I. Introduction

Globalization is accelerating the production of standardized trends and homogeneous designs. Simultaneously, opposing design trends are emerging, and these have not only promoted cultural identity but also emphasized cultural values and identity (Popovic, Hickling-Hudson, & Moalosi, 2007). Cultural elements are increasingly inspiring products, and therefore studies are focusing more often on the cultural elements of design. Using unique elements of traditional Korean culture in modern design enables the development of products that could be more competitive in the world market. However, researchers (Eum, 2011;Lee, 2014) have highlighted that current Korean cultural design is often a very simplistic approach rather than providing cultural meaning that is embedded in product design. Similarly, Korean cultural products lack depth and diversity in meeting the rapidly changing needs of modern consumers (Cheong, 2015). Also, the existing studies for Korean cultural designs lend weight to there is a need to present new approaches to the potential development of cultural design in fashion.

This study introduces the concept of cultural design in the context of the field of fashion. In particular, the meanings of culture and of traditional Minhwa are outlined to clarify the study’s theoretical foundation. Although many designers and researchers have focused on designs with cultural elements or traditional aesthetics, it has been noted that there is a need to present valuable approaches to the potential development of cultural design in fashion. This alternative, which applies cultural elements with Lin’s framework of cultural levels that provides potential opportunities for multidirectional cultural design approaches, has been adapted. Thus, this study introduces Minhwa to provide an understanding of the diverse cultural meanings associated with the cultural levels: visceral–tangible, behavioral, and reflective–intangible. It also explores the real-world problems and potential benefits associated with the possibility of integrating the cultural levels on cultural elements, including Minhwa, into fashion design based on experts’ views and experiences.

Consequently, this study aims to identify the potentials of incorporating Minhwa into fashion with consideration of the cultural levels by obtaining real-world experts’ opinions to mitigate the existing limitations in using cultural elements, including Minhwa, mentioned in the literature review and interviews. It could assist to study how Korean cultural elements can be effectively embedded in product design in order to actively create cultural designs.

Ⅱ. Literature Review

1. Culture and design

This chapter presents a review of the theoretical concepts of cultural design and three cultural levels. Additionally, the limitations in the use of Korean cultural elements mentioned in previous studies are reviewed to clarify the developed concepts that are discussed in subsequent chapters.

1) Cultural design

The term “cultural design product” can have different meanings depending on how a culture is correlated with industrial phenomena (Lin, 2007; as cited in Luo & Dong, 2017, p. 501) stated that the creation of a cultural design product involves the process of rethinking or reviewing how well-known ancient cultural artifacts can fit in with and satisfy consumers, both culturally and esthetically, through the integration of cultural features into product design. Cultural design products include the primary function of a design product combined with the esthetics of cultural elements, such as traditional patterns, art, and architecture (Chai, Bao, Sun, & Cao, 2015). In the present study, they are defined as being culturally designed and produced with cultural elements.

Previous studies have highlighted the need to incorporate cultural elements into design based on many approaches. Berk (2013) asserted that cultural elements in products can serve as methodical cultural guidelines which can be used to gain an understanding of cultural differences. Furthermore, cultural design products contain a significant role in delivering cultural values to people since they can successfully represent a cultural identity (Perivoliotis, 2005). Cultural design products perform the function of spreading a culture and promoting it through the product form, as the indirect experience of using cultural products can trigger user interest, which, in turn, can spread the culture globally.

A product design based on traditional culture can lead to cultural development (Lin, 2007) and fast product innovation (Chai et al., 2015). It can also increase user demand for the product and affect user satisfaction. Moreover, cultural features are used as sources of inspiration in design, allowing designers to create cultural design products that are unique and reflect their own culture, values, and emotions. For these reasons, the application of traditional cultural elements to product design and improvement has become increasingly widespread. Importantly, as associating products with cultural features enhances product value, designers are adopting the strategy of using cultural features in their designs to create a product identity in the global market. The connection between culture and design has become significant in the competitive global market (Shin, Cassidy, & Moore, 2011). As an example, designers from Asian cultures have presented their unique cultural characteristics through the global market, and their influence is on the rise (Shim, 2006).

