DS Lecture Review | Review and Outlook on the Development of Shenzhen Industrial Design

On December 21, 2023, Professor Feng Changhong – Industry Professor of the School of Design and President of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association (SIDA) – delivered a report titled "Review and Outlook on the Development of Shenzhen Industrial Design" to teachers and students of the School of Design. The lecture was hosted by Professor Guan Daowen, Dean of the School.

Starting from her own experience, Feng Changhong elaborated on four aspects: an overview of the development of industrial design at home and abroad, how Chinese design has gone global, the transformation and significance of Shenzhen industrial design, and the future outlook for Shenzhen industrial design. She shared a number of vivid stories from her journey of witnessing and promoting the development of Shenzhen industrial design, as well as her thoughts and strategies regarding the challenges currently faced by the design industry in the era of technological transformation. Feng Changhong pointed out that design is a key factor in global economic development and a core leadership driver for enterprise growth. Its importance is reflected in design’s capacity for innovation, competitiveness, and brand-building. Making good use of design will empower products, industries, and cities. Standing at the new historical starting point of the AI era, she emphasized that the design industry is facing profound changes – the drive of new technologies brings both opportunities and challenges to designers. Chinese industrial designers need to summarize the experience gained from the rapid development of the past decade, participate in the entire product lifecycle to enhance their irreplaceability, and work with global design forces to usher in the "Design 5.0 Era".

During the interactive session, Feng Changhong shared her insights on issues such as the capabilities required of design professionals and the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, engaging in in-depth exchanges with teachers and students present.

On-site of the lecture

Speaker Profile

Feng Changhong holds positions including Member of the 12th Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Member of the 5th and 6th Shenzhen Municipal CPPCC, Chairman of the China Industrial Design Collaborative Innovation Platform, President of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association (SIDA), Executive President of the Shenzhen Federation of New Social Strata, and Founder of the China-Finland Design Park. She has been honored with awards such as the Guangdong May 1st Labor Medal, the China Industry-University-Research Craftsman Spirit Award, the Gold Medal of China Design Contribution Award, "One of the 70 Figures in Chinese Design for the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China", and "Shenzhen High-Level Professional Talent".

Since entering the field of industrial design in 2006, Feng Changhong has led Shenzhen’s design industry to achieve a number of "firsts" in the sector, and is known in the industry as the "Industrial Design Promoter" with the most international vision. She has established strategic cooperation with over 30 advanced design cities around the world, created the world’s top industrial design exhibition, and organized high-end international industry events such as the Global Youth Innovation Camp (UNLEASH 2019). She has also initiated the establishment of more than a dozen design and innovation platforms across China, and proposed pioneering concepts such as "Design Reborn, Harmonious yet Unique". By infusing design and innovation thinking into "Guangdong Creation", "Hebei Intelligent Manufacturing", and "Longjiang Revitalization", she has promoted industrial transformation and upgrading, explored development models for transforming "Made in China" to "Created in China" and "Chinese Products" to "Chinese Brands", and enabled the world to witness Chinese design.