District Resource: Culturally Creative Products Derived From a Local Legend

Culture is a track of human existence in which humanity pursues its self-limits in invention, and explores human origins and the meaning of life (Miyazaki, 2002). A product designer imparts new meaning and value to products through innovative methods, and creates an impressive product that expresses the ideas he/she wishes to convey. Consequently, the core value of a product is to increase its emotional energy through innovation and to use a “story†to obtain meaningful situational and sentimental values that exemplify human affection. The author investigate the problem of a “legend†in grasping the thread of a story in design. Regarding the design of a cultural product, we discuss the application of a legend from the perspective of an emotional value that reflects local features and local cultural values through local stories. The author investigate the introduction of a story into the design of culturally creative products and explore the problem-solving ability involved in a story by discussing the perspectives of consumers who buy story-based cultural products that create experiences regarding the 5 senses through story-based design.