2) Limitations of existing studies for Korean cultural designs

In the studies conducted by many researchers, aspects of Korean cultural elements have been analyzed to describe the adaptation of products that reflect contemporary design. These descriptions are based on an investigative process regarding how to create a design that retains the cultural meaning while meeting contemporary needs. Although there are already numerous theses on design with Korean cultural elements or traditional esthetics, their limitations have been highlighted. Choi (2003) stated that there was no previous research or analysis of the preferences of customers for a Korean traditional culture image based on the different backgrounds, and Eum (2011) discussed the limited design of a modernized tradition.

Previous studies on design using Korean cultural aspects identified several limitations. First, most of the previous studies were based on a piecemeal approach to design, using the outer tangible level of culture as a motif or technique that was limited in use. Furthermore, Shim (2006) highlighted the lack of designers who would use Korean cultural aspects consistently. Accordingly, one can argue that most studies on design have tended to focus on cultural differences only on the surface, also using surface characteristics as a motif, rather than on a more detailed conceptual understanding of the cultural elements. Finally, Choi (2003) and Lee (2014) proposed that, since the studies were limited to subjective judgment, in the future, researchers should analyze the awareness of and preference for the cultural elements. To date, in the field of design, most studies on Korean culture and its influence have conducted literature reviews and historical research to support product design and development. Few empirical studies have measured the users’ and designers’ awareness of and opinions on the use of Korean cultural elements in a design. Additionally, the previous studies on Korean cultural designs indicated that there is a need to present new approaches to the potential development of cultural design in fashion. Consequently, there is a need for a new study on novel approaches to Korean cultural designs, as well as empirical studies measuring the awareness of and opinions on those approaches.

3) Three cultural levels

The term “culture” has been defined in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and linguistics (Lin, 2007). Berk (2013) stated that definitions of culture derived mainly from cultural anthropology are used in the field of design. Tylor (1871), an anthropologist, was the first to use the term “culture,” which he defined as a “complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (as cited in Berk, 2013, p. 12). Leong and Clark (2003) defined culture as a layered structure derived from the design field to develop new definitions related to design practice and design products. In these authors’ frameworks for studying cultural objects, culture could be classified into the following three layers: the physical or material layer, which is the outer tangible level; the social layer, which is the middle behavioral level; and the spiritual layer, which is the inner intangible level. The first layer, the physical or material aspect, includes food, dress, dwellings, or related artifacts. The second layer comprises behavior, including human relationships and social organizations. The third layer consists of the spiritual or ideal culture, including art and religion. From this design perspective, these three layers can be integrated into three levels of design features that are developed (Norman, 2004) as follows. The outer level is the visceral design, including the appearance of the object, or the design style, color, texture, form, decoration, surface pattern, and details. The middle level is the behavior design, including the usage, function, performance, and usability of some objects that might be involved in social interactions and relationships. The inner level is the reflective level of design containing special content, such as stories, emotions, feelings, and affections derived from an object. Lin’s (2007) framework shows the organization of the levels of culture developed by previous studies, as shown in <Fig. 1>. The culture levels, in the form of the outer tangible level, the middle behavioral level and the inner intangible level, help to look at cultural elements from various angles, which will increase the possibility of reducing the existing limitations regarding a piecemeal approach to design, using the outer tangible level of culture as a motif or technique that was limited in use.

This study adapts Lin’s framework of culture as relating to design to create a cultural design since this study aims to look at cultural elements from various angles.

2. Cultural design elements of Minhwa (Korean folk painting)

This chapter introduces Minhwa and cultural design with Minhwa in fashion. Additionally, applying three cultural levels is suggested to incorporate Minhwa into the design, thus reducing existing limitations for creating Minhwa designs.

