INTERCULTURAL DESIGN - Final Compilation & Reflection
✩ 10/3/25 - 23/3/25 (Week 1 - Week 7)
✩ WONG MEI YEE 0367857
✩ Intercultural Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
✩ Final Compilation & Reflection
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lectures
Figure 1, Lecture, Week 1.
Instructions
Figure 2, Instructions, Week 1.
Project 1
Following our first class when we were tasked with establishing our groups for this course, a member of my group took it upon herself to create a WhatsApp group thread for Group 14. We used that as our main channel of communication and organization throughout the project. The group started to brainstorm ideas for Project 1, which was to create a proposal. Everyone was asked to think of a few ideas, and then we held a vote to determine the idea that we would ultimately pursue. The idea that received the most votes was Pua Kumbu, proposed by Diane and Natasya from Sarawak, who introduced us to the unique cultural heritage.
Pua Kumbu is the traditional textile from the Iban of Sarawak, traditionally used as a cloth or tapestry, but many of the modern designs of the textile derive from the patterns and motifs the textile itself features. We thought the cultural significance of Pua Kumbu would make for an interesting proposal and idea for the project. After the main theme was validated, responsibilities were allotted among group members, and we each selected the responsibilities we felt the most comfortable with. Before we started designing the presentation slides, we worked together on a Google Document to compile our research and write an outline of our content. We were able to keep organized and get everyone on the same page this way.
Research
Figure 3.1, Research, Week 2.
Proposal PPT
Figure 3.2, Proposal PPT, Week 2.
Proposal Presentation
Figure 3.3, Proposal Presentation, Week 2.
Project 2
Before the field trip, we had a group discussion to determine where we would collect data from based on our project proposal. Some suggestions included going to Sarawak, but that was not possible given the time and budget so we agreed we would try to find something relevant here in KL. Instead, we planned on going to Muzium Kraf Kuala Lumpur, and the National Textiles Museum in the hope that we would find something relevant to Pua Kumbu.
Muzium Kraf Kuala Lumpur˳✧༚
This was our first stop. None of us had been before so it was quite an experience. We were able to see several different Malaysian traditional crafts such as batik, songket, and wayang kulit. In all honesty, we were unsure there would be anything pua kumbu there, but fortunately there was a section of the display that featured it. We looked around leisurely and documented what we found useful for our research.
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Figure 4.1, Muzium Kraf, Week 4.
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Figure 4.2, Muzium Kraf, Week 4. |
National Textiles Museum˳✧༚
Following this, we made our way to the National Textiles Museum, which was an even greater range of textile collections from all over Malaysia. Fortunately, we also encountered another section dedicated to Pua Kumbu, which gives us more information about its cultural context and patterns. In both cases, these visits certainly had us all gather relevant information for our proposal and future design improvements.
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Kedey Kamek Restaurant˳✧༚
After visiting the museum, Diane and Natasya asked us to try a Sarawakian restaurant nearby, Kedey Kamek located in Lalaport. They wanted to share more of their culture via food, which turns out to be a great idea. We had some dishes that included ayam pansuh, umai, and linut sambal, with some of us experiencing some of those dishes for the first time! It was a fun and meaningful way to conclude the day, while also helping us connect to the theme of our project in a way beyond research as well.
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Analysing our Data Collection
Figure 4.6, Data Collection, Week 4.
Project 2 - Data Collection PPT
Figure 4.7, Data Collection PPT, Week 4.
Figure 4.7, Data Collection PPT, Week 4.
Project 2 - Presentation
Figure 4.8, Data Collection Presentation, Week 4.
Figure 4.8, Data Collection Presentation, Week 4.
Final Project
Final Project - Tiktoks
Figure 5.1, Final Project Tiktoks, Week 7.
Figure 5.1, Final Project Tiktoks, Week 7.
Final Project - PPT
Figure 5.2, Final Project PPT, Week 7.
Figure 5.2, Final Project PPT, Week 7.
Final Project - Presentation
Figure 5.3, Final Project Presentation, Week 7.
Figure 5.3, Final Project Presentation, Week 7.
Final Project - Kek Batik
Sketch:
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Figure 5.4, Sketch, Week 7. |
Final Design:
Figure 5.5, Final Design, Week 7.
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Reflections
Experience ✩
This project provided me with a meaningful opportunity to learn about an important cultural object in Malaysia — Pua Kumbu, a traditional textile from the Iban people of Sarawak. Although I am not from Sarawak, this module allowed me to learn more about the distinct culture from that area and how that connects to the theme of Everyday Design. Everyday Design is what I think of as the commonplace items we interact with on a day-to-day basis — and it was neat to see how a traditional object, such as Pua Kumbu, could be related to that idea. One of the most memorable elements of this module was our field trip experience. Our visit to the Craft Museum and the National Textiles Museum provided us with valuable observations and materials in which to refer to for our project and research. It was also my first time seeing an actual Pua Kumbu textile in person, and that created an authentic experience that made me think more deeply about our project. I personally enjoyed the observation and documentation experience — it was helpful to experience what we were doing to further engage with our topic outside of being online.Another enjoyable moment was when Diane and Natasya introduced us to Sarawakian food culture by taking us to a Sarawak-themed restaurant after the museum visits. I appreciated the way they shared their culture through food to make it a bit more personal learning experience, and it was also a nice bonding moment for the group.
Observations ✩
Through my research, I observed that cultural traditions/objects, such as the Pua Kumbu, often find themselves in the background of their everyday existence, especially for people outside the community. Some types of crafts, such as batik, are more in the collective consciousness, while others remain unfamiliar, such as Pua Kumbu. It made me realise how easily cultural knowledge can fade away certain kinds of knowledge fade when people are no longer passing the knowledge around, or incorporating it into their everyday spaces.
Findings ✩
Along the way, I learned that design is not only about aesthetics, but also about communication and storytelling. I learned how much culture can influence design ideas in important ways, and how essential it is to be thoughtful and meaningful when illustrating something traditional. In some form, whether through video, visuals, or even conversations during our trip, every part of the whole sequence of event helped contribute to my thinking, investigation, and collaboration.
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