Abstract
This study aims to analyze the influence of cultural background on the recognition of design similarity and to derive suggestions for marketing strategies. We conducted two experiments comparing Japanese and Dutch participants, representing collectivist and individualist cultures respectively. In the first experiment, participants evaluated the similarity of various products and indicated their expectations for design modifications. In the second experiment, participants ranked a series of backpacks that had systematically manipulated visual features, such as handle position, shape, and zipper placement. Although the results revealed culturally specific patterns in similarity judgment, they diverged from our hypotheses based on collectivism–individualism. Dutch consumers tended to evaluate similar designs as more similar and were more tolerant of visual overlap, emphasizing global form and silhouette. Japanese consumers, in contrast, showed higher sensitivity to subtle functional differences, such as zipper location, and were more likely to request changes—even when the designs appeared similar at a glance. These perceptual tendencies were closely aligned with national legal frameworks. Japanese evaluations reflected the dual-structure model of design law, which separately considers the article and configuration. Dutch consumer judgments corresponded more closely to the EU’s “overall impression” approach, which evaluates design as a holistic entity. However, a partial mismatch between Dutch consumer perception and EU legal standards was also observed. Together, these findings demonstrate a coherent link between culture, legal standards, and consumer behavior, providing actionable insights for the formulation of culturally adaptive and legally compliant design strategies in international markets.
Keywords
Design similarities; Cultural background; Similarity Judgment Method; Consumer sentiment
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.927
Citation
Sakamoto, K.,and Kinzuka, Y.(2025) Cultural background and marketing strategies in the perception of design similarity: A comparison between the Netherlands and Japan, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.927
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 10 - Design Practices & Impacts
Cultural background and marketing strategies in the perception of design similarity: A comparison between the Netherlands and Japan
This study aims to analyze the influence of cultural background on the recognition of design similarity and to derive suggestions for marketing strategies. We conducted two experiments comparing Japanese and Dutch participants, representing collectivist and individualist cultures respectively. In the first experiment, participants evaluated the similarity of various products and indicated their expectations for design modifications. In the second experiment, participants ranked a series of backpacks that had systematically manipulated visual features, such as handle position, shape, and zipper placement. Although the results revealed culturally specific patterns in similarity judgment, they diverged from our hypotheses based on collectivism–individualism. Dutch consumers tended to evaluate similar designs as more similar and were more tolerant of visual overlap, emphasizing global form and silhouette. Japanese consumers, in contrast, showed higher sensitivity to subtle functional differences, such as zipper location, and were more likely to request changes—even when the designs appeared similar at a glance. These perceptual tendencies were closely aligned with national legal frameworks. Japanese evaluations reflected the dual-structure model of design law, which separately considers the article and configuration. Dutch consumer judgments corresponded more closely to the EU’s “overall impression” approach, which evaluates design as a holistic entity. However, a partial mismatch between Dutch consumer perception and EU legal standards was also observed. Together, these findings demonstrate a coherent link between culture, legal standards, and consumer behavior, providing actionable insights for the formulation of culturally adaptive and legally compliant design strategies in international markets.