Interdisciplinary thinking lies at the heart of Culture and Design Management. This course introduces fundamental perspectives, concepts, and methods across culture, design, management, UX, technology, art, branding, and marketing. Through lectures, case discussions, and interdisciplinary projects, students will learn to connect these domains and develop thoughtful strategies for real-world opportunities.
Week 10: CDM’s Design Thinking Series #1: User-Centered Design Thinking
Opening Questions
What should we understand about Korean users before proposing a market-entry strategy?
How can user research explore not only needs, but also design perceptions, cultural meanings, and possible brand experiences?
Which research methods can generate evidence that informs later marketing and design decisions?
Learning Goal
Apply user-centered design thinking to develop a focused and feasible research plan for Studio Mikko Laakkonen’s Korean market entry.
Students will identify what needs to be learned from Korean users, select a strategic research focus, and finalize an appropriate method and research protocol.
Lecture Materials
FC Lecture: User-Centered Design and User Research Methods
User-research planning worksheet
Research protocol and consent guide
Unlocks when Week 9 class ends
Oct. 27, 1:00 PM (KST)
In-class Activity
In-class Lecture:
Briefly connect User-Centered Design Thinking and User Research Methods to the Studio Mikko Laakkonen Korean-market challenge.
Clarify how research focus, questions, participants, methods, stimuli, and protocol should form one coherent study.
In-class Activity:
Synthesize desk-research cases and clarify what still needs to be learned from Korean users or customers.
Select one strategic research focus:
Product and Design Perception
Brand Identity and Cultural Meaning
Marketing Touchpoints and Future Experience
Define a focused question area and develop two to four research questions.
Design the study, including participants, method, protocol, and visual materials.
Pilot and revise the protocol before field execution.
Possible question directions include design and brand perception, selection and purchase considerations, discovery channels, social influences, lifestyle and living context, and responses to company products, stories, or touchpoints.
In-class Submission:
Submit one team research-plan working version, including the strategic focus, research questions, participants, method, stimuli, protocol, and pilot revisions, before class ends.
Unlocks when Week 9 class ends
Oct. 27, 1:00 PM (KST)
Homework
HomeworkConduct the user research planned during Week 10 and organize the collected material so that the team can analyze it during Week 11. Bring the key participant quotes and research notes in a clear, readable form. Do not force the data into a final marketing strategy yet.View Homework 4 →Due2026.11.10
Key Takeaways
User-centered research should support specific strategic decisions rather than collect general opinions.
Research can investigate needs, but it can also examine design perception, cultural interpretation, brand meaning, and future experience.
Research questions, participants, methods, and stimuli should form one coherent study.
Desk research provides precedents and assumptions; direct user research provides evidence.
The resulting insights will later inform customer-centered marketing and strategic thinking.
Available after class
Unlocks Nov. 3, 1:00 PM (KST), when this class ends.