INTERCULTURAL DESIGN - CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

on

02.02.2026 - 20.03.2026（Week 01 - Week 07)
Intercultural Design / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media 
Lee Xiang Ling / 0384095 
Task / Continuous Assessment

LIST OF JUMPLINK

INSTRUCTIONS

<iframe allow="autoplay" height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/168cL0k3gvFDFbNXHdBxdfENUdYZf6of2/preview" width="640"></iframe>

LECTURES

WEEK 01

This semester focuses on introducing the concept of Intercultural Design, along with its research directions and project requirements.

The course aims to help students understand the role of design and designers within broader cultural, political, and social contexts. By examining the interactions between different communities and cultures, we explore global design practices and the issues connected to them.

Culture & Design
Culture and design are deeply intertwined. We live in a visually driven world, where visual elements shape the way people interpret and understand reality. Visual design is created by people to convey meaning. It is intentional and guided by communicative purposes.

Therefore, our research should move beyond asking “What is it?” and instead question:
“Why does it exist?”
“Why does it take this particular form?”

Cultural Sensitivity
We need to understand how cultural differences, such as symbols, colors, typography, language, and values, influence design.

Cultural sensitivity is not limited to aesthetics; it directly affects functionality, usability, and overall user experience. Therefore, design is not merely about form. It is a response to and adaptation within different cultural contexts.

WEEK 02

Good design is not defined by how it looks. 
Effective design is measured by its ability to solve real problems.

If visual aesthetics are removed and nothing meaningful remains, the design has fundamentally failed.

Common Mistakes Among Students
  • Visually appealing but functionally ineffective
  • Technology-first decorative solutions that exclude the elderly or those unfamiliar with digital tools
  • Ignoring the urban context and real-life usage environment
Design as Responsibility
Design is not merely creation; it is a form of responsibility. A good design should begin with people, not with form or technology. 

An Empathy Map can be used to guide analysis:
  1. Target User
    Who are they? What is their identity, background, and context?
  2. Needs & Goals
    What tasks must they accomplish? What defines success?
  3. What They Hear
    What information influences them, and from whom?
  4. What They See
    What environment and visual systems surround them?
  5. What They Feel
    What emotions and frustrations do they experience?
  6. What They Think
    What concerns or expectations shape their thinking?
  7. What They Do
    What actions do they actually take?

Truly good design is not only functionally clear. It also resonates culturally and responds meaningfully to its social context.


TASK 1 - PROPOSAL

Theme: Designing Urban Future 
In this project, you will work in intercultural teams to investigate urban mobility experiences within a city, focusing on how people move through the city — and where existing systems succeed or fail different communities. Through research, observation, and design experimentation, you will develop human-centered design interventions that respond to real urban challenges in the city, aligned with sustainability, inclusivity, and community impact.

Design Principles:
  • Empathy, Human-Centered Thinking
  • Intercultural Awareness
  • Community Impact
  • Sustainable Thinking

PROCESS

At the beginning of the project, each team member proposed a different mode of transportation and identified its key problems along with potential design solutions.

After discussion and voting, we collectively decided to focus on public transportation as our main direction.

This decision was based on its broad social impact and its central role in urban mobility systems. Public transportation also presents complex challenges, such as route navigation, information systems, cultural diversity, and varied usage contexts, making it a meaningful subject for intercultural design research.

The following outlines our initial proposal:


After receiving feedback from our professor, we revisited our initial proposal and engaged in further discussion and critical reflection.

We ultimately decided to focus on two key issues:
route complexity and the lack of clear bus stop signage.

These problems directly affect users’ real mobility experiences within the city. In a multicultural and multilingual context, they can easily lead to confusion and misinterpretation of information. Therefore, we refined our direction to concentrate on information clarity and navigational legibility.

The following presents our revised design proposal:


After receiving further feedback from our professor, we held another group discussion and reconsidered our target audience.

We concluded that our proposals should specifically address first-time users of Kuala Lumpur’s public transportation system, including foreign visitors, residents unfamiliar with the system, and individuals who rarely use public transport.

This group is more likely to experience confusion and anxiety when confronted with complex routes and unclear signage. Therefore, our design focus shifted toward reducing cognitive load and improving navigational clarity.

We also refined Proposals 2 and 3 into more clearly defined categories.

Proposal 2 focuses on smart information display systems.
This includes interactive kiosks or digital displays placed at key transit nodes, providing clear route guidance, transfer suggestions, multilingual options, and real-time updates to help users quickly understand their journey.

Proposal 3 emphasizes the improvement of physical maps and wayfinding signage.
By simplifying map structures, strengthening visual hierarchy, applying highly recognizable symbol systems, and positioning clear directional signage at strategic locations, users can navigate effectively even without technological assistance.