1) Introduction to Minhwa

During the Joseon dynasty era, in which folk painting was prevalent, Minhwa could be derived from ancient paintings including wishes and symbolic meanings. In other words, this folk painting did not suddenly appear during the Joseon dynasty era but was gradually formed and repeated for many years. As time passed, people added more elements, such as animals and plants. Later, in the eighteenth century when people enjoyed economic prosperity in the Joseon dynasty era, Minhwa became the popular art form (Lim, 1997). Folk painting is expressed in diverse forms, ranging from pottery to furniture and the walls of rooms. Furthermore, folk paintings are woven into the fabric of products used in everyday life. Minhwa is used to decorate houses and celebrate family occasions, such as weddings and sixtieth birthdays (Yoon, 2003). As a painting embodying the common consciousness of the Korean nation, Minhwa openly expresses the people’s general feelings in life. Accordingly, Minhwa could be defined as a painting that expresses people’s ideas, ideologies, feelings, and esthetics without limitations in form and content. Unlike orthodox and formal paintings, folk paintings represent the artistic expression of ordinary people or unknown artisans in art history. For this reason, Yoon (2003) highlighted that the dates and artists of folk paintings mostly remain unknown and have not been adequately studied. However, Minhwa is a valuable art form that represents the ordinary lives of the Korean people. It displays a unique perspective and uses painting techniques that fully reflect the artists’ esthetic sense and provide an unlimited source of artistic inspiration. Most importantly, many objects have symbols, requiring an understanding of the symbolism and role of folk paintings in communicating emotions.

In many cases, more than two subjects appear in a single painting, and according to The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, classification based on subject matter is the best way to understand the actuality of Korean folk paintings (“Minhwa”, 2021). Therefore, in the present study, characteristics of folk paintings are classified by subject matter into flowers and birds (Hwajo-do), plants and insects (Chochung-do), fish and crustaceans (Eohae-do), animals (Dongmul-do), scholars’ supplies (Chaekkori and Chaekga-do), and calligraphy (Munja-do).

As shown in <Table 1>, Hwajo-do illustrates the great harmony between flowers and birds, which contains a symbolic message. The particular characteristic of Hwajo-do is the symbolic message the category represents through the happy and harmonious scenes of flowers and birds. Chochung-do refers to paintings of plants and insects. This genre mainly depicts natural subjects such as locusts, butterflies, dragonflies, and cicadas that can easily be seen in neighborhood gardens. Chochung-do focuses on intimate aspects of nature in everyday life. Eohae-do refers to paintings of marine species in which carp, crabs, prawns, clams, grey mullet, and yellowtail are portrayed. These paintings had various symbolic meanings depending on the subject matter. Dongmul-do refers to paintings of animals such as deer, dogs, cats, and tigers. Paintings that display various artifacts associated with a scholar’s life, such as books, brushes, and paper, along with the study rooms that contain these supplies, are called Chaekkori and Chaekga–do. Munja-do is a painting technique that combines the visual form and linguistic content of Chinese characters, which are intended to display a connotative meaning. Images depicting themes and motifs are used to illustrate the written characters in their pictorial form.

2) Cultural design with Minhwa in fashion

Since the modern concept of a brand is identityoriented (Heine, 2010), the use of cultural heritage can arouse a strong cultural identity that is robust, authentic, and compelling. In this context, previous Korean cultural design studies presented various ways to utilize Minhwa for fashion design. For example, Song’s (2013) development and design of digital textile printing facilitated the application of the Minhwa lotus flower in literature to textiles, including women’s spring and summer dress fabrics. Jang and Jang (2013) attempted to create fashion items based on the analysis of Munja-do, a form of Minhwa. Ko and Jang’s (2013) study analyzed the characteristics of Munja-do through a search of the literature and artifact analyses to design textile patterns based on the characteristics of handwriting and then printed them. However, despite the variety of studies regarding new approaches with Minhwa, most design studies focused only on cultural differences on the surface, using surface characteristics as a motif.

