Towards a Culturally Driven Approach for the Development of Strategic Design Concepts

This article attempts to argue that social, political and economic perspectives supported by a cultural understanding of societies and regions are the cornerstones for a more comprehensive external analysis. Extreme trends and developments in nations´ political, economical and social situation are a source for innovation. As social, political and economical developments in a society are difficult to change overnight; various case studies have illustrated the potential role of design in improving the negative aspects of these developments, usually represented by extreme cultural trends, through innovative design concepts. A bottom-up analysis of the case studies resulted in the six (6) preliminary categories, which can function as a guide for a broader approach in terms of future external analysis and goal finding. These categories are: - Healthcare and elderly care - Working and living - Education and manpower development - Purchase of food, products and services - Mobility /Transportation of goods and people - Interaction and Communication However at this moment, it cannot be guaranteed that design concepts generated from a cultural difference perspective are more innovative than others.