FINAL OUTCOME

Task 1: Proposal_PPT, Group 29 (20/02/2026)


Task 1: Proposal_Presentation Video (20/02/2026)

TASK 2 - DATA COLLECTION

PROCESS
This task mainly focuses on collecting relevant local data to verify whether the idea proposed in Task 1 is feasible. After discussion, we decided to go to Bukit Bintang to conduct field research and collect data.

The main observation locations include：
  • Bukit Bintang Monorail Station
  • Bukit Bintang MRT Station
  • TRX MRT Station
  • the bus stops around the Bukit Bintang and TRX areas
We also documented the connections between the observation locations through photographs, as well as how the stations are linked to the surrounding facilities.


Fig. 1-3 - The Photos that we took

During this process, some locals even asked whether we were wandering around because we did not know how to take the MRT. This shows that the issues related to MRT route connectivity and wayfinding are noticeable not only to visitors, but also to local residents.

After receiving feedback from the lecturer, we conducted a second field study and carried out online interviews to further supplement and verify the research findings.

The main railway and public transport lines observed during the second field study included:
  • LRT Kelana Jaya Line (from USJ7 to Pasar Seni)
  • BRT Sunway Line
  • KTM Komuter Line (from Abdullah Hukum to KL Sentral).

Fig. 4-7 - The Photos that we took

During this field study, I once got lost while transferring because I could not find the correct entrance. In the end, I was only able to find the right route with the help of the staff.

At the same time, we also conducted online interviews. The following are our interview questions:


Through these field observations, photo documentation, and online interviews, we collected more comprehensive data and user feedback, which further deepened our understanding of the local wayfinding system and its issues in actual use.

FINAL OUTCOME


TASK 3 - FINAL PROJECT

PROCESS
This is the final stage of our wayfinding system design project. At this stage, we further developed our earlier ideas and transformed them into a complete visual system. Our main goal is to improve people’s overall experience when using public transportation in Kuala Lumpur, especially for first-time users such as tourists and international students.

1. Research Summary
In Task 1, we studied the existing wayfinding system and found that many problems were not caused by a lack of information, but by the difficulty of finding and understanding it quickly. Based on these findings, we proposed three initial directions.

In Task 2, we further confirmed these issues through observation and interviews. Many people mentioned that the signage was unclear and sometimes disappeared at turning points, which made them suddenly unsure of where to go.

This made me realize that the key is not to add more design, but to ensure that people can truly see and understand the information.

2. Key Design Concept
Our main concept is to make the route clear at a glance. The system should not require users to stop and read, but should allow them to get information easily while moving.
Therefore, we focused on clarity, visibility, and consistency, so users can navigate more naturally.

3. My Work Process
In this part, my main responsibility was to create the final design outcome. After careful consideration, I decided to use a black background with white text as the foundation of the design. Compared with black text on a white background, this combination creates a stronger visual contrast, making the information clearer and easier to notice from a distance, which improves the readability and recognizability of the wayfinding system.

In addition, I used bright colours to highlight related signs and key information. This approach can more effectively attract users’ attention, help them distinguish different types of information in a complex environment, and allow them to make decisions more quickly.


Besides creating the final design outcome, I was also responsible for the final editing and refinement of the PowerPoint presentation, ensuring that the overall presentation was more complete, consistent, and clear.

FINAL OUTCOME

FEEDBACK

WEEK 01
The overall direction is feasible, but the design proposal should not involve major infrastructure changes. It needs to allow detailed design to influence people's experience.

WEEK 02
Proposal 2 focuses on the temporal aspect, providing commuters with an electronic timetable of real-time connecting services at the station; 
Proposal 3 focuses on the spatial aspect, guiding people at the station with locations and directions.

WEEK 03
None (Chinese New Year's Holiday)

WEEK 04
It is recommended to use more data collection methods to support the site observation data. In addition, data should be collected not only from large stations but also from smaller stations to make the research more comprehensive.

WEEK 05
Task 3 will begin after Task 2 is submitted.

WEEK 06
There is no need to be confined to the ideas from Task 1; the results of Task 2 should be taken as the basis.

WEEK 07
Complete and submit Final Project.

REFLECTIONS

This project gave me a deeper understanding of the local transportation culture. When selecting the problem we wanted to address, I prioritized route complexity and unclear signage because it was based on my personal experience. I have often felt unsure whether I was on the correct bus, and even after getting off, I found myself confused despite checking Google Maps. That sense of uncertainty made me realize that the issue is not only about transportation systems, but about the clarity of information and guidance.

As the team leader, I also became more aware of my own limitations. At times, my task delegation and communication were not clear enough, which affected our efficiency. However, through continuous discussion and by listening more carefully to my teammates, I learned to balance expressing my ideas while giving others space to contribute.

This project helped me understand that intercultural design is not only about aesthetics, but about responsibility and the ability to genuinely understand others.