Material Culture and Product Design Preferences: A Study of Household Object Choices in Yoruba Urban Households

The relationship between cultural identity and product design preference is well theorised but insufficiently studied in the Nigerian context, where rapid urbanisation is simultaneously transforming and preserving traditional material culture practices. This study investigates household object design preferences in Yoruba urban households across Ibadan, Abeokuta, and Osogbo, examining how cultural identity strength, generational differences, and urbanisation level mediate the preference for traditionally styled versus contemporary product designs in domestic spaces. A quantitative survey design employs a Design Preference Instrument presenting paired stimuli of traditionally influenced and contemporary design alternatives across eight household object categories including furniture, kitchenware, lighting, and storage. Eight hundred and forty respondents are sampled through household-level random sampling. Cultural identity strength is measured using a validated Yoruba Cultural Identity Scale. Structural equation modelling examines the direct and mediated effects of cultural identity, generational cohort, and urbanisation level on design preference outcomes. Results confirm that cultural identity strength is a significant positive predictor of preference for traditionally styled objects across all categories, while younger age cohort is associated with stronger preference for contemporary design except in ceremonial object categories. Urbanisation level interacts significantly with cultural identity in predicting storage and furniture preferences. The study provides design strategy implications for product developers targeting Yoruba urban markets and contributes to cultural design theory in West African contexts. Keywords: material culture, design preferences, Yoruba households, cultural identity, product design.