• Archives of design research
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• v.18 no.3 s.61
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• pp.199-208
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• 2005

This study analysis if the concepts of kitsch and vernacular remains as cultural elements for product design. Because their function and aesthetic value have vivid possibilities for general product design fields. For the purpose, this study limits its range within post modernism, kitsch, and vernacular, and analyzes their relationships. Against functionalism, post modernism had cultural pluralisms to approach into popular styles, and some of them was amusing design. That post modernism designs stimulated human beings' emotion by decorations or some symbolic forms from specific objects is similar to the symbolism, regionalism, or pluralism of kitsch or vernacular. Kitsch is a free style that is not limited in any specific trends. It is a Meta culture that has influenced into various fields including design, so kitsch does not have a parallel position with a product or design. In product design, kitsch is the behavior and result of imitating existing objects' images. It could have amusement according to which objects are imitated. So if human beings feel amusement by kitsch, it could be same as the direction of post modernism. Kitsch is determined by design atmospheres. They cannot be specified abjectly, and can be different according to people. With symbolism and regionalism, kitsch and vernacular appeared according to people's needs. While kitsch is consumer's tastes-oriented, vernacular is cultural tradition-oriented. Kitsch has symbolism that specifies products' functions or design concepts, and it is a communication method between human being and products. Because vernacular is province-oriented, it has a lot of styles according to regional living environments and cultural differences. So vernacular design reflects continued traditional lifestyles. By restorative memory, regionalism, cultural pluralism, amusement, and symbolism, kitsch and vernacular could be understood the sub or parallel concepts of post modernism. They might be easily miss-understood mixed concepts that have western and national characters. But in kitsch and vernacular concept, modernizing pas by using the pluralism of post modernism should be considered positive. So, the range of the further study is also supposed to be focused on more widened fields to, to establish cultural identification in design.