Research on the Integration of Art and Culture in Parent-Child Products
Parent-child interaction is an activity that is jointly participated in and completed by parents and children. Parent-child interaction products are the items used by both parties to jointly complete a certain parent-child activity. Parent-child interaction is an important way to enhance the bond between parents and children, and parent-child interaction products are an important medium for bringing parents and children closer together.
With the development of society and the improvement of people's living standards, parent-child products are also undergoing continuous iteration. People have begun to pay more attention to the overall creation of product quality, style, and appearance. The simple and crude parent-child products of the past have become a mark of the times and have re-emerged in the public eye with words like "ugly" and “hideous."
Art as the facade, culture as the core; art is the form, culture is the content. It can be said that art is a mode of expression for culture. The external aesthetic created by art and the topics it generates attract parents to drive their children there. Meanwhile, the cultural connotations and playability contained within the product bring a pleasant play experience to the children, making them look forward to their next visit.
So-called parent-child projects initially have the decision-making power in the hands of parents, and then the decision gradually shifts to the children. Looking at the popular parent-child projects in today's market, they often possess the online celebrity attributes and topicality in terms of external appearance, which is the key to attracting children and parents to visit multiple times. This added value based on the product is even greater than the product itself. Therefore, the integration of art and culture has become an entry point for importing added value, making parent-child products have a certain aesthetic appeal, trendy cultural attributes, and deeper value empowerment. This creates a stickiness with the surrounding environment, the location of the venue, and the emotions of the users, becoming an interactive art piece between adults and children.
In addition, the deeper purpose of integrating art and culture into parent-child products is to provide a spontaneous growth for children's comprehensive qualities. Art is not only a form of expression but also a way of thinking, which is the result of the forms displayed through seeing, hearing, smelling, and touching. Integrating art cleverly into the design of parent-child products, through various forms of art such as painting, music, sculpture, etc., helps children explore and discover themselves, which is conducive to broadening their thinking and fostering their creativity and imagination. On the cultural level, refining cultural elements and integrating them into product design allows children to be cultured while playing. Through elements such as traditional festivals, folk tales, and local history, it helps children understand and respect different cultures, and cultivates their multicultural literacy.
In the design of parent-child products, it is essential to adhere to a "child-centered" approach, respecting the needs and interests of children, and using inspiration and guidance to allow children to naturally absorb the influence of art and culture while interacting with and using the products. The design principles should focus on parent-child interaction, encouraging parents and children to participate together and experience the charm of art and culture. In terms of design techniques, consider the practicality and artistry of the product, skillfully integrating artistic elements and cultural symbols into the product design so that it meets children's daily needs while stimulating their imagination and creativity. In terms of design techniques, elements such as color, shape, texture, and patterns can be used to create a product appearance with a sense of artistry and cultural atmosphere, while also paying attention to the product's comfort, safety, and durability.
In the practical application of design, it can generally be divided into the following three forms:
01 Through the refinement and re-creation of elements from specific art movements
As history continues to evolve, art movements and forms of expression are constantly undergoing changes and updates. Each art movement has its distinct characteristics. By selecting the features and images of a particular art movement and using them as the design language for non-powered products, and applying them appropriately in the product's appearance design, parent-child products can be aesthetically pleasing in shape while also possessing certain aesthetic elements and longer aesthetic longevity akin to the art movement itself. Unlike conventional parent-child products that have a certain shelf life, such products can better withstand the test of time in the fast-paced modern society, avoiding becoming fleeting outdated products.
Taking the PANCOAT tower design in the Shanghai Yuehu·Jego TOO PANCOAT Park as an example, the exterior of the tower draws on the modern pop art style and the distinctive features of Memphis art creation, combining letters with polka dots and black lines, and adorned with the PANCOAT IP image, creating an ultra-modern parent-child amusement product and forming a landmark in the parent-child amusement park venue, attracting a large number of children to play every day.
02 Through in-depth exploration and refinement of the local culture of the venue
In venues with distinct historical or strong cultural characteristics, designers will refine and transform elements from the local culture and apply them in the design of parent-child products. Equipment that combines with local culture has greater site stickiness and uniqueness, showcasing unique local features, and is more readily accepted by the local population, offering a greater sense of familiarity.
Taking the Shijiazhuang Yuan Universe Exploration Park as an example, the park is located within the Shijiazhuang Dongyuan Ancient City Ruins Park. Therefore, at the initial planning stage of the park, the designers defined the theme as historical culture, dividing the park into six thematic functional areas: relic archaeology, mystery exploration, the land of a thousand chariots, legendary secrets, the annals of war, and appreciation of scenery. In the design of parent-child products, by interpreting the historical context of the Dongyuan ruins and refining the culture of historical buildings such as the Goddess Tower, these elements are applied to the appearance and gameplay, perfectly integrating Dongyuan's historical culture from planning to equipment to specific games. This achieves a deep resonance between cultural promotion and entertainment interaction, continuing the memories of millions of families' parent-child growth companionship, and allowing visitors to better savor the rich flavor of the ancient city's historical culture.
03 Through game activities combined with specific artistic and cultural forms
The diversity of artistic forms has led to a multitude of expressions. Media such as painting, music, and performing arts can all serve as vehicles to cultivate children's comprehensive qualities and be integrated into parent-child products, allowing children to be cultured in art and culture through play.
In the process of embedding the concepts of art and culture into parent-child products, it helps companies to establish brand cultural concepts. This gives the brand unique cultural connotations and values, thereby enhancing the visibility and reputation of parent-child products, strengthening brand image, improving product quality and service levels, and actively addressing consumer feedback issues. With high-quality products and services, win the trust of consumers and establish a good brand reputation. At the same time, for parents and children, when they see related elements, they can also associate them with the brand, thereby increasing brand awareness and loyalty. Word-of-mouth communication helps the park's activities become known to more families, like ripples in a pond that spread wider and wider. This way, more parents and children are drawn to join in the fun at the park.
A good product needs sufficient packaging to increase its premium, and good packaging can generate a spontaneous "grass-planting" effect in the market and among customers. The integration of art and culture is a sustainable entry point that can meet common demands.