Jun and Cho (2010) attempted to modernize the lotus patterns and apply them to designed shirts. They investigated the concept of Minhwa, the origin of lotus depiction and its symbolic meanings; however, only the formative esthetics of lotus motifs in Minhwa were focused on to apply to design. To present highly valued modern Korean fashion design, Yum (2016) developed a textile design based on a theoretical exploration of Minhwa and an analysis of the motifs and colors of Hwajo-do’s flower and bird paintings. However, in Yum’s study, the expression of symbols was not considered in the design. Lee and Lee (2006) focused on fashion design, applying pictures of butterflies in Korean folk paintings; however, the formative characters of Minhwa were studied rather than the use of inner and symbolic meanings.

Korean fashion designers have used several expression modes to incorporate traditional Korean elements into their work. Since the 1990s, the presence of Korean fashion on the world market has led to the increasing use of Korean cultural patterns (Hyun & Bae, 2007). A favored symbol in fashion is the peony, which represents wealth (Hyun & Bae, 2007). Hwa-do, a peony pattern, is used by Korean designers such as Yun-hyoung Sul, who incorporated it into traditional designs and materials in the 1994 and 2003 fall/ winter collections. Sang-bong Lie presented a colorful peony pattern in the 2004 spring/summer collection. Dongmul-do, which contains tiger and magpie images, was used by Ji-haye Kim, who reinterpreted Korean images for the Western styles of Paris haute couture. Dongmul-do was also used in Young-hee Moon’s 2000 spring/summer collection and Choiboko’s 2011 fall/winter collection. Additionally, Sam-sook Kim used several Minhwa patterns in her 2003 fall/winter collection. Her incorporation of an orchid pattern based on Hyun and Bae’s (2007) painting was considered a young, refined design. Korean fashion designers have been able to apply or transform traditional symbolic elements in esthetically pleasing ways. Since 2000, designers’ expressions have included several techniques, such as beading, hand printing, gold and silver leafing, and embroidery. <Table 2> illustrates the use of Minhwa in Korean fashion designers’ collections.

However, limitations exist in using these techniques to incorporate traditional patterns into contemporary fashion design (Eum, 2015;Hyun & Bae, 2007;Lee, 2016). Even though Korean fashion designers have focused on applying or transforming symbolic elements, techniques applied to fashion have been limited. Therefore, Hyun and Bae (2007) suggested that original and unique cultural heritage should be developed in numerous ways. Based on the findings of interviews with international and Korean fashion professionals, Eum (2015) argued that the inner meanings of Korean cultural elements should be studied and developed to apply them to fashion design, as fashion designers’ previous usage of Minhwa was solely focused on the shapes of the Minhwa motif. Shin (2011) proposed that a variety of design development approaches and views should be used to avoid the limited expression of cultural elements. Since there are limitations in using Korean cultural elements, it is necessary to invest effort in increasing the adoption of traditional Korean inspirations in the fashion industry (Lee, 2016).

Therefore, in terms of academic and practical aspects, it is time to find a new way of approaching cultural design that incorporates the essence of Korean cultural aspects after its reinterpretation in multidirectional ways.

3. Applying cultural levels with Minhwa

Minhwa is a unique art form that represents the lives of ordinary Korean people. An analysis of Minhwa revealed the diverse symbolic meanings associated with Korean culture and the potential applications of the art form in fashion design. However, regarding the use of Minhwa in fashion, existing approaches in academic and practical fields have been limited.

Applying Lin’s framework of cultural levels makes the use of Minhwa in design more diverse because of the symbolic expressions and stories found therein. As an example, the visceral (tangible), behavioral, and reflective (intangible) levels of Minhwa are summarized in <Fig. 2>. These levels are based on an in-depth understanding of the application of Korean cultural elements in the design to avoid only using the shapes of the Minhwa motif without thinking of inner cultural meanings. Hwajo-do has been employed as an example to explain the method of applying the cultural levels to Minhwa. The wagtail (packdujo), a whiteheaded bird, symbolizes the elderly, and peony flowers signify wealth and peace. Accordingly, the painting of a pair of wagtails with peonies shows an intangible meaning regarding how a couple should harmoniously grow old together until their hair turns white. This drawing was used to decorate a married couple’s room, and this tradition is related to the social / behavior level of the cultural levels.

