1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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)

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

6. 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%

7. European Cultural Drivers
Space constraints ( 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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
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11. 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

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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