From material to abstract: contemporary Israeli design manifested through the culture of wood

Abstract

ABSTRACTDesign anthropology has developed to become an influential sub-discipline occupied with both theoretical and applied knowledge targeted at designers’ real-life challenges. Bearing this in mind, in the last decade we have developed this attitude into a methodology centered around the identification and development of ‘cultural objects’ that can be implemented with insight and understanding within a conventional design process. This methodology isolates and magnifies the cultural aspects of objects and harnesses these to design new hybrid objects that reinterpret and translate cultural values and characteristics into a local context. This paper presents one of the various approaches dealing with the interpretation of philosophic, religious or socio-cultural principles of different cultures through an Israeli designer’s eyes. In this case the re-interpretation of Japanese, African or American cultures of wood and materializing various cultural traits led the students to an intricate and meaningful design process. From the results we recognized two points of significance: understanding that designing and researching through the isolation of a specific material (i.e., wood), the anthropological design process is crystalized and produces profound results that are culturally centered; the second was an insight into how young Israeli designers presented a unique and innovative approach towards contemporary Israeli design through the culture of wood.