Intercultural Design: Full Compilation

 03/02/2025 - 24/03/2025 (week 1-week 7)

Angelique Svetlana Pekasa (0377365)

Design Principles GCD60804 / Bachelors Of Creative Media / Taylor's University 

Task 1-3: Full Compilation

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Table of contents

1. Instructions
2. Lectures
3. Task 1: Exploration
4. Task 2: Data collection 
5. Task 3: Final Project
6. Reflections

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Instructions

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Lectures

Week 1: Culture and Design

We live in a visual information culture where the human brain reacts 60000 times faster to visuals rather than text. In fact 40% of people respond more to visual and 90% of information is sent to the visually. 

The meaning of visual can be understood into 2 categories:

- Everything that can be seen (wide definition, all-inclusive including nature)

- Everything produced or created by humans that can be seen (created for humans with a purpose of visual representation, it have a function and purpose)

As designers, cultural symbolism and nuances are important as it might differ from one culture to another. An example of this is how tattoos are seen differently, sailors uses tattoo as it marks their journey however Japan views tattoo negatively as it is worn among the yakuza (Japanese gang) back in the day.

Design significance: 

    

1. Basic assumptions serve as purpose (includes values, principle, and practice)

    

2. Norms and values serve as aesthetic (includes look & feel, design elements, design functions)

    

3. Artifacts and products serve as use (includes tools and technology)

Fig 1.1, Design significance (Week 1, 07/02/2025)

Design sensitivity:

1. Symbolism and imagery: Certain symbols and signs have different meaning in different culture

2. Color considerations: Color have cultural significance and their meaning might differ from one      culture to another

3. Typography and language: Fonts and text should be appropriate, and to reach diverse audience language variation and accurate translation should be considered

4. Inclusive design: Designs made should be inclusive for people with different backgrounds, abilities, and needs.

5. User research: A thorough user research should be conducted to gain insights on each of their cultural preferences and background

6. Localization: Designs should be adapted/localized to the respective cultural context

7. Cultural awareness training: Cultural awareness training could be held to develop a deeper understanding

Week 2: Everyday Designs

Everyday designs refer to the examination and observation of everyday items or elements. 

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Task 1: Proposal 

For this task my team and I selected the theme of "Traffic signs problems in Indonesia". One of Indonesia's main problems are traffic jams, and one of the root cause of this are the unclear or unnoticeable signs. Traffic signs are considered as everyday designs, not only that, it is also an everyday design that place a huge role in road safety. A problem in traffic signs can cause a lot of trouble. For this task we focus on 2 signs that are unnoticeable, causes a lot of traffic jams, and confusions in the road.

Below is the PDF of the powerpoint.

Here is the presentation that we did.

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Task 2: Data Collection

As it is supposed to be an informational tiktok, we have decided to explore the basic knowledge of traffic signs in general and then do some qualitative and quantitative research on the topic. For the background research, we explored the history of traffic signs and how they are made.

Fig 2.1, Street signs, (Week 3 02/22/2025)

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

Traffic congestion isn’t just about bad driving, it’s also about how we interpret road signs. Sometimes they are not as effective as they should have been.

Historically, traffic signs have existed for centuries. In Ancient Rome, milestone markers were placed along roads to guide travelers. These were the earliest road signs. But the real transformation came with automobiles. As cars became more common, standardized traffic signs became a necessity. In 1949, the Geneva Convention helped create international road sign standards, prioritizing symbols over text for universal understanding.

Studies show that 90% of information processed by the brain is visual, and visuals are recognized 60,000 times faster than text. Traffic signs are a vital part of road safety, but how is it instinctively understood regardless of language is due to the study of semiotics. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and how they create meaning. It plays a crucial role in design, advertising, and, most importantly, traffic sign communication.

Traffic signs are designed for instant recognition. Instead of relying on text, they use color, shape, and symbols to convey information efficiently.

However, text-based traffic signs can create challenges. For example, the Indonesian sign “Belok Kiri Jalan Terus” (Turn Left, Continue Straight) relies entirely on language, which can be problematic for:
Fast-moving drivers who have little time to read.
Foreign visitors unfamiliar with the language.
Cognitive overload, making processing slower.

Symbol-based designs are a more effective way to communicate towards drivers, such as:
Arrows replace text for immediate understanding.
Color coding removes ambiguity.
Minimal text improves visibility and processing speed.

