Intercultural Design - Proposal, Data Collection & Final Project
7/2/2025 - 21/3/2025 / Week 1 - Week 7
Tay Yue Chern / 0373215
Intercultural Design / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Proposal, Data Collection, Final Project
TABLE OF CONTENT
1.
INSTRUCTIONS
2. LECTURES
INSTRUCTIONS
Submission Requirements
1. TikTok Page URL
Submit the link to your TikTok page with all the required content uploaded.
2. Reflection Report
A short written report (1-2 pages) summarising your experience, the insights
you gained, and how your understanding of the culture evolved throughout the
project.
LECTURES
In Week 1, Mr Asrizal briefed us on this module and the assignment tasks. After that, Ms Anis gave us the first lecture on Culture & Design.
Week 1 Lecture Slides
In Week 2, we had a guest speaker on the topic Everyday Design to give us a deeper understanding of this year's theme.
In the following week, the lecture period was mainly for consultations with our respective supervisors to update our progress and receive feedback on our work.
PROJECT 1 - PROPOSAL
In this module, the given general theme this year is "Everyday Design".
Everyday design refers to the designs we see and use daily without noticing.
These designs may not be famous or decorative, but they influence how people
interact with their surroundings and reflect cultural identity.
Initially, our batch was supposed to have an optional research trip to
Japan, but due to certain reasons, it was cancelled. Instead, we explored
different ideas, including hats, signboards (particularly interested in Hong
Kong’s neon signs as a major cultural symbol), and Chinese temples in
Malaysia and Thai culture. After consultation in week 2, Mr. Zeon suggested
focusing on temples.
For project 1, we were required to prepare a
PowerPoint presentation containing:
- A 200-word write-up defining and interpreting the theme in relation to our chosen cultural elements
- Proper citations as research evidence
- At least three detailed preliminary sketches, each with an individual rationale
- Visual references that inspire or influence our ideas
- A reference list
- Picture credits
For the third point, rather than generating three separate design ideas, we
decided to research
different cultural interpretations of Chinese temple design, symbolism,
differences, and influences.
Mr Asrizal also mentioned that we did not need to strictly follow the
three-sketch format, the content can be delivered in other ways depends on
our topic, as long as we have shown what we wanted to do in the following
tasks, so we adapted our approach based on our theme.
We selected three main design elements—roof, mural, and statue—for
foundational research. This also helped us establish a clear direction for
our data collection and TikTok video production.
After consulting with Ms Anis in Week 3, we modified the slides according
to her suggestions and recorded the videos afterward.
Fig 1.1 Intercultural Design Proposal Presentation Slides by Group 3, Week 3 (21/2/2025)
Fig 1.2 Task 1 Proposal Presentation, Week 3 (21/2/2025)
PROJECT 2 - FIELD STUDY
As mentioned by Mr Asrizal, Week 4 was reserved for our data collection. For
the field study, we planned to visit three Chinese temples, two Malaysian
Chinese temples and one Thai Chinese temple. After searching for nearby
temples, we found three that were the most suitable for our visit and study.
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| Fig 2.1 Planned route, Week 4 (28/2/2025) |
As two members of our group were unavailable due to a test, the remaining
four of us (Fig 2.2 from left to right: Zi En, Yi Wen, Yue Chern, Andrew)
went to collect data on Friday, 28/2/2025. We took photos and videos (with
permission) and conducted an interview with the chief monk at Kwan Inn Teng
Temple to learn more about the design aspects of temples and the purpose
behind them.
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Fig 2.2 Group photo, Week 4 (28/2/2025)
After collecting the data, we compiled everything in google drive
and organised the important information into the following
presentation deck.
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Fig 2.3 Intercultural Design Task 02
by Group 3, Week 5 (7/3/2025)
FINAL PROJECT
From our interview with the chief monk, we gained deeper insights into the
design concepts, symbolism, and messages they aim to convey. He also shared
their efforts in promoting these ideas and encouraging vegetarianism. The
chief monk has even written books to educate and spread these teachings, and
they kindly gave us a copy. We decided to redesign the key content into an
eBook and incorporate it into our videos to help share their message.
After consulting our ideas with Ms Anis, we distributed the tasks and
started working on our TikTok content. Yi Wen and I were responsible for
designing the e-Book and I was also responsible for creating captions for
the videos.
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| Fig 3.1 The Guidebooks, Week 6 (14/3/2025) |
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| Fig 3.2 Information chosen, Week 6 (14/3/2025) |
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Fig 3.3 Design process, Week 6 (14/3/2025) |
Fig 3.4 Final e-Book Design, Week 6 (14/3/2025)
For the captions, my main goal was to attract viewers and briefly introduce
the videos. I kept them short and straightforward, considering the short
attention span of audiences today. To me, the purpose of captions was to
grab attention and encourage people to watch the videos, where the real
messages were conveyed.
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| Fig 3.5 Captions and hashtags, Week 6 (14/3/2025) |
Link to our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@temple_tales
Fig 3.6 Final Presentation Slides by Group 3, Week 7 (21/3/2025)
Fig 3.7 Final Task Presentation, Week 7 (21/3/2025)
REFLECTION REPORT
Overall, my experience throughout this project was quite positive, aside from some friction with a team member. It was insightful and interesting to explore how cultural influences shape everyday design. I used to think temple designs were just decorative, but after studying them in depth, I realised they carry deep meanings and serve important purposes.
For me, Task 2 was the most insightful part of the project because I learned the most during this phase. Visiting the temples in person and observing the designs up close allowed me to see the differences between cultural styles. Each temple had its own identity—so distinct that even without knowing the name, I could roughly tell which culture it belonged to just by its design. This uniqueness was one of the reasons we found temple design so fascinating to research.
I enjoyed Task 2 the most because it was hands-on, we explored, observed, and truly understood the designs ourselves. In contrast, Task 1 was more about learning from existing materials, while Task 2 was about experiencing it firsthand. Then, in Task 3, we took everything we learned and shared it in our own way, which made it even more meaningful.
One of the most unexpected yet meaningful experiences was the interview with the chief monk. Through our conversation, I learned that temple design is not just about aesthetics but also serves functional and educational roles in guiding devotees. The monk explained how their temple actively promotes values like mindfulness and vegetarianism and how they use visual storytelling in murals and statues to pass down traditions.
Although the project was overall rewarding, the process was not always smooth. There were some disagreements with a group member, which made certain tasks more challenging. However, we managed to navigate these difficulties and complete our work effectively.
I was also glad to apply the knowledge and techniques I had learned in previous semesters to this project. Specifically, Video & Sound Production and Typography were extremely useful for data collection and content creation.
The process of documenting our research and creating content for our TikTok account was a new yet interesting experience. As I was responsible for designing the eBook, my challenge was to balance authenticity with making the information engaging and accessible. This experience reminded me of the importance of visual hierarchy, typography, and layout design in effectively communicating complex ideas.
To me, this project was not just about research but also about problem-solving, teamwork, and finding ways to present information in an attractive, engaging and meaningful way. It was a challenging but rewarding experience, and I’m glad to have been part of it.
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