Designing a Living Anchored on Culture
Lecture and workshop presented by Dr. Naoto Suzuki

Lecture: Wednesday, March 13th, 12:30-3PM in Room 1203 (the Transdisciplinary Design space), 12th Floor, 6 East 16th Street
Workshop: Friday, March 15th, 10AM-3PM in the same location.

Globalization and the expansion of markets have generated many economic benefits, but they also threaten traditional values and cultural identities. In order to meet human needs, designers must have a good understanding of culture. This lecture and workshop concern the development of such cultural knowledge. We will discuss design philosophy, meanings of cultural identity, and analytical methodologies that can be used to design a living anchored on culture. Students will then have an opportunity to practice this approach to design by identifying resources (treasures associated with culture) in the neighborhoods surrounding Parsons and using them to formulate non-problem-solving-based ideas.

Dr. Naoto Suzuki is a professor in the Graduate School of Engineering and Chiba University. He teaches in the Design Culture Unit, in the Department of Design Science, and his research on artisanal craft promotion, endogenous regional development, and the evaluation of cultural resources has been widely published. In addition to teaching and conducting academic research, Dr. Suzuki has served as a Course Director for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and as a Senior Development Officer for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Dr Suzuki holds a Ph.D. from Chiba University and an MBA from Ohio State University.