Abstract

This study explores the integration of regional cultural identity into design education through a case study of the Chengdu Line 5 subway in the Sichuan-Chongqing region of China. Grounded in Stuart Hall’s theory of cultural identity and using a multi-layered cultural framework—comprising material, social, and spiritual culture—the research identifies and classifies key cultural elements including modeling, color, and connotation factors. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to optimize and evaluate these factors, drawing from 329 valid questionnaires and expert interviews. The results demonstrate that the selected cultural elements effectively reflect local identity and are widely recognized by the public, confirming the practical applicability of the proposed cultural design model. The study also provides a methodological pathway for embedding cultural reasoning and symbolic literacy into design pedagogy. It concludes that design education must move beyond technical training to embrace interdisciplinary methods and cultural sustainability, thereby fostering innovation and regional pride in industrial design practices.

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