New Design Educational Program in Shanghai and Rotterdam Launched

If it is a fact that from every 100 students the talents of one gifted student can be transformed to excellent if proper ‘higher’ education is facilitated, is it then just plain arithmetic to predict China’s scientific influence in lets say ten years time?

How does this influence and effects education?
Quote: ‘An old Arab proverb declares: he who speaks about the future lies even when he tells the truth. No one can predict the future. `But in one respect, at least, we can speak a little more confidently about the future: we can make reasonable extrapolations from known facts. If you could measure the amount of snow that falls on the Himalayas in any winter, you could make reasonable predictions about the flood levels in the river Gangers six months later, or so the sayings goes.
The snow that has already fallen will determine the flood levels.’ [1]

China design environment

How design is perceived in China?
Government
The Chinese government set up a 10 years plan, to achieve the upgrade and transform from the traditional economy to knowledge economy, from manufacturing to innovation, from “made in China” to “created in China”, not only for the external (global) market, but also for the huge internal market. An industry structure change is essential in this respect. In fact the side effect seems to be a rise of standards.
Locally in Shanghai the creative industry is positioned as an important growth factor for future. In this respect, several governmental organizations were founded (like the Creative Centre and the Design Centre) to boost the creative industry. The efforts right now is focused on hardware (creative zones development) and international activities (creative week, festivals, exhibitions etc).

Business
Clients gradually start to realize the importance of design, but still at a low level.
2 kinds of client would appreciate the value of design most: Those who have the ambition and a solid ground to become global companies (like Lenovo, TCL, Midea, Haier etc), usually big ones in China.
Those who have stood out and stayed alive after heavy competition, and realized the bottleneck of their own development, usually private companies, fast growing ones.
Quote: ‘[...] There’s a lot of that going on in China these days. As Chinese companies seek to build global brands and foreigners aim to boost sales in the mainland, they’re transforming the country’s design business. Chinese manufacturers realize they need better products if they want to break out of China and beef up their margins on sales abroad. [...] The best Chinese companies are building their design staffs or hiring outsiders to help them make more products of their own. Design is one of the most popular majors at Chinese universities today, and hundreds of design consulting firms have sprung up in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. [...] Even young designers from abroad are flocking to Beijing and Shanghai to try their luck in the world’s most dynamic consumer market. [...] Today, in contrast, just about everyone in China seems to want to be the next Samsung. A decade ago the Korean conglomerate was a second-tier brand that made me-too consumer electronics. But after years of focusing on design, Samsung today earns more awards for design than even Sony or Apple Computer, and it’s one of the world’s most valuable brands. “Design is the way companies improve their competitiveness,” says Yu Zida, a vice-president who oversees design at appliance maker Haier Group Co.’ [2]

Designers, students and academic
Design is taken as a new and hot major and profession. Much influence and motivation comes from the international aspects, by lectures and seminars, exhibitions, publication, internet, exchange programs etc.
Quote: ‘After the success of the first intra-regional design competition organized in China, Graphic Design in China ‘92, held in Shenzhen, the graphic design industry started to take off in the mid-1990’s. With the establishment of Shenzhen Graphic Designe Association in 1996, the first professional graphic design association in China, two significant intra-regional events were organized by the Association.
The first one, Graphic Design in China ‘96, featured leading judges from Japan and Korea. The competition attracted entries not only from PRC, but also from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. The event was an immediate success, attracting attention from all over the region to graphic design, and also helped this newly established Association build up its confidence to organize more events.’ [3]

However in general, there are also some obvious problems:
The understanding and definitions on creative/design/art/craft are blurred. There is no clear specialization. Looking for hardware and scale first, lack of software like talents, good education planning and supportive policies. In design functionality and tangible values (easy to use, raise efficiency, lower costs etc) are far more important than other values from a client’s point of view. They tend to go for something that can become a tangible product soon, like product design or architecture design, or something that can become a big economy scale, like packaging design with which many manufacturing industries and production (printing) are related. For young people (designers), it is easy to fall in love with design, but hard to break through.

