One of the more recent buzzwords associated with design is empathy. How better to design
for a particular user than to experience life through the eyes, ears, and soul of the user?
Most would argue there is no better way to truly understand the intended target of a new
hi-tech gadget or a bare bones one-off product that enhances the life of an individual. The
author does not disagree with this assessment, but does contend that there may be an
overlooked component, the designer himself/herself, that can inherently make them more in
tune with a user or in tune with what the user needs. This overlooked component is cultural
identity and cultural upbringing. This cultural identity issue is particularly interesting in
the United States where a July 2010 report by the Census Bureau states that the U.S.
Hispanic population grew by 3.1% in 2009 to 48.4 million people. Those 48.4 million
people made up 15.8% of the total U.S. population. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, these
numbers grew to 50.5 million or 16.3% of the population. To a designer, this growth means
new design opportunities for new markets with different needs and expectations, but still
within the confines and context of the broader American culture. My exploratory paper
looks to further explore both the role of cultural background of the designers themselves in
the design process and explore possible benefits of their backgrounds relative to Industrial
Design and the U.S. Hispanic population. Finally, this paper expands on the research
already started on Latino/Hispanic Industrial Designers practicing design in the United
States.
DRS 2012 Bangkok
