Emotional Design for Ethnic Cultural Products: Development of the Yù Fragrant Sachet Featuring Zhuang Minority Brocade
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The traditional cultural products tend to be undervalued in the modern markets due to the lack of emotional resonance and innovative expression. This work proposes an emotional design strategy of ethnic cultural products, based on Yù fragrant sachet featuring Zhuang minority brocade of Yulin, China. The sachet draws on the historical figure of 鬱 (Yù) which confines the historical connections of the city with aromatic substances and Zhuang national culture. It acts as a carrier of both local identity and fragrance culture. In terms of methodology, the study develops an extended the three-level theory of emotional design to build a user-centred requirement framework. Emotional needs are expressed at visceral, behavioral and reflective levels that result in twelve fined-grained requirements, which are specific to brocade-based fragrant sachets. Then the KANO model is used in order to categorise these requirements and rank the design features correspondingly in order to match product features with differentiated user expectations and emotional responses. Based on this, an integrated emotional design strategy is developed to the Yù fragrant sachet which encompasses Zhuang brocade symbolism, narrative and interactive use design. Simultaneously, the eco-design values, biodegradable inner parts, green sourcing of herbs, and refillable structure are integrated within the same model. This shows how emotional and environmental goals can be mutually operationalized. The research therefore presents a product level and concrete approach to emotional design of ethnic cultural products and how local heritage can be converted into marketable, environmentally friendly products that can sustain cultural continuity and rural revitalization.
Source: Research Square
Authors: Yacai Tian, Li Wei, Utai Uprasen, Yan Tan
Language: English
Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7146978833