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Culturally Understood Sequences

Say the name Ichiro and ask a Japanese person over a certain age to guess the name of his male siblings they'll sequentially come up with the names Jiro, Saburo and Shirou. Why? Because at a particular time this naming sequence was popular amongst Japanese parents. (Admittedly there can't be that many Japanese families with 4 sequential male siblings but by naming the first Ichiro, and the second Jiro you are perhaps showing intent to have a large family).

Thought for today: culturally specific naming sequences of siblings, objects, products or services. The ways in which these sequences can be leveraged by designers e.g. to suggest that a product is the first of many. The extent to which these sequences can be exploited e.g. someone uses the first item of a little known sequence as a password, can guess other passwords based on other items in the sequence. The extent to which sequences have cultural equivilents.

Mountain hut rice cookers named Ichiro (above), and Jiro, Saburo (below).

Writing from Akadake | November 25, 2006 | Permalink