A Design Guideline for Applying Aesthetics in Chinese Traditional Novel to Modern Tableware Design

Abstract

As designers, we not only consider the user's physical and technological needs but we also are aware of the user's social and emotional needs. The consumer will appreciate a product re ecting his/her own culture. Therefore, it was suggested that design should be recognized in a speci c cultural development strategy. This thesis is to study how to apply the traditional aesthetics of classical Chinese liter- ature to the modern design of tableware. Research is conducted to analyze the elements re ecting the cuisine culture in a certain literature context and then the aesthetic elements are identi ed to apply to the tableware design, which is consistent with modern consumers' aesthetics. After the research, a set of guidelines is developed to design the modern tableware. The tableware's shape, proportion, texture, color, pattern, balance, repetition and materials are considered in the context of the culture of the classic Chinese novel Dream in the Red Chamber. A sample work is built to show the e ciency of the guidelines of designing the tableware. The deliverable of designing a set of sample tableware will include sketches and nal physical models. The future of design in China hinges on creating winning innovations with a unique cultural in uence. To balance the desire of cultural cohesion and the realities of the global market, designers make objects and places that are very often attuned to the modest rituals of daily life.