How can regional cultural symbols be integrated into public seating design? An innovative exploration using marbled porcelain patterns as an example

A systematic approach was used to explore integrating regional cultural elements into public seating design, aiming to enhance the synergy between cultural heritage and contemporary aesthetics. Drawing inspiration from marbled porcelain from Dangyangyu, Henan Province, the study extracted core visual motifs and incorporated them into conceptual seating designs. The FKANO model was employed to identify and translate user needs into concrete design criteria, while the DEMATEL method was used to analyze causal relationships among these criteria to determine their relative importance. Based on these insights, three design proposals were developed. The TOPSIS was then applied to evaluate and optimize the alternatives. The optimal design is subsequently validated by expert evaluation, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and ergonomic performance. The findings contribute a structured methodology for transforming regional culture into modern design language and provide a robust, evidence-based framework for evaluating public seating in urban environments, offering both theoretical and practical value.