Cross-Cultural Design & Placemaking

Sep 19

Cross-cultural design sits at the intersection of global aesthetics, identity, and communication. As both placemaking and cultural entrepreneurship evolve, design plays a critical role in bridging diverse perspectives, shaping how communities connect with their environment, and fostering economic innovation.

The current exhibition at M+, Henry Steiner: The Art of Graphic Communication, offers a masterclass in the potential of cross-cultural design. (Review in the Weekend Financial Times). Steiner’s work—most famously Hong Kong’s HSBC logo and banknotes—brilliantly harmonizes Eastern and Western elements, illustrating how graphic communication can transcend cultural boundaries. His designs create a sense of place by embedding cultural symbols into visual language, forging connections between heritage and modernity.

This approach mirrors the evolution of urban design seen in Pentagram’s 2013 redesign of New York’s street signs, where legibility and functionality were paramount in shaping how residents and tourists navigate the city. Similarly, Berlin’s Ampelmann, an iconic traffic signal figure, has transformed from a mere streetlight symbol into a beloved cultural icon, representing Berlin’s unique spirit while also inspiring global design thinking. (For more info on the process and thinking behind the redesign, check out the interview with Michael Bierut of Pentagram at The New York Observer.)

In cultural entrepreneurship, this cross-cultural approach is essential. Successful entrepreneurs recognize the importance of design in placemaking, as it not only enhances aesthetics but also fosters inclusivity, social interaction, and local pride. Through exhibitions like Steiner’s, we can appreciate how cross-cultural design serves as a strategic tool in navigating the complexities of globalization, creating bridges between seemingly disparate worlds.