Rahpooye Honar-Ha-Ye Tajassomi

Rahpooye Honar-Ha-Ye Tajassomi

Transtextuality reading of the heritage of Islamic art in the localization of graphic design-user interface (case study: the pretext of Surah al-Kawakib version in the hypertext of Iranian calendar design)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1  PhD of Islamic Arts, Department of Islamic Arts, Faculty of Craft Arts, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Islamic Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract
This study focuses on the localization of graphic design and user interface of digital products, taking into account the Islamic visual heritage and the Iranian culture of the audience, based on Gerard Genet’s hypertextual theory. The use of pre-text images of  Surah al-Kawakib version in the design of the Iranian calendar is a perfect example of multi-textual examples and references to Iranian-Islamic art, which is the relationship of the second text (Iranian calendar) from the first text (Surah al-Kawakib version); In such a way that if the first text did not exist, the second text would not have been formed. The French Gerard Genet expanded intertextuality studies more than other researchers and proposed the term hypertextuality as one of the types of transtextuality for the relationship of each text. This research tries to answer the question: which genetic hypertext and cultural models have been explained in the localization of Iranian calendar graphic design-user interface based on the version of Surah al-Kawakib? This article is descriptive-analytical and its information is collected through library and observational sources. The examples are the designed images of the months of the year in the design of the calendar, from the pre-texts of the Zodiac region in the Surah al-Kawakib version. This astronomical book was written by Sufi Razi and the illustrations of the Oxford Bodleian Library edition were created from the original treatise shortly after the author’s death. The way of designing ancient constellations are drawn without perspective and necessary details, and a kind of orientalization (post-Sasanian or Persian-Iranian) has taken place; And therefore, it has been a suitable choice for designing the Iranian calendar. This research is focused on the study of one example of Persian calendar localization in harmony with Iranian culture based on genetic polytextual studies and the influence of culture (Hofstede’s model) on the design of experience and user interface based on the pretext of Iranian Islamic art heritage has been investigated. Visual resources such as pictures of books are an important part of any culture and suitable for their use in hypertextual user interface design. Knowledge of cultural models is needed for designers in understanding the audience today so that designers can localize a product specifically based on the needs and expectations of their audience. The case study of the Iranian calendar is designed and localized based on Hofstede’s cultural model and according to Iran’s cultural index. High power distance index (with structured and guided access to information, symmetrical design on the home page and focus on traditions using images inspired by the book of Razi), Collectivism index (using formal terms in passive voice and giving users limited access to Changing or modifying the program (and on the other hand, the index of average femininity (with attractive and detailed images and colors), avoiding high uncertainty (by a simple navigation system, symbols and different color codes) has been done. Out of the six types of Gennet’s hypertextuality: Homogeneity (pastiche, charge, and forgei) and Tragonage (parody, travesty, and transposition), three of them, namely forgei, parody, and transposition, revolve around the graphic design of the Iranian calendar. Forgi is one of the most widely used formats, which has a reproduction aspect with imitation and similarity, and in a way, it is a continuation and complement of its previous and subsequent works in the months of the year and pages similar to the calendar. In the category of tragongi, parody is a change that is used by increasing and decreasing the constellations of the constellation version in the design of the calendar by accepting the changes in both traditional and more modern ways. Also, the last type of transposition (substitution) that by adapting the pretext of Sural-Kawakb version, changes are made in the form of symbolic references in the hypertext of the user interface, which refers to the effect of Surah-al-Kawakb’s pre-text. A book whose image design style is post-Sasanian or Persian-Iranian and they are drawn simply, without the third dimension and necessary details, and a kind of orientalization of ancient constellations has been done, and for this reason, it is quite suitable for use in the localization of Iranian calendar user interface design. More and more complete research in the field of culture and its representation in the design of experience and user interface of digital products should be done, especially in Middle Eastern countries such as Iran, which ultimately aims to improve the user interface design of applications and websites based on the culture of their contacts, with the aim of meeting the needs of local users.
Keywords

Abrams, M.H, 1993, Glossary of literary term, New York, Cornel University press,
Ithaca.
Genette, Gerard, 1987, Palimpsestes. Literature in the second degree, Chana
Newman & Claude doubing sky (Trans), Lincoln NE & London, University of Nebraska press.
 
Carboni, Stefano(1997). Fallowing the Stars: Images of the Zodiac in Islamic Art.New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Hofstede, Geert(2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context, Readings in
Psychology and Culture, Universities of Maastricht and Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Marcus, Aaron, West Gould(2000),Crosscurrents: cultural dimensions and global Web user-interface design, nteractions 34-46
Marcus, Aaron. “Global and intercultural user-interface design”. The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook: Fundamentals, Evolving Technologies, and Emerging Applications. edited by Andrew Sears, Julie A. Jacko. (2003): 357-377.
Mousavi, M., & Khajeheian, D. “Assessing the Consistency of the Design of Iranian Websites
with Cultural Characteristics of their Target Users: An Investigation of the Hofstede
Model”. Information Management and Business Review 4(6), (2012):362-369.
Tavakoli,Narges(2020), Cultural Heritage and User Interface Design, A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts
Wellesz, Emmy(1959), An Early al-sufi manuscript in the Bodleian Library in Oxford : Astudy in Islamic Constellation Images. Ars Orientalis, Vol.3, pp. 1-26
https://www.hofstede-insights.com
Volume 6, Issue 1
Spring 2023
Pages 53-66

  • Receive Date 27 August 2022
  • Revise Date 23 March 0621
  • Accept Date 06 December 2022