Product Design Language In Non-Material Time

The research of product design is usually based on the materiality. However, in the time of non-materiality when information and services become the main business competitiveness, the effect and fundamental of product design are shifted and the traditional ideas which focus on the language of material formation are challenged. The aim of this thesis is to redefine the product design in non-materiality time, to study the trends of design language, and to explore advanced design research methodology in the future.The thesis starts with the studies of sociology theory of non-materiality time and synthesis of advanced digital techniques. The sociology theory has contextual influences on the product and the latter provides the technique for new product design in non-materiality time. In the main part, by studying development and new trends of product design in these years, the thesis analyzes the design language of vision (form, colour, animation, materiality), tactility (volume, force, hand feeling), hearing (melody, sound, rhythm) and then explores how they are affected by the non-materiality consuming ideas. These intension and causation behind the design language and method will somehow be helpful to lead product design to the new era.In the environment of the non-material design, product design language becomes more rational, regularized and even reproducable. The conclusion of the thesis is to study the avant-garde product design method in non-materiality era, discussing the new notion of product design language database and its feasibility.