Digital Translation of Traditional Textiles: Interactive Design Applications Based on Chinese Fabric Motifs

Ge He, Shanshan Gao

Article
2025 / Volume 8 / Pages 627-650
Received 16 June 2025; Accepted 15 July 2025; Published 10 August 2025
https://doi.org/10.31881/TLR.2025.027

Abstract
This study systematically explores the digital translation and interactive redesign of traditional Chinese textile motifs, with a focus on Yunjin, Song brocade, and ethnic weaving patterns. By integrating parametric shape grammar, semantic annotation, and real-time user interaction, the research develops a replicable design framework that enables both cultural preservation and creative reinterpretation. Through a combination of motif extraction, modular modelling, and interactive system construction using Unity and TouchDesigner, the platform allows users to manipulate traditional patterns in real time while receiving embedded cultural feedback. Experimental evaluation involving participants from diverse backgrounds demonstrates the system’s effectiveness in enhancing cultural understanding, emotional resonance, and creative autonomy. The findings suggest that computational tools can serve not only as a tool for intangible heritage conservation but also as a catalyst for participatory cultural innovation. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on digital heritage while offering practical implications for future interactive design practices rooted in cultural authenticity.

Keywords
Chinese textile motifs, parametric design, interactive design platform, digital cultural heritage, shape grammar theory