Culture as 'alma matter' and resource for inspiration and design innovation

Abstract

Culture includes a series of manifestations covering art, architecture, dance, design, cinema, entertainment, fashion, gastronomy, history, literature, music, theatre, technology, religion, photography, and so forth. One can consider culture to be the foundation of any civilization, characterizing the uppermost manifestation of any given society. On the other hand, cultural interpretations diverge according to socio-cultural backgrounds, which are influenced by individual and group acknowledgments.

In an increasingly global society, cultural awareness is essential for social interactions, affecting our beliefs and social behaviour. The interdisciplinary nature of design requires an understanding of distinct cultural manifestations, that also encompass design and innovation, and the development of viable and sustainable solutions.

Nowadays, design schools deliver a broad curriculum that includes visual culture, technology, design studies, further applying project-based learning processes to convey a curriculum. The issue presents itself when higher education design students create design interactions (communication, products, services), disregarding cultural issues to adequately devise viable design solutions. Design schools nowadays provide a specific program in visual culture and history of the arts, refuting a broad design studies approach. Therefore, students do not always obtain the necessary cultural understanding to devise adequate and innovative solutions. The issue presents itself when designers convey culture, providing interactions that stimulate the end user's imagination, leading to responses that are expected or not to occur, many times falling short in quality and lacking awareness.