Karen, Francois, Nicola, et al:
Design may not be "merely" about language, but insofar as designs must
accommodate culture (amongst other things), and language is very very
strongly coupled to culture, then language is one of the important tools
that designers have to understand and be influenced by the contexts in
which they work and in which their designs will "live".
Understanding another culture is far easier if one is armed with the
local language. Example, many people who don't know French (or another
romance language) well tend to find the French "snooty". I have the
fortunate capacity of consciously 'switching' between a european
sensibility and a canadian one. I find the french are snooty only when
I swap into my canadian mode. But when I 'think italian' (my own
roots), I find snootiness becoming more of a certain style of elegance.
I have heard this same sort of thing from countless others, and I've
read enough about language and cognition and culture to know that
there's good reason to believe this is 'true'.
So I would advise that language learning is the best way to learn
another culture. Takes longer. But you get better results.
Cheers.
Fil
Karen wrote:
> At 05:05 PM 7/1/2006, Francois-Xavier Nsenga wrote
>
>>
>>
>> True, I agree with Nicola, such a complex issue of Design in China or
>> anywhere else cannot, and should not, be reduced to a mere issue of
>> language.
>>
>> ....
>
> I can understand the frustration and probably my fault was to get
> worked up about language issue. So sincere apologies there on my part. I
> was trying to get points out but was concerned about how the global
> group of people here on the forum would feel. But part of the future
> strategy is about learning the language, albeit a long term strategy.
> The short term remedies are to understand how the culture of working,
> learning, and businesses are doing and more importantly how one would
> fine tuned themselves to that change. Along with it are the issue where
> how Chinese in different parts of the country would see and want out of
> a product/service. That would involve how people think and perceive
> about forms and traditional preferences for certain objects of desire.
> On a Marco level, the government strategies towards how a country should
> take shape to grow with the rise of China. How do you work along with
> China or you could work against China. That would be up to the individual.
>
> [...]
--
Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Ryerson University
350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749
Fax: 416/979-5265
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://deed.ryerson.ca/~fil/
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