The Application Research Of Ethnic Symbol In Modern Product Design

In the new century, the technology of Computer and Internet accelerate the process of globalization. Not only has Economic globalization brought affordable goods and good services, but also produced negative effects of cultural convergence, This cultural convergence is dominated by a single dominant culture of Western. It makes the disadvantage culture change, or even disappear,and also brings the issue of product homogeneity. China's education system is based on the design system of western education, Designer's training mode, method of thinking, style of production and the standard of evaluation is strongly influence of the western education. Thus the original design of China is at the lower level, and this exacerbated the phenomenon of product homogeneity. In this context, the designer will explore the traditional culture to make the original design; it is one of the ways out of the current predicament with Chinese national characteristics of Modern Design.Ethnic Symbol is the carrier of traditional culture and thought, the external form of the distinctive characteristics of a national geographic, the intersection of modern design and traditional cultural. In this paper, the purpose of research of Ethnic Symbol is attempting to integrate traditional culture to modern product design, to explore the method of the Chinese original production designs.The paper made some research in the following areas to provide reference to relevant staff:The paper makes a definition of Ethnic Symbol based on the theory of semiotic, and summarizes the basic content of traditional culture. On this basis, it summarizes four characteristics of national symbols: simulation, symbolic, ethics and inheritance, and the Chinese arts and crafts are abundant of Ethnic Symbol and the main sources of Ethnic Symbol.The paper focused on the application of Ethnic Symbol in modern product design, is discussed on the shape, mean, color and material .Shape of the reference, it makes the unique of line and shape of Ethnic Symbol apply to the modern product design; Significant extension of the national symbol injects the idea of traditional culture and national aesthetic Mental into the modern products, to bring the essence of traditional culture into the modern products. Color of the reference, the traditional "Five Elements color" concept and the style of "black and white" and the blazing color style are the important references; Materials of the reference, the Chinese people advocate bamboo, wood and other natural materials, so they make craft emphasizing natural materials without any artificial painted decoration.Ethnic Symbol applied into modern product design must follow the certain process of design and the general principles and also avoid some problems. the process of design is the analysis of object designing, the definition of cultural themes of product, selection of the appropriate Ethnic Symbol, refinement of Ethnic Symbol and evaluation lastly. the general principles is the principles of function, principles of humanity, the principles of manufacture and the principles of economic; the problems to avoid: affective product-oriented should be pay attention to application of Ethnic Symbol; Ethnic Symbol chosen should be able to understand and accepted by the users; The designer should deform and reconstruct the Ethnic Symbol in modern design to avoid piling up of Ethnic Symbol simply, based on the understand the meaning of the national culture.Analyzing the good design cases of the China chair, "Shang Shang qian" toothpick box, TCL series mobile phones, the refrigerator of Midea, the paper is used to test the theory, and finally verify the proposal design theory through series home goods designed.