The globalization of design is pulling designer and design education into a new stage

A bridge from eyes to eyes

Globalization accompanies with the localization. People often read design via their recognitions of visual signals. By creating a more humanistic approach to visual design, a global design consisting of localization, graphic signal, research, marketing, and both linguistic and semiotic communication to breakdown the global code of design (Jones, 2011).

‘Lost in translation’ happens more frequently during the rate of globalization. The misreading of design languages is not just an issue among layperson, designers also been affected during the international cooperation. Naturally, there are gaps existing between different cultures (Jones, 2011). For example, the masterpieces of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa considered as the portraits of ideological conflicts and exhibits individual’s sacrifices for feudalism. But on their Western re-making versions, the heroism and anarchism were been emphasized instead. Just like the differences between Samurai and cowboy, design languages and signals are preforming in different way from east to west.

Globalization raised the challenge of design in international context for designers. Alan Chan came up with a brilliant situation on his project which helping the international giant Coca-Cola paved the way to Chinese market. By combining the similar curves from Coca-Cola’s logo and Chinese traditional ink printing, Chan designed the Coca-Cola’s agreeable image in Chinese character. The legible local identity has became the key to made Chinese people accepted those exotics pops further to occupied the local market.

Hong Kong—an example of international design

The success of Coca-Cola project is only a just the tip of the iceberg. Chan has achieved an internation...

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...r should abandon their own design identities that established from their cultural and educational background. From the great achievement that Hong Kong designers has presented, we can discover that the international design is not a simply design westernization.

The development of design in the trend of globalization is urging designer performing their works in the more standard and professional processes, but the variety of inspirations in the design world still playing their crucial roles. The globalization of design has created a more complicated situation for both domestic and international designer. The application of international design thinking also could help designer to trim their design method and design thinking to approach the more intricate market, to conquer the gaps of different cognizes that effected by different cultures or even the human nature.