Connecting Culture and Cognition: A Structured Design Model for Ethnic Building Blocks Based on AHP-TOPSIS

Abstract

Against the backdrop of globalization and localization coexisting, integrating ethnic culture into children's educational products has become a significant topic in design research. This study takes Jingpo culture as its entry point, proposing a structured design and evaluation framework aimed at achieving dual objectives of cultural transmission and cognitive development through children's building block toys. A five-stage closed-loop process (cultural identification, user research, model construction, solution generation, and optimization validation) was established, alongside a three-dimensional indicator system encompassing cultural expressiveness, user functionality, and cognitive interactivity, comprising 14 evaluation metrics. By integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the Technique of Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), three distinct building block design concepts (festival, attire, mythology) underwent quantitative assessment. Results indicate the attire-themed concept achieved the highest score (Ci=0.736), demonstrating optimal balance between cultural expression and cognitive suitability; The festival theme excelled in spatial interaction and collaboration, while the mythology theme, though rich in narrative depth, presented challenges in cognitive accessibility. The innovation lies in introducing multi-criteria decision-making methods to culturally oriented toy design, validating the applicability and replicability of AHP-TOPSIS in educational product evaluation. The findings not only provide a methodological basis for the structured transformation and cognitive embedding of cultural elements but also offer practical strategies for developing children's products that integrate educational significance with cultural value.