Designing for cultural migration : methods for designers confronted with social change.

The effect of the cultural and social changes that accompany consumers' relationship with goods presents designers with a challenge. Although current design-related research often centres on the non-physical aspects of products, such as aesthetics, emotions and pleasurability, these factors may work in a particular way in markets in the developing world where rapid cultural and social changes are taking place. Current approaches to culturally oriented product design can be improved and assisted by acknowledging this. This thesis describes a "practice-led" approach to research which is mirrored by the research-led methodology for practice proposed in the conclusions. The focus of the investigation is on household products to assist food preparation related to a specific ethnic group in Malaysia, whose members are involved in migration from a traditional rural life to an urban industrial setting. The research analyses the cultural factors affecting the design of these products in Malaysia with the aim of influencing the practise of designers who develop products in changing or fluid cultural circumstances. The main contribution of the research is a 'designing for cultural migration' methodology, which helps designers to identify cultural elements in product interactions during users' cultural migration experience and develop greater sensitivity to these elements where they can be observed. The work has also developed some more general cultural insights which may be of value to other research.