The application of cultural elements through Lin’s cultural level framework offers the possibility of using multidirectional approaches in artistic design. Since the cultural levels facilitate the consideration of diversified aspects of cultural factors, this approach can provide an opportunity to consider not only the tangible elements of expression but also the intangible elements of expression to create unique designs. Depending on a designer’s usage, this could help overcome the limitations of previous cultural design approaches.

The cultural levels allow those using Hwajo-do to envision visual expressions with the intangible meaning rather than only applying flower and bird shapes. The inner meaning consists of assumptions representing a culture’s actual values (Lin, 2007). Thus, there is an opportunity to provide a deep understanding of the cultural elements and create newly designed products. Creative thinking is the process designers use to generate new ideas, solutions, or products that are novel and valuable (Sarkar & Chakrabarti, 2011). When people consider the new way of applying inner meanings, including behavioral and symbolic meanings, the existing method of design and product can be changed to include additional novel approaches.

Ⅲ. Interview

In this part, experts are interviewed to explore the potential benefits and limitations of the application of Minhwa in the real design fields, as well as to ascertain their opinions on applying the cultural levels for reducing the limitations of using Minhwa that are mentioned in previous studies and the interviews.

1. Data collection and analysis method

Qualitative interviews were conducted to ascertain the knowledge of Korean fashion professionals on real-world applications and gain an insight into Minhwa artists. The interview format allowed the investigator to examine possibilities of and improvements in using Minhwa in fashion design. The qualitative data results identified problematic situations in applying cultural elements in the design. Specifically, the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating Minhwa into fashion with consideration of the cultural levels were investigated.

The semi-structured interview format with openended questions was selected to maximize the format’s strengths and reduce the inherent variability of structured and unstructured interviews. Open-ended questions can yield a wealth of information, and the experts expressed themselves freely and provided a wide variety of information.

The purpose of the qualitative data analysis was to determine the implications of and directions for Korean design based on the experts’ views and experiences. NVivo software was used for the analysis. Individual cases were analyzed to determine the potential of and directions for Korean design based on the fashion and Minhwa experts’ perspectives, including those on the incorporation of Minhwa. A crosscase analysis of 12 experts’ perspectives was conducted to identify the relationships between design themes and find various opportunities and solutions to the existing limitations of cultural design products.

2. Interview procedure and measures

The investigator selected eight fashion industry professionals and four Korean Minhwa artists based on a purposive sampling approach to explore their opinions on Korean design products and Minhwa. Purposive sampling facilitated the selection of participants with a Korean background and the ability to provide a variety of responses to questions based on their in-depth knowledge of the topic. The eight fashion industry professionals and the four artists (who held Minhwa artist positions for a minimum of 26 years) were interviewed individually. The interviewees’ demographic information is shown in <Table 3>. Each individual was assigned an anonymous designation, P for participant and a number.

<Table 4> contains a list of the interview questions. The first set of questions related to cultural design, such as the designers’ feelings about Minhwa and its applicability. The second set of questions focused on the use of the Korean cultural element Minhwa. The final set of questions dealt with the consideration of cultural levels in applications of Minhwa. The last stage of the interview related to the use of the inner and symbolic meanings of Minhwa. <Fig. 2> provided the example images used to introduce the symbolic meanings of Minhwa and explain the cultural levels. After an explanation of the symbolic meanings, questions were asked to determine the fashion industry professionals’ thinking about acceptability and changes in awareness. Since Minhwa artists already had indepth knowledge of Minhwa symbolism and some fashion professionals had less knowledge of Minhwa symbolism, different questions were employed to elicit answers in this area. Additional questions were asked to understand their thoughts regarding the cultural levels of Minhwa depending on their previous answers. After transcription, all the interviews were translated into English.

