Application of Metaphors for Integrating New Meanings of Cultural Art Features into Modern Products: Insights from Thailand

Abstract

Metaphor is a valuable tool for facilitating innovative product design. Metaphor facilitates designers' comprehension of design concepts by illustrating comparisons with their existing knowledge. Limited research exists on how metaphors transform cultural art characteristics into product designs to convey consumers' understanding of value meanings from cultural art features in modern products. To address this, a conceptual framework was developed as a diagrammatic tool for design strategy, based on the concept of metaphor. The framework assists designers in interpreting the appearance, behavior, and meanings of cultural art features, enabling their incorporation into contemporary products. The translation, transformation, and design activity processes were used to demonstrate how this framework could embed new meanings into modern products. From different perspectives, the use of metaphors to bring cultural art features into modern products is beneficial for enhancing creativity in product design and enabling consumers to better understand the product's values.