Digital devices in the 4th industrial revolution society are affecting deep into our lives. User opinions and experiences have become more important than before, and a problem-solving method called design thinking has been created. The role of users w...
Digital devices in the 4th industrial revolution society are affecting deep into our lives. User opinions and experiences have become more important than before, and a problem-solving method called design thinking has been created. The role of users who actually use products is starting to become more important than consumers who purchase products. As it moved to modern times, the meaning of crafts gradually expanded, and the researcher judged that research on users in the field of ceramic art, the researcher's undergraduate major, was needed in the changing modern society. Accordingly, in this study, the concept of design thinking was identified and the concept of craft and the modern ceramic industry were examined as a theoretical background, and the case of collaboration with ceramic art was examined.
We would like to propose a new pottery collaboration method that uses the design thinking process to design the production process and to find out the needs of users through a collaborative method of collaborating with producers and users. Through this study, it is expected that users' needs and directions for ceramic art work can be derived.
The research method is as follows. The collaborative process designed using the design thinking process consists of five stages.
First, in the ‘Empathy’ stage where the daily life of the collaborator is delivered through a cultural probe. Second, it is ‘Defining’ stage to take the collaborator's insights based on the outcome at the first stage. Third, in the 'Idea derivation' stage, the design with the motif of Insight is communicated with the collaborator and the final design is confirmed. Fourth, after creating a 3D prototype in the 'prototype' stage, it begins to be produced in real life. In the final stage, the 'Test' stage, feedback on the work and process is received from the collaborator.
Collaborator A preferred to consist of a regular curve in the formative part. In terms of color, white colors with an image of indifference or neatness were preferred. Collaborator B preferred traditional form and simplicity in terms of form. In the color section, the arrangement of colors with an image of splendor was preferred and harmony was emphasized. Finally, collaborator A derived my own time, freedom, and collaborator B derived my own and immersion as insights.
The shape was made by spinning wheel molding, and the handle was molded by pushing the plate. There is a shrinkage rate in the soil. The white clay used in this study showed a shrinkage rate of 13% to 15%. In order to calculate the shrinkage rate, the dimension of the finished product was first set, and then the manufacturing drawing was designed by 1.15 times. The manufactured work was completely dried and then cut at a temperature of about 850 degrees in a 0.14-cubic meter electric kiln. After initialization, Task A was colored with a combination of white and woodtone according to the opinions of the collaborator. The body part was colored using colored clay, and the handle was colored using brown clay. Work B colored the background color except for the pattern to give it a grayish-blue-powdered celadon-like look, and the pattern was colored with white clay. Secondary firing (chivalry) was fired at a temperature of about 1250 degrees in the same kiln. The bottom surface of the fired material was smoothly polished with diamond sand.
Through this study, we wanted to get an answer to the essential question of "Why do you do art?" beyond the analog appearance and digital application of ceramic art. The user's needs could be understood through the design thinking process and the following conclusions and discussions could be drawn.
First, through the collaborative process, I was able to immerse myself in the work by deeply understanding the insights of a consumer.
Second, communication with collaborators increases the satisfaction of consumers (co-workers) and the completeness of the work.
Third, due to the uncertainty of the ceramic work results, additional production processes through feedback are required.
The process and results of this study can develop into ceramic design production processes, platforms, and services in the future. In addition, if the characteristics of collaborators A and B and the insights through cultural probes could be applied to a persona, it would be benefitted to identify, categorize, and segment the user group for ceramic industry. If there are much more images, photos, other way of collecting user preference at the image preference survey, it could be also helpful for suggesting the strategic direction of the production process not only for ceramic but also for other crafts such as metal, wood, paper, jewelry, etc. In the changing modern society, the direction of ceramic design should be prioritized by customers. In addition to the concept of consumers, the insights provided as users and producers will present a new direction in the field of ceramic design.