New Design Ideas

The article explores the role of ethno-artistic tradition as a source of shaping in modern Ukrainian design. The relevance of the issue is determined by the growing demand for cultural identity and the need for meaningful integration of traditions into design culture. The aim of the study is to identify the main forms, sources and strategies for the transformation of ethnic elements in design activities. The research employed the following methods: a survey of 100 designers, content-analysis of 100 visual objects and 7 semi-structured interviews. The results showed that 76% of designers use ornamental motifs, 68% - traditional colour, 64% - stylized ethnic forms. The most common source of inspiration is folk ornaments (40%) and the most frequent methods of transformation are abstraction (45%) and stylization (35%). As much as 70% of respondents consciously integrate ethnic motifs into their projects, 80% believe that this contributes to the formation of national identity. The academic novelty is the development of a typology of ethnic forms, methods of their transformation and identification of the functional potential of ethnic elements in modern design. Prospects for further research include the development of educational programmes in ethnic design and the study of regional features of shaping.