Anne Zhang

    zhangy49@gmail.com

    WITH the second China (Shenzhen) International Industrial Design Fair to unveil Saturday in Shenzhen, the city is taking another leap on the global design stage.

    The Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association (SIDA) and its leader Shirley Feng have, no doubt, played an important role in bringing Shenzhen’s designs to the world.

    Feng, secretary general of SIDA, started taking charge of the organization when it was established in 2008. Under her leadership, SIDA has developed from a team of less than 50 members to China’s leading design organization with nearly 700 members. Feng has also led local designers to win many international awards, including the iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award, and helped members enter prestigious global design exhibitions.

    “When I took over SIDA six years ago, I made it my goal to make Shenzhen designs known to the world,” Feng said.

    With her ambition, perseverance and competence, Feng has been steadily reaching her goal. Feng took the groundbreaking step toward the international stage in 2008 when she represented Shenzhen and signed a strategic cooperation protocol with Hong Kong Design Center.

    “I still remember the arrogant and dismissive look on the Hong Kong partners’ faces when we signed the agreement,” Feng said. “I told myself ‘there will be a day when you guys are astonished by Shenzhen design professionals and their products.’”

    Despite the inferior feeling, the cooperation with Hong Kong has proved to be the right strategy.

    Spurred by the protocol, Business of Design Week (BODW), a leading design event in Asia, was held in Shenzhen that year and SIDA, based on the model of BODW, initiated the China International Industrial Design Festival, an event that has helped Shenzhen develop close collaborations with design organizations from dozens of countries, including Germany, Britain, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and India.

    One of the milestones SIDA has achieved was in 2011, when Shenzhen, for the first time, entered London 100% Design, the world’s largest and most prestigious contemporary design event.

    “We made a great effort to enter the exhibition in 2011, and Shenzhen had a successful debut that year,” Feng said. “Our distinctive Chinese style attracted global attention and won an invitation from the organizing committee to attend the next year’s event.”

    The following year, SIDA led Tencent and Huawei, China’s Internet giant and communication giant, respectively, in speeches at the annual conference for the Industrial Designers Society of America.

    “It’s the first time that voices from China’s design industry were heard at a top global conference, and it helped Chinese designs win international recognition and respect,” Feng said.

    The international influence of Shenzhen designs was further enhanced after the first China (Shenzhen) International Industrial Design Fair was held last year.

    Through international exposure and exchange, Shenzhen has proved to the world that China is no longer a copycat, but a country of original designs, Feng said. She added that local designers have also seen their shortcomings and learned from the merits of their counterparts in other regions.

    Each region has its own design style. German design, for example, is often rougher while designers from northern Europe hold up a principle of “less is more.” In addition, Taiwan designers show a deep understanding of Chinese aesthetics and culture in their works, always pursuing extreme design perfection and quality, Feng said.

    “Chinese designers need to create their own style and brands and must try to perfect their works,” Feng said.

    The inadequacy of intellectual property laws in China has also hindered the development of original designs and international cooperation, she said.

    In spite of these weaknesses, Feng sees a bright future for Shenzhen’s industrial design industry. The city’s well-developed manufacturing industry, especially medium and small manufacturers, has a strong demand for designs to enhance their brand value, Feng said, adding that makers, a rising force that may precipitate the fourth industrial revolution, also need industrial design to help them turn their innovative ideas into reality.

    “I believe Shenzhen will become the Eden for makers from around the world because the city, regarded as the hardware Silicon Valley by expats, can offer every piece of hardware component they need for innovation,” Feng said. “It will be another opportunity for our designers to go international.”

    Feng attributed the rapid development of Shenzhen’s industrial design industry to government support. The Shenzhen government has allotted over 200 million yuan (US$33 million) to SIDA so far this year to facilitate international exchange, she said.

    “As a City of Design, Shenzhen should be more open, tolerant and keep learning from others,” Feng said. “As the head of SIDA, I have a responsibility to bring advanced design concepts to Shenzhen and take Shenzhen designs to the world.”