New Design Ideas

This study investigates the application of cultural materials from the Sukhothai civilization as design resources for contemporary jewelry design through a design research paradigm supported by the BLEND strategy. Addressing critiques of heritage-based design that often emphasize methodological rigor over creative interpretation, the research reframes cultural identity as a functional and interpretable design medium rather than a purely ornamental reference. An integrated research methodology was employed across three stages. Stage I involved multi-criteria identification and analysis of Sukhothai cultural materials, assessing cultural meaning, design relevance, production potential and market significance. Stage II consisted of a cross-disciplinary design workshop applying the BLEND strategy - Bricolage, Locality, Emotion, Novelty and Design Thinking - together with four cultural identity design contexts: color, material, pattern and form and narrative. Stage III focused on the development of three contemporary jewelry prototypes, alongside pre- and post-workshop assessments of design aptitude and consumer evaluations. The findings indicate a significant improvement in participants’ ability to interpret cultural materials and translate cultural identity into contemporary design, with post-workshop learning scores exceeding 4.7 across all dimensions. Consumer evaluations showed high satisfaction, with mean scores ranging from 4.08 to 4.49 on a five-point Likert scale. Designs balancing storytelling, material reinterpretation, abstraction and wearability achieved stronger cultural communication and market applicability. The study contributes empirical evidence for the BLEND strategy as a design-driven framework that integrates cultural interpretation, participatory learning and user-centered evaluation, offering a reproducible approach for contemporary cultural jewelry design and broader creative industries.