3. Findings

The first key finding from the interviews was related to cultural design and the use of Minhwa. According to the participants, designs that are inspired by cultural elements, such as history, beliefs, traditions, and customs, help in introducing and promoting an understanding of the culture. A design that is infused with regional or national cultural elements creates an image of the region and helps promote and preserve its heritage. These sentiments, which were expressed by the experts, are supported by Lin (2007), Berk (2013), and Chai et al. (2015), who asserted that the cultural elements in products help consumers understand cultural differences and development. They also contribute significantly to product innovation. The unique and memorable aspects of Korean cultural design not only allow young people to focus on Korean culture but also inspire designers of all ages to create a wider variety of designs. However, depending on the designer’s capabilities and style preferences and the consumers’ cultural backgrounds, some cultural designs could seem outdated, superficial, unsophisticated, or limited.

The participants considered the use of Minhwa positive. The interview data indicate that the art form is a fresh and appropriate expression of the Korean cultural identity. Minhwa could be used to highlight the uniqueness of Korean culture. Thus, it is a continual source of cultural inspiration and new perspectives. Despite the limitations of superficiality and fragmentary use of the art in products, the experts agreed on the potential created by the variety of stories and subjects with symbolic meaning and unique artistic styles with humor and vivid colors. They explained that the variety is the result of ordinary people, who did not have the opportunity to learn professional drawing, expressing their thoughts and artistic sensibilities through Minhwa paintings. On the other hand, because of that variety, fashion professionals and Minhwa artists stated that they do not know how to apply Minhwa to design and avoid the superficial and unsophisticated design.

The second finding relates to the use of Minhwa in contemporary cultural design in fashion fields. There are several limitations. The main limitation is the way in which Korean cultural elements are incorporated. It is difficult to incorporate cultural motifs and contemporary impressions and simplify the complexities of Minhwa for new designs while maintaining a unique style. In addition, cultural designs that include Minhwa elements could seem impractical, and therefore appropriate for souvenirs only. Another limitation is the possible superficial and fragmentary use of the art form in unidimensional approaches without modern reinterpretations. These limitations are consistent with the results of previous studies that highlighted the need to go beyond simple re-creation in modifying traditional esthetics. Thus, the previous studies’ concerns were confirmed by the study participants, who discussed the challenges of incorporating Korean cultural motifs into contemporary design. They perceived difficulties and limitations in reinterpreting cultural motifs for use as updated design elements. Therefore, it is important to explore ideas for improving culturally infused contemporary designs to suit modern tastes. The use of expressive materials and techniques is a possible solution.

On the basis of Minhwa artists’ previous exhibitions in other countries, the Minhwa artists indicated that the adherence to traditional methods and use of multiple subjects in stories posed creative limitations. Consequently, they suggested that Minhwa art needed to be modernized. Minhwa is a traditional art form; however, a variety of materials and techniques should be considered to create a new style. The artists indicated that the use of the complicated images related to the subjects and stories did not promote foreigners’ understanding of or elicit their interest in the art form. Therefore, a variety of approaches need to be considered.

