Hello Lily,
Before elaborating more, hopefully later this week, I would suggest that you also consider the question with a twist. It might open up new avenues for investigation :
Rather than talking of
The representation of non-western cultures in design, think of
The western representation(s) of culture in design [tautology or oxymoron ;-)], and of
The representation of culture(s?) in western design.
And of course, as Pradeep did mention, design (and even extremely formalized designs, ecompassing sites to sculpture as in the wonderful Indian Manasara) have / are existing.
The issue remains whether we should have A design, or whether we should have many design(s) and congruent discourses. In other words, could Indian semiotics teach me something about composition in Le Corbusier architecture (and what?) etc.... e.g; chinese treaties of painting gave me a completely new understanding of mimesis that appears quite enlightingl when studying ornament in the west.
Regards,
Jean
Jean Schneider
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