Digital Transformation of Chinese Traditional Textiles: the Practice of Creating Generative Design Systems

Abstract

This paper proposes a practice-based framework for the digital transformation of Chinese traditional textile patterns. A methodological approach that combines digital tools with semiotic logic is outlined for heritage design patterns’ re-interpretation in contemporary practice-based design contexts. The approach fulfils a need for generative design and cultural relevance. This study employs computational design methodologies in conjunction with design semiotics to develop digital models which transform traditional patterns into a developed grammar of form through a process of computational deconstruction and encodement. The research is presented through a series of case studies which explore the methodology’s feasibility, generative potential and cultural integrity. Expert interviews and a visual preference test validate findings drawn from the research. The research results from the utilization of a parametric methodology in the design of patterns, generated with specific structural rules and varied by specific variables. The results show how technology was utilized in the culturally sensitive design for the local cultural user, more importantly the results show the enormous diversity of designs that can be generated whilst still working within the cultural remit and cultural user needs. This study develops a systematic generative approach to textile design, moving traditional and time-consuming manual replication to a computational method of design synthesis. Most importantly, novelty of this research is in establishing a connection between semiotic encoding of cultural data and parametric modelling for generation of modern textiles that function according to the logic of the culture studied. The framework provides an efficient, scalable toolkit for the fashion and digital media industries to revitalize traditional motifs. It resolves the conflict between cultural authenticity and design efficiency, offering a replicable model for the sustainable digital preservation and creative industrialization of intangible cultural heritage in a global context.