Semiotics in traffic design isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about road safety. By refining traffic signs, we create a safer, more accessible driving experience for everyone. Which is why  a visualization of the “Belok kiri jalan terus” sign would be an improvement on our everyday life, as it is an everyday design.

For example, the STOP sign is an octagon—its unique shape demands attention. Combined with the color red, which signals urgency, it ensures an immediate reaction before the driver even reads the word 'STOP.' 

Different shapes and colors have distinct meanings:

Yellow = Warning
Blue = Information
Red = Mandatory Action

This system ensures that even in low visibility, drivers can recognize a sign’s meaning at a glance.

But despite these advancements, some traffic signs remain unclear or inconsistent, contributing to congestion and unsafe driving behaviors. The commonly used text signs such as “belok kiri jalan terus” continue to be confusing for many.
The improvement of road signs could involve more intuitive designs, better visibility, and even digital adaptability.

After going through the background research of this project, we proceed on to the next step, which is data collection from outside sources, which includes interviews and surveys. For the interview, we decided to ask several questions to a set of students regarding the topic of traffic. Moreover, we also interviewed an expert to give insight on this as well. The expert we interviewed is a driving instructor that is extremely knowledgeable on traffic signs which would help greatly for us to proceed with the project.

Online Survey Questions:

• Which country are you fromAre you a driver? 
• Do you have a drivers license?
• Do you have these signs in your country?
• Can you effortlessly tell what  these signs are saying if you read it from afar
• Do you think humans process images faster than text?
• If pictograms signs were applied in exchange of text signs, will it be more recognizable and easier for you as a driver to recognize?

Attached below are the answer towards the results.

Fig 2.2, Survey results, (Week 3 02/22/2025)

Shown below is the powerpoint that we made.

Attached below is the presentation that we record on Zoom.

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Task 3: Final Project

MAIN OBJECTIVE

1. Analyze how  the everyday driving culture can cause traffic, and what other aspects contributes towards it.

2. improve traffic and better driving culture by creating a more accessible traffic sign that s easier to follow.

In this project, we are going to finalize our idea, compiling it into a set of information and data.

For the final project, we are all tasked to create a tiktok account that holds all of the research and output of our task. The tiktok account that we are posting them in will be a compilation of videos based on our work that we have worked on for the task within the semester. As our main topic is about the everyday design, we as a group have decided to pick the main focus of traffic signs in Indonesia as a point of interest. We emphasized how traffic is so prevalent not only in Indonesia, but throughout various densely populated countries like Malaysia as well, that it has became a culture of its own. Bad driving habits has contributed to the horrible traffic across the countries that it has turned into an everyday culture. 

As a group, we decided to tackle one of the sign that has contributed to the horrible congestion and bad driving culture, which is the “belok kiri jalan terus” (Turn left continue straight) sign.

Our Tiktok page, Road Critics, have 5 videos uploaded on the account, consisting of 2 introduction videos that covers the background research, 2 videos on the interview, and 1 video that serves as a conclusion.

Click here for the link to the Tiktok page.

Shown below is the powerpoint that we made.

Attached below is the presentation that we record on Zoom.

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Final Reflections

I have been learning this module, Intercultural Design, for a total of 7 weeks. At first I was very confuse on the task assigned, I didn't understand the meaning of everyday design, however after week 1 lecture and some consultations I began to understand it. I also read the MIB back and forth for a couple of times to understand clearly of the task assigned.

And for this module I need to work as a team consisting of 6 people in total. To be honest it was hard at first, especially on deciding the time needed to do the meeting and presentation, since everyone is busy with their own schedules. So, in order to make things work, most of our presentations and meetings are held either earlier in the morning before everyone have their own agendas or late at night when everyone is done with their own agendas.

For the final task, I was assigned to make the first 2 videos of the Tiktok page, here I learned how to edit with capcut and how to voice over a video. I also get to help my teammate with interviewing some people and help them with shooting the final video, which was fun since I also get to go out and hangout with them.

Overall, Intercultural design is an interesting module for me, I got to understand what everyday design means and how it effects our daily lives greatly. In addition to that, I also learn how to work as a team, this module greatly impact me on how to cooperate with people and how to listen to their opinions.