People select, use, purchase or dispose of products to satisfy needs and desires. The development of specific needs and desires depends on values that lie within a culture. Different value orientations cause variations in preferences for products and brands.

It might be possible to define these preferences in design languages : a type of genetic codes which help to define product expressions that appeal to people in a certain culture. These design languages could not only contribute to a national design identity, but could also become a tool for (multi)national companies, who develop products for different markets.