Brigham Young University “A study of the effects of culture on refrigerator design: Towards Design for Culture” Kyle M. Ellsworth Robert H. Todd Spencer P. Magleby Brigham Young University DETC 2002/EDC-34383 30 September 2002

Outline of Presentation Objectives Literature review Extremes in Cultural Attributes Why the refrigerator? Case studies: Japan, Europe, United States Developing countries Conclusions

Objectives To help engineers be able to identify cross-cultural customer needs Use the refrigerator as a case study to assist in developing a model for other products Increase the interest and attention engineers should pay to cultural considerations

Literature Review Designing for the Global Market: Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on the Internationalization of Products and Systems (1999) Global User Experience (GLUE), design for cultural diversity: Japan, China, and India (Darel Harel and Girish Prabhu) Design Management Journal (2001) Designing for other cultures: A strategic approach (Dan Harel and Girish Prabhu) Designing automobiles for global value: Ten market trends (Tom Lockwood) Managing design for global value in Japan (Leimei Julia Chiu) Design differentiation for global companies: Value exporters and value collectors (Clive Grinyer) Harvard Business Review Distance still matters: The hard reality of global expansion (2001, Pankaj Ghemawat) Adapting products to LDC tastes (1984, John Hill and Richard Still) The globalization of markets (1983, Theodore Levitt)

Extremes in Cultural Attributes Consumption Chains Purchasing Patterns Eating Habits Aesthetics Size Functionality Other

Why the refrigerator? Easy to see physical differences in the product Extremes are represented in the product Not another car paper High penetration rates in developed countries Represents a large ticket item for consumers (US ~ $1000) Country Ownership France 97.9% Germany 77.8% Japan 98.9% United States 105%

European Cultural Drivers Space constraints (80-107 m2) and higher energy costs Economize and simpler living “Green” paradigm Europeans eat “fresh” No ice cubes in drinks Frequent trips to markets and smaller purchases Different storage solutions Basements, UHT milk Other

Attributes of European Refrigerator Sold with entire kitchen sets often integrating refrigerator with cabinets No water and ice dispensers Small commonly 4-11 ft3 Low energy usage

Japanese Cultural Drivers Compact due to space constraints (92 m2) Size and style conscious Dishes include cut meats Unique gadgets Integration with surroundings Don’t want to stand out – collectivist mentality

Attributes of Japanese Refrigerator Hold more with less space Energy and space efficient Easy to use Variable temperature compartments Medium sized1 on average 15 ft3 1http://www.eccj.or.jp/seminar_ref/011106/03.html

American Cultural Drivers More than ample space (161 m2) “Peak Planning” Buy in bulk Throw away society Replace it before fixing it Personal control over the environment Practicality and time efficiency Value materialism acquisitiveness (newness and innovation) Size is seen as a positive attribute Snack and fast food (frozen) orientated society

Attributes of American Refrigerator Spacious models with flexible storage space Large sizes, typically 20-30 ft3 Spill-proof shelves Temperature-controlled compartments Stainless-steel doors Built-in fridge look Water and ice cube dispensers

Cultural Drivers for Developing Countries Largest future markets for refrigerators People value entertainment over refrigeration Subsistence and price sensitive Products need to be functional and non-essential attributes can be cut out to reduce price Fix and repair mentality Unreliable utilities

Attributes of Developing Countries’ Refrigerators TV might be present before a refrigerator Low cost Non-essential features left out No ice and water dispensers No soft freeze Meet basic needs Repairable Tolerant to intermittent power supplies

Extremes in Cultural Attributes Consumption Chains Throw away Fix and repair Purchasing Patterns Bulk, infrequent Small, frequent Eating Habits Frozen Fresh Aesthetics Integrated Separate Size Space constrained Unlimited Functionality Value gadgets Simple Other

Conclusions Research identified cultural drivers Demonstrated those drivers as attributes in a product Designers in other countries can make better products for even their own countries by looking at these attributes More importantly designers and engineers targeting their product development for another country must look carefully at cultural drivers and adapt their product for them Create an awareness of design and culture Identify it as an important area of research