A Study on the Design of GENSAI Products for Disaster Preparedness

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Industrial Design, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehan, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Natural disasters, an unavoidable part of human life, are increasing in both frequency and diversity, posing a major challenge to achieving sustainable development. Due to its geographical and geological characteristics, Iran is among the ten most disaster-prone countries in the world. For decades, strategies such as crisis management, public education, and architectural planning have been implemented to reduce the impact of these events. However, the role of product design, from risk identification to emergency response and post-disaster recovery, remains a crucial yet less explored dimension. The aim of this study is to examine product design strategies that minimize damage caused by natural disasters and to evaluate design ideas developed to address these critical challenges. The study's research questions were as follows: 1. How do GENSAI design concepts from Iran and Japan differ and/or are alike through their product(s) types, how they function, and their cultural adaptations? 2. What criteria could be developed to assess whether student-developed GENSAI design concepts were effective? 3. How could the use of a comparative analysis help to inform how to establish a foundation for a GENSAI design framework that could be adapted for any culturally diverse context? Because Japan is a pioneer in GENSAI-oriented design and has produced numerous products for disaster preparedness, workshops conducted in Japan, as well as a parallel workshop held in Iran by the authors, were selected as case studies. This study draws upon existing literature, including documents, books, essays, and articles, alongside workshop implementation and project analysis. The study employed a comparative design-research approach, integrating workshop-based inquiry, comparative thematic analysis, expert review and framework synthesis. Workshop outputs were analyzed using a multi-stage coding process and comparative thematic analysis. The results indicate that designing products based on the GENSAI approach can play a significant role in reducing the impacts of natural disasters. The results of combining and comparing Iranian and Japanese students’ responses were that they produced notably different but culturally relevant designs. Within these two workshops, Iranian concepts tended to emphasize multifunctional carriers, whereas Japanese concepts more often featured compact, personal-care items — patterns best read as context-dependent observations from a small, exploratory sample rather than as general cultural differences. The rationale of these principles and criteria founded the basis of a proposed Preliminary GENSAI Design Framework that could promote 'everyday resilience'. The preliminary GENSAI Design Framework is comprised of three layers (i.e. founding principles, design strategies & evaluation checklist). These design strategies offer practical, culturally adaptable solutions that strengthen preparedness and resilience in disaster-prone communities.

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References

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Journal of Design Thinking
Volume 7, Issue 1
June 2026
Pages 109-123

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