**1. Introduction**

This chapter, focusing on culturally inspired design, with emphasis on Portuguese and Lusophone cultures, is developed in a two stage process (Fig. 1). In the first part, an effort to identify the Portuguese identity reflected in the design of existing products is pursued. In the second part of this work, product design specifications are created based on the assignment of product personalities to capture Portuguese and Lusophone cultural aspects. Both stages of this contribution give rise to new product concepts, which are aimed at exemplifying the profile in existing Lusophone design production (in comparison with other design origins) and at demonstrating the transfer of selected cultural values to designed objects.

Fig. 1. Depiction of the two streams of analysis departing form an empirical and an abstract level, reaching at new product concepts.

In both stages of the research, an array of product features was drawn up, in the first case from observation, in the second case from matching of cultural traits with product features, through the use of the product personality assignment approach.

Culture may inform design by a process of context-informed practice. Hence, collectivelyheld norms of practice shared within contexts may well introduce culture into the design process, even if indirectly. Geographical context may influence the practice and results of design in two ways. One the one hand, everyday specific features of a location (availability of technology and materials, climate, local modes of exchange and even cultural factors affecting business activities) produce particularized actions, which may however be

Culturally Inspired Design: Product Personalities to Capture Cultural Aspects 57

The second part of this chapter reports on a project that aimed to identify the cultural traits of the Portuguese speaking countries, with regard to both an internal perspective as well as an outsider's perspective. Subsequently, the translation of these traits into product design was intended, attempting to give a Portuguese and Lusophone projected cultural identity to products. To this end, a methodology was developed in several stages. For the application of the methodology, several studies were carried out. The personality attributes of products were analyzed using a technique known as Product Personality Assignment (Jordan 2000) in order to mediate the transfer from the identified cultural traits to product design requirements. Patrick W. Jordan used positive and negative characteristics of people, developing a list with 209 descriptors of personality and, after a collation and synthesis of work arrived at a list of 17 pairs of dimensions of personality. These dimensions are composed of pairs of opposing personality descriptors, such as Complex / Simple. Thus, Personality Assignment to a product is a tool that explores the emotional ties existing in the

**2. Characterization of the identity of existing Portuguese and Brazilian design**  In this section, an attempt to identify the Portuguese and Brazilian identities reflected in the design of existing products is carried out. This contribution gives rise to new concepts, which are aimed at representing cultural traits embedded in objects. An array of product features is drawn up from observation of a sample of designed objects (208), whose pictures were readily available from design web-blogs and design museums which were found through web searches, to empirically assess the existence of a Lusophone design style, in comparison with other design origins. The main purpose of this section is to seek the identification of a possibly existent identity of Portuguese and Lusophone Design, according to different perspectives (e.g. form, brand, material, archetype), from the study of selected cases. While it is acknowledged that an analysis which is mostly based on the material properties of products is necessarily limited in scope, the consideration of experience or use related qualities, given the breadth of this survey, was inferred, albeit visually as their assessment by actual use would not be feasible. Initially, a historical perspective of Portuguese and Brazilian design was drawn up. Since the existing information concerning existing designs of other Lusophone countries is very limited, it was chosen to analyse Portuguese and Brazilian design only, and from these two identities, extrapolate a proposed Lusophone design identity, focusing on material properties mostly. From this analysis, similarities were perceived between Portuguese and Brazilian (Lusophone) designs, according to the analyzed products. Another analysis of designed products was then carried out, focusing on countries with design production of great international appreciation so that it would be possible to differentiate this against Lusophone design. The analyzed regions and countries, for the purpose of differentiation, were Scandinavia, which includes the Nordic countries, as well as Italy and Germany. To conclude the first stage of this research, and apply

it in a practical component, two conceptual designs were developed (Fig. 2 and 3).

One of the designs concerns a refrigerator (Figure 2) that intends to reflect the Portuguese identity, without disregard to new options, both in terms of currently available material and technology. The other conceptual design consists of a sofa with a special focus on Lusophone related features (Figure 3). The latter may assume an array of different configurations, and it differs from similar products in its versatility, having as main function that of a sofa, but including a footrest for the support of the users' feet, and converting into a

relationship between user and product.

set of table with three stools if necessary.

contrasted with perceived globalized, mainstream and dominant modes of practice. On the other hand, when viewing design as a mode of communication, peripherization and engagement of a consciousness of difference may emerge, depending on location (Julier 2007). No factual data with a substantial depth about the cultural traits of the nations portrayed in this chapter was found in literature, with the exception of the work by the Dutch social scientist Geert Hofstede. Hofstede developed and published, in 1980, four national measures of culture applied to a set of selected countries. Portugal and Brazil were the only Lusophone countries included in Hofstede's study. The national measures of culture presented by this author were: Power Distance, Masculinity, Individuality and Uncertainly Avoidance. The nature of the national measures of culture presented by Geert Hendrik Hofstede, was not deemed adequate to advance the development of the goals set for the second project reported in this chapter. A literature survey was hence pursued, informing, through the perspectives of several authors, on the Portuguese and Lusophone cultural traits.