How does the economy affect design development?
The high-speed economic development brings many opportunities for design, like architecture, fashion, graphic design, 3D, multimedia, some product design (like automobile and mobile phone) etc. The recent financial crisis over the world is urging China to make the upgrade as soon as possible, both internationally and domestically, to become more brand oriented and innovation oriented. Therefore some in depth and long-term demand for design might appear.
Quote: ‘As locals get better at design, multinationals are realizing that they need to develop products specifically for the Chinese. [...] Lenovo Group Ltd. (LNVGY), for instance, has had fabulous success with a cell phone that holds a few drops of perfume, filling the room with sweet smells as the battery heats up. [...]
“The difference between technical skills in China and the West isn’t that great,” says Liu Guangzhong, a professor at Tsinghua and an independent consultant. “The problem is in innovation.” [4]

How is the design education now?
In China there are over 2.000 universities (besides applied technique and crafts colleges) having art design as a major. Simply in Shanghai, there are over 30. Each year applicants even exceed the capacity several times more. So seemingly booming.

The problems are:
The qualities of students are not so good. Usually those who cannot be admitted by other majors finally enter design for the low requirements on scholarship and intelligence. If there are good students they will suffer of the ‘teaching speed’.
The teachers mostly come from traditional art (painting, illustration etc). Even those who were educated in design, they do not really have many practical experience and effective educational approach such as concepting and making business of design.
The education programs in each academy are more or less identical; also the rigid evaluation system of the education ministry limits the development.
Quote: China’s education system has traditionally placed much emphasis on examinations, and teaching methods tend to be one-way-street lectures (teacher teaches, students listen and follow directions). Students are also not encouraged to ask questions or challenge opinions which stifles creative thinking. In addition, China as a conformist society, and its cultural tradition of respecting hierarchy and seniority makes it difficult for design cultures to operate in a flat organizational structure emphasizing equal status and teamwork. [5]

The focal point is very much skills rather than thoughts. Preparatory instruction year is mainly build on developing classic, traditional skills. Experiment, research, innovation, and cross-overs are not encouraged.
The academic lack the initiative to make the change. Even though the financial aspects for the academy are good, the bureaucracy does not encourage any investment on improving the education quality. The low employment rate for students after graduation (less than 60% in 2007 in China). One way or the other it seems China’s booming design industry is not participating in the fast growing design education. There are only few iconic persons in the Chinese design world. In design curricula there is not much emphasis on the recent history of Asian design. There should be.
Quote: ‘Design is even seeping ever deeper into Chinese society. Beijing has introduced into the national curriculum a new course called Technology and Design in which students learn about the history of design and what constitutes good design. “Traditionally, Chinese people are very good at design,” says He Renke, dean of Hunan University’s design school, who helped develop the curriculum. “Now we need a renaissance.”’ [6]

“Right now China is open up for private education and also to foreign education institutions. Many are attracted by the huge market size and good potential of prospect. Design education is just starting with the first explorers.”

The objectives (what we want)

• Build up design climate in China
• To be an unique icon in design education
• Platform for education, opinions and promotion
• Establish stronger influence in design and business
• Expand the network
• Creates business leads
• Profitable and everlasting
• Talent scouting
• Encourage excellence
• Connect education and the design industry in China
• Load the curriculum with research, experiment and innovation
• Introduce logic and lateral thinking
• Link strategy and design
• Emphasize the recent history of Asian design
• Incorporate Chinese culture in a design program
• Build successful relationships and trust
• Engage dedicated commissioners

What we offer

For students

• Fast track workshop program for advanced design training in practice
• Seminars on various design relevant topics
• Studio, gallery and academy visit and workshop in Europe, as a supplement program to the above
• 1-2 year preparatory educational program prior to academic design education in Europe (bachelor and/or postgraduate)
• Speeches and lectures in various Chinese design academy

For businesses

• A platform to introduce clients the design experience
• High quality branding, identity and design
• Governmental and business knowledge from a design point of view
• Smooth integration with true professionals (tutors)
• Continuity by involving SD China

For education

• To introduce an up-to-date, and balanced curriculum . . .

Literature

1
Kishore Mahbubani, The New Asian Hemisphere.
The irresistible shift of global power to the east. Public Affairs, New York

2, 4, 6
Coverstory. China Design.
How the mainland is becoming a global center for hot products

3
Wendy Siuyi Wong, In Search of a New Graphic Design Frontier in China.
Establishing the ‘Chinese-ness’ of International Style. York University, Toronto.

5
Elaine Ann, The Top 10 Myths & Truths about Design in China