Abstract
This paper examines the digitization of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), through the case of Ronghua, a traditional Chinese craft. We investigate the current practices in presenting and promoting the ICH craft-making process, gather insights on digitization, and propose key considerations and design implications through semi-structured interviews with 9 Ronghua craftspeople and three co-design workshops with 19 participants, including craftspeople, interaction designers, and end users. Through thematic analysis of the qualitative data, we compare and contrast the debate between conservative and innovative craftspeople regarding the digitization of the Ronghua-making process and identify ways to help balance the needs and values of craftspeople and other stakeholders. Drawing from stakeholder input and the five value lenses adopted from the Balanced Value Impact (BVI) Model, we identify five critical dimensions and corresponding design implications for digitizing ICH craft-making. We also propose a sixth perspective, experience value, to capture the emotional and embodied aspects of craft practices often overlooked in digital contexts. Ultimately, this work advances the dialogues on safeguarding intangible heritage in the digital era, informing future practices and policies that seek to balance technological innovation with cultural continuity.
Keywords
Intangible Cultural Heritage; Digitization; Design Implication; Co-Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.738
Citation
Ye, Z., Zhang, Z., Kong, Q., Qin, L.,and Tanner, S.(2025) Value Framework and Design Implications for Digitizing Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case of Ronghua, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.738
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 11 - Culture and Craft Design for Regenerative Practices
Value Framework and Design Implications for Digitizing Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case of Ronghua
This paper examines the digitization of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), through the case of Ronghua, a traditional Chinese craft. We investigate the current practices in presenting and promoting the ICH craft-making process, gather insights on digitization, and propose key considerations and design implications through semi-structured interviews with 9 Ronghua craftspeople and three co-design workshops with 19 participants, including craftspeople, interaction designers, and end users. Through thematic analysis of the qualitative data, we compare and contrast the debate between conservative and innovative craftspeople regarding the digitization of the Ronghua-making process and identify ways to help balance the needs and values of craftspeople and other stakeholders. Drawing from stakeholder input and the five value lenses adopted from the Balanced Value Impact (BVI) Model, we identify five critical dimensions and corresponding design implications for digitizing ICH craft-making. We also propose a sixth perspective, experience value, to capture the emotional and embodied aspects of craft practices often overlooked in digital contexts. Ultimately, this work advances the dialogues on safeguarding intangible heritage in the digital era, informing future practices and policies that seek to balance technological innovation with cultural continuity.