The third key finding of the study pertains to the application of Minhwa in relation to the cultural levels. Culture can be understood on three levels: the outer level, namely, the physical or material culture, which relates to visceral design; the middle level, namely the social or behavioral culture, which relates to behavior design; and the inner level, namely, spiritual or ideal culture, which relates to the reflective level of design (Lin, 2007). The participants had positive perceptions of the introduction of the symbolic meanings of Minhwa with the explanation of the cultural levels. The Minhwa experts’ awareness of the three cultural levels of design included their understanding of the characteristics that were unique to Korean culture and the need to increase viewers’ interest and receptivity. The reason is that the inner intangible design level refers to special content, such as the stories, emotions, feelings, and affection, derived from an object. According to the interview data, this level could be applied to avoid a unidimensional approach, as it helps expand designers’ ideas. Furthermore, Minhwa artwork expresses not only thoughts and artistic sensibilities but also the need to decorate everyday goods for specific uses, such as celebrations, wish-making, and protection from evil spirits. This functionality represents the middle level of behavior design. In this regard, the Minhwa artists indicated that there are limited opportunities to enhance comprehension of the functionality of Minhwa and suggested holding a workshop or class that enabled foreigners to understand Minhwa. Such designs could help tell the consumer a story about the product, and this could increase the emotional value. Furthermore, after comparisons of the way of applying the three cultural levels to Minhwa, the participants changed their negative opinions regarding the use of Minhwa in contemporary cultural design and significantly expanded their perspectives on using Minhwa. The examples regarding the way of using Minhwa in design that they offered were more elaborate and varied than those mentioned in the discussions of designs that used only Minhwa. Thus, the findings reinforced the possibility of discovering interesting ways to use Minhwa at the three cultural levels.

However, expressing the meaning of Minhwa is not easy. The difficulty of visually expressing a Minhwa interpretation still requires a solution. It could lead to misinterpretations because of differences in cultures and life philosophies. Accordingly, the artists stated that overcoming these culture gaps could provide opportunities to expand the market for the art form. <Fig. 3> illustrates the main interview findings.

Ⅳ. Conclusion

In design, the integration of cultural values creates product value. It is the same for culture. Design can be the motivation for promoting cultural development (Lin, 2007). In addition, finding new approaches to cultural design has become increasingly important. Many studies have focused on designs that incorporate Minhwa. However, in the existing academic and practical aspects, previous ideas regarding the application of Minhwa to fashion design have shown resulting limitations on leading fashion. Therefore, new approaches to the development of textile and fashion design are necessary. A new approach to create cultural designs based on three cultural levels was suggested to deal with diversified cultural elements. Furthermore, Minhwa was suggested as one of the Korean cultural elements with the cultural levels.

Interviews were conducted to investigate fashion professionals’ and Minhwa artists’ awareness of cultural design and the use of Minhwa. This provided verification of the limitations that were mentioned in literature reviews. Subsequently, the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating Minhwa into fashion with consideration of the cultural levels were identified.

The interview findings were threefold. First, the cultural design choices facilitated the introduction, promotion, understanding, and maintenance of the culture. Additionally, the potential benefits resulting from the application of Minhwa were verified: Minhwa offers abundant inspiration; it can provide inspiration related to Korean culture; and Minhwa-related designs can provide new perspectives with commercial potential. This indicates that further study is needed to determine the possibilities and new techniques for improving cultural design.

Second, there are limitations. One is the way in which Korean cultural elements are incorporated. It is difficult to incorporate Minhwa and contemporary impressions into new designs while maintaining a unique style. In addition, cultural designs using Minhwa elements could seem impractical, and therefore appropriate for souvenirs only. Specifically, the possible superficial and fragmentary use of the art form in unidimensional approaches without modern reinterpretations is the limitation. These limitations are consistent with the results of previous studies that highlighted the need to go beyond unsophisticated re-creation in modifying cultural elements.

Third, the consideration of the cultural levels enhances understanding of the characteristics that are unique to Korean culture and increase viewers’ interest and receptivity. Most importantly, the participants’ opinions changed from negative to positive, and they significantly expanded their perspectives on using Minhwa rather than only using Minhwa elements without the cultural levels. Thus, the study identified that approaching Minhwa at different cultural levels can promote diverse thinking and reduce the challenges of Minhwa use in design. However, the participants indicated that the use of Minhwa is limited, as designers and artists do not know how to express symbolic meaning visually. This shows that further study is necessary for the development of solutions. Also, the generalizability of the results based on the limited number of participants and the possible influence of the differences in their design and cultural design experience were the limitations of this study. Thus, additional study with a larger number of participants could help gain a broader view.