Intercultural Design | Project 2 : Field Study
23.02.2025 - 09.03.2025 Week 04 - Week 05
Tracy Angeline Tio / 0362222 / Bachelor of Design ( Honors ) in Creative Media
Intercultural Design / Taylor's University
PROJECT 2 : FIELD STUDY
Throught the restaurant and food, I discovered some insight from Nyonya Culture, especially the restaurant had a unique design, the walls and interior were decorated in traditionally and I observed it have a patterns on it. Meanwhile, for the food, I discovered food in Peranakan like Ayam Pongteh for example.
Moving on to the next place, we entered the jonker street arena and arrived in Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum. It was not too far and can be reached in 3-5 min walk. The museum had a lot number of visitors and there was some guide at first to introduce us regarding on Baba & Nyonya history.
Our group took a lot of photos and videos inside the museum since we discovered some items that might be useful for our research. We also can access their official websites to read more about the information about it. These are some photos I took when exploring the museum.
From what I saw in the Museum, it is right that China culture had influences Malaysia in Peranakan. There were many items that have china historical motif, and the outfit is some type of mixed of both. Besides that, In Nyonya Shop, we also discover Nyonya Kebaya patterns and its color. They were designed in Vibrant color and using flora and fauna motif.
After the interview, I learned some information regarding on peranakan culture origins and how nowadays people viewed it. Mr. Joe tell us the insight that the key of Peranakan is a combination culture. Not only in Malaysia and China, Peranakan also have it from other countries like in Singapore, Indonesia. Peranakan is one of the cultural assets from Malaysia that had been left nowadays. People only look it as a business aspect and only a few people had aware of this cultures.
Once we got all the insight we needed, we exploring around Melacca, have our afternoon tea and end our trip with dinner time. During the free time, we also tried to explore some souvenir shop and discover some cucuk sanggul model.
Not only to learn, we do have a fun things to do before our bus schedule to go back to Melacca. Once we go back to KL, we do the insight and analysis on the next day. Trip ended here.
We edited our interview video and added on some subtitles. View below for our video!
At the final step of the interview, I summarize the data from Mr. Joe to create the insight in the final document. Moving on to the next method we did, which is Survey.
The analysis of the survey then has been done in the final proposal document.
Intercultural Design / Taylor's University
PROJECT 2 : FIELD STUDY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LECTURES
LECTURES
Lectures can refer to Project 1 Blog.
INSTRUCTIONS
MIB BOOKLET :
MODULES INTRODUCTION :
PROJECT 2
Field Study
On this task, we were required to collect visual, oral, textual and tactile artefacts that would be part of their research materials for the ideation in Project 1 (proposal). All collected artefacts and materials must be recorded, kept and documented, accompanied by necessary information such as the type of artefact and material, its purpose, its symbolism, its cultural/historical background, and more, depending on the kind of artefact and material.
Requirements :
- Define the research method you want to used to collect the data. (Observation, Interview, Online/ Physical Material)
- Compile all your collected datas/informations/artefacts/printed materials/interview responds/photos/videos etc (this literally can be anything according to your group's topic) - put it in a single Google Drive folder.
- Prepare a 'Data Collection' presentation deck. Your presentation should include (but not limited to); brief/short explanation of the methods you guys as a group taken in your data collection and present your collected datas/infos.
- Prepare Proposal Document (Word Format) to present all detailed information for the data collected. (Under Mr. Zeon)
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DATA COLLECTION PROGRESS
1. Field Trip to Melacca (Week 4)
After we submitted our first task on first day of week 4, Our group did a discussion meeting to plan about places we are gonna visited to collect data and interview people around there. Based on our topic in task 1, we pursuing about "Peranakan Culture in Malaysia with Inspiration from Minnan Zanhua Hairpin", Mr. Zeon have suggested us to go to Melacca or Penang since there's a museum that could provide us data that we want.
On 25/02/2025, we have a group meetings and planning our trip to Melacca. We decided to go on 27/02/2025 so on the next day, we can consult for feedback regarding on our trip insight. The images below are the places we are planning and the schedule we created on.
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| Fig 3.1 Target Places Week 04 25/02/2025 |
Melacca Plan Schedule & Suggestions :
Fig 3.2 Melacca Plan Week 04 25/02/2025
On D-Day 27/02, all of us go to Melacca using bus from TBS, Kuala Lumpur. We followed the schedule and our first stop was to eat in Heritage Flavours, as our goals was to have a chance to taste the cultural food. From the restaurant, we discover some ceramic patterns in front of the entrance, and it could be our references for the further study.
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| Fig 3.3 Peranakan Patterns in Ceramic and Souvenir Week 04 27/02/2025 |
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| Fig 3.4 Gallery of Heritage Flavour Week 04 27/02/2025 |
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| Fig 3.5 Brief from the Museum Worker Week 04 27/02/2025 |
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| Fig 3.6 Photos Taken in Museum Week 04 27/02/2025 |
Overall, from the museum visit, I gather a lot of information for Peranakan Patterns, while in Peranakan hairpin, the museum did not have much information about it, so that our group need to do in depth research about it.
