Border Crossing: The Role of Design Research in International Product Development
http://loop1.aiga.org/content.cfm?Alias=robertsucd
  peer-reviewed

Roberts, Melody
AIGA
2001

Abstract:

At a time when theorists write of globalization as a global and local process, businesses can little afford to make assumptions about customers, even in traditional markets. This paper addresses the importance of applied design research, in the context of globalism, to the initial stages of product development. Products are understood here to include three-dimensional objects like appliances and furniture as well as communication products like software. Current debates about cultural identity in the context of widespread travel and global media are outlined. The possibility for research to identify the criteria of cultural appropriateness and acceptance of products is explored, and an argument for applied research as imperative for product design in today?s international business arena is advanced. The essay concludes with an appendix outlining an array of relevant research methods.