 0372129 )
5) Valerius Ethan Wirawan ( 0372774 )
6) Zhou Yi ( 0375264 ）
2) Raida Abdoul Kader ( 0353038 )
3) Sacha Poetry Pradhani ( 0371796 )
4) Shema Goldie Angwen ( 0372129 )
5) Valerius Ethan Wirawan ( 0372774 )
6) Zhou Yi ( 0375264 ）
We have successfully compiled our ideas for the task. Our project focuses on integrating African culture into everyday design. To enhance its impact, we are conceptualizing a collaboration with Tyla, incorporating African cultural elements into her merchandise, celebrating her heritage in a modern and stylish way.
Fig. 2.2. Whatsapp screen capture: Idea building (brainstorming)
After consulting with our lecturer, we revised our approach. The collaboration with Tyla was deemed unnecessary, and our initial idea of incorporating African beads and patterns into a wallet was rejected. In response, we developed a new product and designed it accordingly.
Fig. 2.3. Whatsapp screen capture: Task distribution
Me and Monday (Zhou Yi) collaborate to design the blanket. It is taken from the symbol mmeramutene representing warmness and sunlight, in adtion to the orange colour.
Fig. 2.4. Proposal Presentation
Fig. 2.5. Proposal Presentation File (PDF)
Week 4 (Data Collection)
We created a Google Form to gather insights on society's awareness of African cultures and their meanings. Additionally, we asked participants about the significance of cultural appreciation in society.
Fig. 2.6.Whatsapp screen capture: Data Collection Progress
Week 5 (Data Compilation)
We conduct data collection by google forms as a survey media. These are the questions that we used in the google forms titled 'International Awareness of African Culture':
1. What’s your nationality?
2. Have you heard about Maasai, Hadza or Samburu culture?
3. We’ve used pink colour to design one of our product, do you know what is the meaning behind it?
4. We’ve used this symbol to design one of our product, do you know what is the meaning behind it?
5. How often do you use mirror, blanket and book in a day to day basis?
6. Have you ever seen or often seen African culture applied on products?
7. Do you think it’s crucial to spread awareness of your own culture?
We compile all of the data in a presentation slide.
Fig. 2.7.Whatsapp screen capture: Data Compilation Progress
Fig. 2.8. Data Compilation (PDF)
After do the data collection, we did the summary of the answer and proceed to make tiktok video.
Week 6 (Self Directed) & Week 7 (Final Project Presentation)
Our Final task on Week 6 and Week 7 was to document and share our insights on everyday design through a TikTok page by creating short videos to engage and inform a wider audience.
Fig. 2.9. TikTok Account Page (cultureflex)
During Week 6, our group finalized the TikTok video theme after a group meeting and we also had a consultation session on Thursday to confirm our concept. At the end of Week 6, we all completed recording and editing each other's videos.
@cultureflex5 PEEPSSSS 👀 on what’s coming next !! This is a short introduction to start off our journey with you on what’s going on with group 43 😊 #africanculture #cultureflex
♬ original sound - cultureflex - cultureflex
In Week 7, our main focus was to post all the TikToks. The videos reflect our research and interactions with everyday design and a what we learned about West African culture.
Finally by the end of Week 7, we uploaded all the videos and created a presentation deck to compile our research, data collection, and progress for our last submission.
3. FEEDBACK
Week 6
In week 6 feedback, we had an online consultation with Mr. Asrizal via teams. We showed him our tiktok page that we made as well as the video that we have produced. Overall, Mr. Asrizal did not have any serious comments about, he said what we did was fine only that we need to add more graphics into the video as well as make the cover page catchy.
Week 5
For this week's feedback, we showed sir our data collection slide that wasn't completely complete since we were all quite confused with the artifact part. Sir gave us his honest feedback on our slide and apparently we were doing the slide in the wrong format so, sir gave us a clear instruction on how to do the slide and we completed the slide perfectly.
Week 4
We did our mock up sketches for this week and had Mr. Asrizal to comment about our sketches. Sir said that our sketches are all good to go but the theme was everyday design therefore the product we choose must be something that is used everyday for example a shirt. That is all for the feedback in week 4.
Week 3
This week, we did our first presentation slide which was our proposal slide. After we were done with the slide, we present it to Mr. Asrizalas well as we informed him that we were no longer combining 2 cultures together and he just told us there were some parts that were missing in our slides and it was fine if we just want to focus on 1 culture. After the feedback, we immediately added those missing information in the slide.
Week 2
For week 2 consultation session, we had all our ideas ready for what we wanted to do for this task. The feedback that we got for this week from Mr. Asrizal was that our idea was a good idea to combine 2 cultures together and design a product with it.
Week 1
For week 1, there was no feedback because it was a class where we were briefed and introduced to our module and what the task was about.
4. REFLECTION
Looking back on this module, I realize how much my perspective on design and culture has expanded. Before starting, I had a general understanding that culture influences design, but I never thought deeply about how it shapes the way we interact with products and visuals in everyday life. Through this experience, I’ve learned that design is not just about aesthetics. It carries meaning, history, and identity.
One of the most valuable lessons I took from this module was the importance of adaptability. Initially, our group planned to incorporate African cultural elements into merchandise inspired by Tyla. However, after receiving feedback, we realized that a more original approach was needed. Instead of using a pre-existing celebrity collaboration, we shifted our focus to designing a blanket featuring the Mmeramutene symbol, which represents warmth and sunlight. This process showed me that research and flexibility are essential in design, as ideas often need to evolve based on feedback and deeper understanding.
Another significant part of this module was our research on cultural awareness. Creating a survey to gather public opinions on African culture was an eye-opening experience. I was surprised to see that many people had limited knowledge of African symbols and traditions, which made me reflect on how certain cultures are underrepresented in global design. This highlighted the importance of inclusivity and storytelling in design. People connect with visuals that carry meaning, and as designers, we have the power to bridge cultural gaps.
One of the most valuable lessons I took from this module was the importance of adaptability. Initially, our group planned to incorporate African cultural elements into merchandise inspired by Tyla. However, after receiving feedback, we realized that a more original approach was needed. Instead of using a pre-existing celebrity collaboration, we shifted our focus to designing a blanket featuring the Mmeramutene symbol, which represents warmth and sunlight. This process showed me that research and flexibility are essential in design, as ideas often need to evolve based on feedback and deeper understanding.
Another significant part of this module was our research on cultural awareness. Creating a survey to gather public opinions on African culture was an eye-opening experience. I was surprised to see that many people had limited knowledge of African symbols and traditions, which made me reflect on how certain cultures are underrepresented in global design. This highlighted the importance of inclusivity and storytelling in design. People connect with visuals that carry meaning, and as designers, we have the power to bridge cultural gaps.
A particularly enjoyable aspect of this module was the TikTok project. At first, I was unsure how social media could be used for academic work, but as we started creating content, I saw how powerful short videos can be in spreading cultural awareness. It was a fun and engaging way to present our findings, and it made me think about how digital platforms can be used effectively for design communication.
Of course, there were challenges along the way. Adjusting our project direction, managing group tasks, and ensuring our research was thorough required strong communication and problem-solving skills. However, these challenges helped me grow as a designer and a team member. I now have a deeper appreciation for cultural design and how it can be applied in a modern context.
Overall, this module has made me more aware of the role design plays in shaping cultural understanding. Moving forward, I want to apply these insights to future projects, whether in branding, product design, or digital media. I now see design more than just visuals, it’s a language that tells stories and connects people across cultures.
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