Incorporating Vietnamese elements into product design.

The "Vietnamese Essence in Product Concept" talk show recently took place at the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street. Here, the audience listened to inspiring stories about products embodying the spirit of contemporary Vietnam, as well as how Vietnamese cultural values are applied to products, services, and experiences.

Báo Đồng Nai•01/01/1970

Speakers Luu Trong Nhan and Nguyen Thi Cam Hong pose for a commemorative photo at the

Speakers Luu Trong Nhan and Nguyen Thi Cam Hong pose for a commemorative photo at the "Chat Viet" Talkshow in the Product concept.

The talk show's content is highly relevant in the context of Vietnam's efforts to promote the cultural industry – a new and promising field with many policies and initiatives encouraging its development. In particular, as Vietnam is undergoing strong international integration, what creates the unique character of each product, service, and meaningful, memorable experience for both domestic and international customers is the national cultural identity.

Distinctive Vietnamese character

Sharing his insights at the talk show, the program's speaker, Mr. Luu Trong Nhan, a digital product design training management expert in Ho Chi Minh City, gave an illustrative example: When we talk about traditional Vietnamese opera (hat boi), we immediately think of an art form with profound depth. When cultural elements from hat boi are incorporated into product design and games, we can still see the cultural aspects of hat boi. Thus, hat boi is not confined to a single art form but has been applied to various other product types.

According to Mr. Luu Trong Nhan, "Vietnamese essence" is an invisible yet powerful current within products and creative works that apply Vietnamese culture. "Vietnamese essence" is the unmistakable spirit and character of the Vietnamese people, country, and culture. For many businesses and organizations, "Vietnamese essence" is the aspiration to incorporate the cultural values, spirit, and customs of the nation into their products, creating a deep connection with the community and customers, and building intangible values. This invaluable material is a special resource that will yield brilliant results for those who invest wisely and utilize it effectively.

Sharing her thoughts on this topic, speaker Nguyen Thi Cam Hong, an event organizing expert and brand consultant in Ho Chi Minh City, said: "Vietnamese essence leans towards cultural values, identity, spirit, and the distinctive philosophy of the nation, so it's very difficult to define... Vietnamese essence is like breath, connecting emotions, therefore its definition depends on each person's perception. When analyzing Vietnamese essence, it's necessary to understand the cultural aspects expressed in areas such as: language, belief systems, religion, folk performing arts, cuisine , rituals, lifestyle, clothing..."

A brochure about a game that draws inspiration from Vietnamese culture. Photo: Thuy Trang

From the perspective of someone working in the event industry, Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam Hong stated: "The way Vietnamese people live, enjoy food, dress, and gather together... has very subtle nuances that haven't been fully explored in everyday life to incorporate into products, experiential designs, and services. For example, regarding material culture, familiar materials like rattan, bamboo, and reeds, when seen in some Tet market stalls in urban areas with thatched roofs and baskets made of bamboo and reeds; or when traveling to another country, the presence of rattan, bamboo, and reeds used in airports, on streets, in art spaces, and in restaurant social spaces... creates a sense of spatial connection. This is because we have seen them somewhere in the past, in our homeland."

Cultural elements in product design

According to Mr. Luu Trong Nhan, cultural elements are applied to many products today and can be divided into different levels of application.

The first and most common application of cultural elements is in the form of decoration. In this case, cultural elements appear as added value in packaging, decorative patterns, and seasonal themes of the main product, which already has a specific function. For example, in confectionery products, the application of Vietnamese elements can be seen in the packaging, labels, and product themes.

When culture becomes the story, cultural elements become the core content of the product, distinguishing it from other similar products with the same function on the market. Some creators have incorporated Vietnamese cultural values such as Vietnamese landmarks and the Kien Trung Palace into board games.

The next level of application is where culture becomes functional. At this point, cultural elements become an inseparable part of the product, adding features to support user experience. These are examples of applications in the design of enamelware and mooncakes.

The application is even more pronounced when culture is the product. Cultural material is the most important component of the product; people are drawn to it because they want to use, enjoy, and possess the cultural value that exists within it. Without that material, the product cannot exist. This is clearly evident in traditional costume designs.

The highest application occurs when the product is cultural. Accordingly, this product is created, endures over time, and becomes part of the cultural flow. The product becomes a heritage. Typical examples include performing arts such as hat boi (traditional Vietnamese opera) and don ca tai tu (traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music), which are cultural in themselves.

During the talk show, the audience also learned about some specialized design terms. These include: product design, which is the design of a product, a series of activities that create solutions to a user's problem, build functionality, and integrate it to form a product; and digital product design, a rapidly developing field.

According to Mr. Luu Trong Nhan, Vietnam has many innovators and researchers in various fields of culture and technology, often referred to as explorians. For example, Mr. Duong Pham Tri, a designer and researcher of traditional clothing, owns a brand specializing in traditional attire. His philosophy is to use ancient aesthetic standards and develop and adapt them, creating products that preserve heritage while remaining relevant to the modern era. Mr. Nguyen Thai Anh, a researcher and author of the epic novel Lac, is currently working in Germany with a forthcoming research paper on the hypothesis of a new function of bronze drums in the maritime activities of ancient Vietnamese people during the Dong Son period…

Thuy Trang

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202605/ua-chat-viet-vao-thiet-design-product-3ba2e07/