Product Analysis Based on Botswana's Postcolonial Socio-cultural Perspective
(2007) Product Analysis Based on Botswana's Postcolonial Socio-cultural Perspective. International Journal of Design 1(2):pp. 37-45.
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Abstract
Products designed and manufactured in any country are influenced by local factors, such as the availability of raw materials, human skills, tradition, and socio-cultural values. The tendency to use available natural resources is in harmony with the eco-system. It is expected that culture plays a crucial role in designing contemporary, socially-acceptable products. This paper describes a comprehensive experimental study analysing several products made in Botswana and identifying the underlying socio-cultural factors that influenced their design. The study was conducted in collaboration with design students at the University of Botswana. Visual and textual data were collected. The results indicate that materials, emotional socio-cultural factors, and social practices have not yet been incorporated convincingly in contemporary product design. The paper proposes how designers can integrate socio-cultural factors by 'conscious design efforts' rather than by 'accident,' thereby leading to innovative, culturally-oriented and cherishable products with wider product acceptance.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Keywords: | Culture; Botswana; Design; Product Analysis; Socio-cultural Factors. |
| Subjects: | 410000 The Arts > 410400 Design Studies > 410405 Design History and Cultural Theory |
| ID Code: | 9361 |
| Deposited By: | Moalosi, Richie |
| Deposited On: | 06 September 2007 |
| Alternative Locations: | http://www.ijdesign.org |
| Copyright Owner: | Copyright 2007 (The authors) |
| Copyright Statement: | All journal content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. |
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