Chinese sociocultural perspectives and creativity: Design practices in the public transport sector

Sara E. Sterling*, Bingjian Liu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceedingConference Proceedingpeer-review

Abstract

Creativity in China in the current era of globalization has become a buzzword for industry, acting as a catalyst for innovative potential and investment. However, while ‘Made in China’ has long been established, ‘Created in China’ still requires some legitimization internationally, and alongside creativity comes the need for a more nuanced, cross-cultural perspective in design and manufacturing alike. The ‘Belt and Road’ initiative is one key national plan in this larger globalization-oriented process and the high speed train, which has been referred to as China’s ‘national identity card’, plays a symbolic role in this initiative. Exporting public transport systems, e.g. high speed trains, to international markets inevitably brings with it the challenge of cross-cultural issues, due to the different cultural background of prospective passengers. The nature of creativity itself bears an intrinsic link with one’s worldview, as the act of creating is variable in different perspectives. While a particular social setting in one country or society may be historically aligned with concepts of creativity or idea-generation, that same social setting elsewhere may be viewed as a deterrent or hindrance. The importance of cross-cultural perceptions of creativity in the realm of idea-generation as related to design thus requires a thorough examination. As the conditions and need for growth in innovative thinking grows, the need to understand creativity as it is understood from a Chinese lens becomes a timely area of focus. This paper will examine the relationship between culture and creativity, as evidenced by a study on employees of a publicly owned transportation company in Mainland China.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCross-Cultural Design. Applications in Cultural Heritage, Creativity and Social Development - 10th International Conference, CCD 2018, Held as Part of HCI International 2018, Proceedings
EditorsPei-Luen Patrick Rau
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages225-234
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9783319922515
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Event10th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Design, CCD 2018 Held as Part of HCI International 2018 - Las Vegas, United States
Duration: 15 Jul 201820 Jul 2018

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume10912 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Cross-Cultural Design, CCD 2018 Held as Part of HCI International 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLas Vegas
Period15/07/1820/07/18

Keywords

  • Chinese culture
  • Creativity
  • Design
  • Innovation
  • Public transportation

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