A Framework of Culture-based Innovation for the Protection and Development of Intangible Cultural Heritages for Design with a Focus on Yanchuan Patchwork

Xue Bai (2019)

With an aim to preserve and develop the cultural heritage of Chinese patchwork, this thesis illustrates a framework of culture-based innovation that articulates an in-depth understanding of the local cultural customs and the art philosophy of Chinese folk artists. Particularly, this research investigates the deeper meanings of the Gao family patchworks from Yanchuan County, which demonstrates their relevance to new design technologies. Through a generative process in which the elements in patchworks are reused to generate 3D designs, this research examines how the transformation facilitates traditional art preservation and develops relative design skills using advanced design technologies. Several methods have been proposed for the coding of the generative product design system, in which variations of these 3D products could be made beyond the imagination of the original patchwork artists.