This paper explores the incorporation of Chinese traditional colours into the modern design practice, such as how the traditional colour, which is inherent in the culture, such as vermilion, imperial yellow, jade green and indigo blue are interpreted, used and redefined in the new visual culture. Using the mixed-methods research design, the study collected the qualitative data using semi-structured interviews with 18 experts who included historians, cultural theorists, and professional designers, and the quantitative data collected using a structured survey that was offered to 477 consumers of various demographics. There was the use of purposive, snowball and stratified random sampling to promote both depth and representativeness. The results have shown that traditional Chinese colours have deep kinds of symbolic meaning both to the professional and the general population. Designers stressed on them as tool of cultural distinction and emotionality, especially in branding, fashion and interior design. The consumer survey data showed a great deal of positive correlations with authenticity and aesthetic richness, but a significant generational difference appeared: younger participants were more willing to creative reinterpretation, whereas older generations favored symbolic conservatism. The research states four strategic principles of the practitioners, including historic awareness, contextual adaptation, material and technological integration, and co-creative participation, which can allow designers to maintain cultural authenticity and achieve innovativeness. The results of the findings can be added to the body of research about heritage and design, confirming the idea that traditional Chinese colours can be discussed as living cultural means with the potential to add to the international design practice in the twenty-first century.
Augello, M., Coniglio, C., & Rizzo, F. (2016). Culture-driven innovation: The fashion industry as a culture-intensive sector. Design Journal, 19(3), 401–420.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Chang, T. Y., & Wen, H. J. (2013). Cultural authenticity and design: The case of Taiwan's creative and cultural industry. International Journal of Design, 7(2), 55–66.
Guo, L. (2025). Reviving tradition: Integrating traditional Chinese colors into contemporary design [Doctoral dissertation, City University Malaysia].
Li, W., & Chen, X. (2020). Colour symbolism in Chinese folk art: A semiotic analysis. Journal of Chinese Visual Culture, 8(1), 23–41.
Ling, H. (2018). The symbolic grammar of Chinese colour: From imperial courts to contemporary branding. Asian Design Studies, 12(2), 88–103.
Liujinjing, X., & Nah, S. (2020). Guochao and the revival of Chinese traditional aesthetics in youth culture. Design Studies, 71, 100–117.
Mei-me, T. (2007). Color as narrative in Chinese regional folk paintings: A comparative study. Visual Studies, 22(1), 12–27.
Meng, X. (2023). Application of Chinese folk art colours in graphic design: Enriching contemporary visual communication. International Journal of Art and Design, 42(4), 310–325.
Nai-hui, C. (2009). The chromatic worldview: Colour philosophy in classical Chinese aesthetics. Journal of Aesthetic Studies, 5(1), 1–18.
Pan, Y., & Wang, Z. (2023). Analysis and application of traditional culture in modern design: Towards intentional cultural translation. Design and Culture, 15(2), 178–196.
Shi, Y., Pei, J., Li, X., Miyata, K., & Ma, L. (2021). Inheritance of Chinese traditional colour culture through modern human visual perception. Color Research and Application, 46(5), 1048–1061.
V&A Museum. (2020). Digital heritage and the future of colour: Material, technology, and sustainability. Victoria and Albert Museum.
Zhao, Q., & Yaacob, S. (2023). Navigating cross-cultural colour translation: Challenges and strategies in international design practice. Design Studies, 85, 101–119.
Zhuang, S. H. (2010). Bridging history and contemporary aesthetics: Traditional hues in modern Chinese design. Chinese Art and Design Review, 3(1), 44–59.
Ling, G. L., Hasan, A., Ren, Z., & Jiang, Z. (2026). Cultural Resonance and Innovation: Traditional Chinese Colors in Contemporary Design Practice. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(3), 702–709.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