The current geo-strategic setting gives some added importance to the Portuguese-speaking world. Both Brazil and Angola, in part, have been claiming themselves as regional powers (in South America and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively). In this context, the design of products as part of the cultural expression of people is associated with its production and industrial capacity, and can be seen as a front for disseminating advancement of culture, while its existence is related to the relative importance of this culture in the globalized world. It is not mandatory to join Brazilian design, and eventually Angolan, or the design of other Portuguese-speaking countries, with Portuguese design. In the cultural sphere, and the approach that underlies this work has a strong cultural component, it will be difficult to disentangle the historical and cultural legacy of the area of language, as this is one of the main ways to define and mark broad cultural groups. Thus, in this work, it is considered that the combination of design production in the countries of official Portuguese language is relevant.

#### **1.1 Aims**

The main purpose of the first part of this chapter is to seek the identification of a possibly existent identity of Portuguese and Lusophone Design, according to different perspectives (e.g. form, brand, material, archetype), from the study of selected cases. While it is acknowledged that an analysis which is mostly based on the material properties of products is necessarily limited in scope, the consideration of experience or use related qualities, given the breadth of this survey, was inferred, albeit visually as their assessment by actual use would not be feasible. Initially, a historical perspective of Portuguese and Brazilian design was drawn up. Since the existing information concerning existing design of other Lusophone countries is very limited, it was chosen to analyse Portuguese and Brazilian design only, and from these two identities, extrapolate a proposed Lusophone design identity, focusing on material properties mostly. From this analysis, similarities were perceived between Portuguese and Brazilian (Lusophone) designs, according to the analyzed products. Another analysis of designed products was then carried out, focusing on countries with design production of great international appreciation so that it would be possible to differentiate this against Lusophone design. The analyzed regions and countries, for the purpose of differentiation, were Scandinavia, which includes the Nordic countries, as well as Italy and Germany. To conclude the first stage of this research, and project it in a practical component, two conceptual designs were developed.

contrasted with perceived globalized, mainstream and dominant modes of practice. On the other hand, when viewing design as a mode of communication, peripherization and engagement of a consciousness of difference may emerge, depending on location (Julier 2007). No factual data with a substantial depth about the cultural traits of the nations portrayed in this chapter was found in literature, with the exception of the work by the Dutch social scientist Geert Hofstede. Hofstede developed and published, in 1980, four national measures of culture applied to a set of selected countries. Portugal and Brazil were the only Lusophone countries included in Hofstede's study. The national measures of culture presented by this author were: Power Distance, Masculinity, Individuality and Uncertainly Avoidance. The nature of the national measures of culture presented by Geert Hendrik Hofstede, was not deemed adequate to advance the development of the goals set for the second project reported in this chapter. A literature survey was hence pursued, informing, through the perspectives of several authors, on the Portuguese and Lusophone

The current geo-strategic setting gives some added importance to the Portuguese-speaking world. Both Brazil and Angola, in part, have been claiming themselves as regional powers (in South America and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively). In this context, the design of products as part of the cultural expression of people is associated with its production and industrial capacity, and can be seen as a front for disseminating advancement of culture, while its existence is related to the relative importance of this culture in the globalized world. It is not mandatory to join Brazilian design, and eventually Angolan, or the design of other Portuguese-speaking countries, with Portuguese design. In the cultural sphere, and the approach that underlies this work has a strong cultural component, it will be difficult to disentangle the historical and cultural legacy of the area of language, as this is one of the main ways to define and mark broad cultural groups. Thus, in this work, it is considered that the combination of design production in the countries of official Portuguese language is

The main purpose of the first part of this chapter is to seek the identification of a possibly existent identity of Portuguese and Lusophone Design, according to different perspectives (e.g. form, brand, material, archetype), from the study of selected cases. While it is acknowledged that an analysis which is mostly based on the material properties of products is necessarily limited in scope, the consideration of experience or use related qualities, given the breadth of this survey, was inferred, albeit visually as their assessment by actual use would not be feasible. Initially, a historical perspective of Portuguese and Brazilian design was drawn up. Since the existing information concerning existing design of other Lusophone countries is very limited, it was chosen to analyse Portuguese and Brazilian design only, and from these two identities, extrapolate a proposed Lusophone design identity, focusing on material properties mostly. From this analysis, similarities were perceived between Portuguese and Brazilian (Lusophone) designs, according to the analyzed products. Another analysis of designed products was then carried out, focusing on countries with design production of great international appreciation so that it would be possible to differentiate this against Lusophone design. The analyzed regions and countries, for the purpose of differentiation, were Scandinavia, which includes the Nordic countries, as well as Italy and Germany. To conclude the first stage of this research, and project it in a

practical component, two conceptual designs were developed.

cultural traits.

relevant.

**1.1 Aims** 

The second part of this chapter reports on a project that aimed to identify the cultural traits of the Portuguese speaking countries, with regard to both an internal perspective as well as an outsider's perspective. Subsequently, the translation of these traits into product design was intended, attempting to give a Portuguese and Lusophone projected cultural identity to products. To this end, a methodology was developed in several stages. For the application of the methodology, several studies were carried out. The personality attributes of products were analyzed using a technique known as Product Personality Assignment (Jordan 2000) in order to mediate the transfer from the identified cultural traits to product design requirements. Patrick W. Jordan used positive and negative characteristics of people, developing a list with 209 descriptors of personality and, after a collation and synthesis of work arrived at a list of 17 pairs of dimensions of personality. These dimensions are composed of pairs of opposing personality descriptors, such as Complex / Simple. Thus, Personality Assignment to a product is a tool that explores the emotional ties existing in the relationship between user and product.
