The aim of this thesis was to draw up the design process of a gate according to the criteria of the customer. The environment and materials strongly influenced the design process as well as the cultural and historical values and the significance of the gate and its actual functions. Drafts were drawn by the customer in accordance with the advice of the designer. The cultural and historical methods in applying the materials and the compatibility of the materials to the landscape were also considered in the design process. The chosen materials were steel, stone, wood and in addition concrete to make the gate easy to build. Also an electric light was added on the basis of usability and cultural values. The product was evaluated using semiotic methods and Peirce's notation and analyzed using product semantics. The data gathering procedures used included interviews and phone conversations with the customer, who also delivered photographs of the environment to the designer. The theoretical framework took shape as the literature was built up. The designer’s professional capabilities and cultural history substantially influenced the thesis. This thesis shows how the environment strongly influences the design process of a product. The research also demonstrates that the customer can take an intensive role in product design if the chance to participate is given. Furthermore, various significant factors may be discovered by examining the shape and materials of the product. The results of the design process are drawings of the gate and a plan of the materials to be used. The outcome of the semiotic research has been the identification of the significance of the product to the customer and discovering the importance of materials in relation to culture and the environment.