Pathology of traditional design studies

Traditional design is a term that is more common to refer to the drawing of traditional patterns and has not been much researched as a method of designing the products and tools in the traditional production system. Few studies and reflections on this subject themselves have problems arising from meta theoretical assumptions, contextual stimuli, and stereotypes. Given the importance of the subject of traditional design (in the field of understanding traditional crafts and arts, as well as its practical and educational aspects), it is necessary that extensive researches be devoted to the subject. But in the first step, understanding traditional design requires identifying superficial cognitions and assumptions (that have overshadowed research in this field) and making a cognitive rupture with them. Therefore, in this study, references, texts and unguided interviews about traditional design, were analyzed and categorized using content analysis method. Then, by reasoning method and based on causal relations, the extracted categories are classified into two levels that includes: 1. Meta theoretical factors and 2. Stereotypes. Then meta- theoretical factors are categorized in eight branches: 1. The conflict between tradition and modernity; 2. Biased and oriental studies; 3. Complications of the Industrial Revolution; 4. Intangible heritage and cultural identity protection policies; 5. Differentiation between domains in the academic space; 6. The dilemma of defining terms; 7. The dilemma of creatology; 8. Scientific gap in traditional design methodology. Then in the second level, three axial codes have been identified as the result of Meta theoretical factors. The core category in all these categories is the "negation of design in tradition”. Therefore, in the second phase of the research, the content validity of these categories and the core of them have been discussed and it has been answered with some reasons.