APPLYING CRITICAL DESIGN to COMMUNICATE CULTURAL INSIGHTS EMPHATICALLY: A CASE STUDY Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • © PDE 2021.This research paper explores Critical Design¿s use to communicate cultural insights generated through a human-centred design (HCD) research process executed by Industrial Design students. The hypothesis behind this research is that Critical Design could bring an enhanced emphatic reflection on these insights. We deployed this approach to a collaborative project between a major international company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories based in Sweden and Tecnologico de Monterrey´s School of Architecture, Art, and Design in Mexico City. This design exercise¿s objective was to understand better the desires, goals, frustrations, and cultural differences of end-users in the field of the connected home in Mexico. The research framework consisted of two stages: i) an explorative stage that involved HCD research activities such as daily studies and co-creation workshops with families, and ii) a creative/reflective stage where the students utilized critical and speculative design tactics to translate cultural insights found through the first stage. This study used a qualitative analysis approach to investigate which method carried more meaningfulness by comparing the students¿ whitepaper at the end of the first stage and the hypothetical objects¿ results at the end of the second stage. We found that what we called ¿Hypothetical Products¿ can assist an HCD report by taking the insights from the research process, and by using a Critical Design approach, it can bring a more significant dimension on empathy to the findings and data that an abstract written detailed results report.

publication date

  • January 1, 2021