Once we are done exploring the museum, our next plan is to find a person to conduct an interview. We've been strolling around in Jonker streets and finally we found a person that agreed to be interviewed in Joe Accessories Shop. He's Mr. Joe, a shop owner in Melacca. Since he was born and raised in Melacca, he know very well about the peranakan culture.
Once we are done exploring the museum, our next plan is to find a person to conduct an interview. We've been strolling around in Jonker streets and finally we found a person that agreed to be interviewed in Joe Accessories Shop. He's Mr. Joe, a shop owner in Melacca. Since he was born and raised in Melacca, he know very well about the peranakan culture.
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| Fig 3.7 Interview with Mr. Joe Week 04 27/02/2025 |
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| Fig 3.8 Bonus Pic, Mr Joe Pets Week 04 27/02/2025 |
He states that our ideas and the task about everyday design was a good ideas to preserve peranakan cultures. But before we execute, it will be better if we understand and dive on this culture well first.
We then ended up this interview sessions with a group photos with Mr. Joe. Big thanks for him to agreed to be interviewed!
We then ended up this interview sessions with a group photos with Mr. Joe. Big thanks for him to agreed to be interviewed!
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| Fig 3.9 Group Photos! Week 04 27/02/2025 |
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| Fig 3.10 Discover Cucuk Sanggul and Flower Patterns Week 04 27/02/2025 |
2. Interview Method (Week 4)
My group did an interview during our field trip times. Before we conduct it, Lilin already prepare the interview question on 24/02. The questions are based on our topic and view below to see our questions.
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| Fig 3.11 Interview Questions Week 04 25/02/2025 |
Fig 3.12 Interview Video with Mr. Joe Week 05 04/03/2025
Yiming, Jessie and Me took a part to edit the video, then I transcript the answer to the docs file to make it easier later for me to analyze and gain the insight.
Interview Result Transcript :
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| Fig 3.13 Interview Answer Preview Week 05 04/03/2025 |
3. Survey Method (Week 4)
A survey will be used to collect broader opinions, and it will be done through Google Forms. The tool permits the easy collection of quantitative data from a larger audience of designers, culture enthusiasts, and general consumers opinions. Survey method would be chosen to capture public perception, preferences, and awareness of Peranakan and Minnan design elements in daily products.
Survey Google Form : https://forms.gle/y3sVUj9X77bm94sJ6
Survey Distributions :
- The surveys were distributed by all members in the group through social media (Whatsapp, Wechat)
- Distribution period : 28/02/2025 - 02/03/2025
- Total Responses : 58 Responses
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| Fig 3.14 Survey Responses Week 05 02/03/2025 |
4. In Depth Research / Observation (Week 5)
The last method we were used is the Observation method. Based on the field trip and previous method we did, Most of them did not have any depth information about peranakan hairpin (cucuk sanggul) and also the peranakan patterns symbol and meaning. As a result we did some research through Internet and research paper.
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| Fig 3.15 Observation Data in Proposal Week 05 08/03/2025 |
FINAL OUTCOMES PROJECT 2 : FIELD STUDY
Final Proposal Document
Fig 3.16 Final Proposal Document Week 05 09/03/2025
Final Proposal Slides
Link : View HERE
Fig 3.17 Final Proposal Slides Week 05 09/03/2025
FEEDBACK
Week 4
- Since there were not much information about hairpin, you need to research more about it and put it on your presentation slides.
- The survey questions is fine since you are referring to the interview question, which already been approved.
- Need minimal 50 responses for the survey.
Week 5
- Need to analysis more and put in your proposal about the peranakan patterns. Describe details about it like you do in peranakan hairpin.
- In peranakan hairpin, do an analysis about the difference between Peranakan hairpin (Cucuk Sanggul) and Minnan Zanhua Flower hairpin.
- The design for the final sketch can be modified more / try to explore different sketch.
- In the TikTok video, just focus on the peranakan culture ( or add one or two video to talk about the difference between Minnan and peranakan).
- The final project should have more peranakan elements ,and We need to make a different, special design that is exclusive to Peranakan.
- Overall your group had did a very good job for all the data collection information.
REFLECTIONS
Experiences
Working on these task was a good and challenging journey for me. The field trip to Melacca was a new experiences and I do like to explore something I have never been to. Not only to just studying and capturing around, we do enjoyed our food together and strolling around. For me, Melacca was a good place to learn more about Malaysia culture and the only problem to go there is the weather (often too hot and suddenly rain). On the other side, the challenges come when it is quite hard to collect the information since not many people do research about peranakan hairpin especially.
Observations
On the field trip, I observed many places in Melacca still preserve some of the cultural elements. There were plenty of Museum , Kebaya Shop and restaurant serving heritage flavours around there. Every artefact, and symbol around there have a secret meaning and it can be learned more by everyone.
Findings
l found that peranakan culture is a combination between two cultures and in nowadays, many younger generation have not aware of their own cultures based from our research. People mostly know or only ever heard about it but did not understand much about the information inside. To raise awareness on peranakan culture, a blend with modern products / things can be implemented so more people would learn and preserve at the same time.
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