Art and Design Commons^™

E-Commerce Mental Models Of Upper Middle Class Chinese Female Consumers In Beijing, Yunfan Song

Open Access Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand and explore the mental models of Chinese consumers towards e-commerce. A mental model is a representation formed by consumers based on their experience and observation, which finally influence their task performances. Due to the different experiences and contexts, the mental models of Chinese consumers could be various. This study investigated one of the subgroups in depth, which is the upper middle class female in Beijing, China.

To achieve the purpose of the study, a qualitative research was conducted in China, and participants were interviewed about their perceptions of, and experiences with, online …

Future-Proof Designers, Joshua Lowe

Open Access Theses

The need for professional graphic designers may be fading. Their value may not hold up over time. Soon longstanding skills such as photo manipulation, color combination, and logo generation will instead be accomplished with the click of a button by anyone with internet access. Because of this, educators, students, and professionals must ask what should be done to maintain or increase their value regardless of what the future holds? Furthermore, what skills and characteristics can be identified as being most valuable, timeless, and effective for the success of a designer, not just upon entering the field, but throughout their entire …

Community As Client: Defining Social Design As A Means Of Designing For Good, Ryan Kough Gibboney

Open Access Theses

Approaching the design field today is a significant quantity of societal needs that have potential to be resolved through systematic design initiatives. There is increasing curiosity around the designer's role and responsibility within society; a belief that designers have the power to make social change happen in their own communities. Many neighborhoods with driven community members and professional designers are working together to turn to design as problem solving, as social activism on a local scale. But how do we make this sustainable?

To create a systematic change, designers must rethink the processes in which they view the problems and …