Integration between Vernacular Design and Adapted Design Process to Accomplish 3D 1:1 Physical Product

Abstract

Understanding and gaining practical experience and how to improve the performance of the design process is one of the priorities to the design disciplines. The design process is a complex journey with social influence to explore and discover new approaches. (Cross, 2011). With the participation of second year undergraduate students of the Special Program of Furniture Design Science, the design process adapted by the professors was the core of the Islamic furniture design studio course and the integration of applying reformed vernacular design in a real piece of furniture. The implementation of the adapted design process was applied on all of the students; however, the analysis of the Muqaranas group was put under speculation for the case study in this paper. Students were asked for a real-world project that aided them to build an understanding and acquire knowledge to improve their own professional grounds and drive them out of their personal comfort zones to professional growth zones. They chose Islamic architectural elements as new ornamental elements that have similar effect within the limit of Islamic values, in order to present new ornamentation grid. Then applied the new grid in models of furniture as a real-world application to produce the new visualization as a contemporary Islamic ornamentation. This paper will present a case study at the Special Program of Furniture Design Science in the areas of concern which were supported by a collective approach to design projects that participants are able to inhabit. In addition, student groups’ models that reflect the impact of the heritage on contemporary furniture design and establish the practical experience will be presented. The aim is to influence inexperienced students with limited professional resources to gain practical experience to come up with productive ideas for furniture design/production in spite of their limited boundaries