On December 6, 2023, the “Good Design Changing the World 2023 International Automotive Design Forum and Geely Design 10th Anniversary” was held in Shanghai.
The forum gathered a group of influential figures including Tan Jianrong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Liu Ning, president of the China Industrial Design Association, Wang Shouzhi, lifelong professor at the Art Center College of Design in the United States, international car designer Marcello Gandini, He Renke, professor at the School of Design and Art of Hunan University, Song Xiewei, dean of the School of Design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Yun, dean of the School of Industrial Design at the China Academy of Art, Japanese designer Atsuhiko Yamada, Silvia Baruffaldi, editor-in-chief of “Auto & Design” magazine, Xu Liaoyuan, dean of the School of Art and Design at Geely College, Geely Automobile Group CEO Gan Jiayue, and Geely Automobile Group vice president Chen Zheng.
They discussed topics such as how “good design” can change the world in the era of smart electrification, and the collaborative construction of an “innovative talent cultivation system” for Chinese design. Release of the “White Paper on the Discourse System of Chinese Automobile Design” Under the combined influence of a new pattern, new technology, and new ideological trends, the global automotive industry is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. Faced with the opportunities and challenges of the times, Chinese automotive design must shift from isolated breakthroughs to enhancing systemic capabilities, creating a new design discourse system with its own unique characteristics, and promoting the transformation from “Made in China” to “Created in China.”
On site, Geely Design and China Academy of Art jointly released the “White Paper on the Discourse System of Chinese Automobile Design”, aiming to explore the forward-looking thinking of Chinese automobile design theory and system construction in the face of major changes. The white paper will provide systematic theoretical support for Chinese automobile design. Geely Automobile stated that the release of this white paper complements and improves the research system of Chinese automobile design, and will become a milestone in the history of Chinese automobile industrial design, with important strategic significance for promoting China’s transition from “industrial manufacturing” to “industrial civilization”.
“The Discourse System of Chinese Automobile Design” drives industrial innovation Behind “good design” is national strength, technological confidence, cultural confidence, and ultimately, aesthetic confidence. In the current accelerated transformation and upgrading of China’s industrialization towards intelligence, high-end, and greenization, the establishment of the “Discourse System of Chinese Automobile Design” is of profound significance for empowering brands, driving industrial innovation and development, and enhancing the influence of Chinese automobile brands globally.
Geely Automotive Group CEO Gan Jiayue said, “In the new era of electrification and intelligent automobiles, the international competitiveness and influence of Chinese car companies are constantly increasing, with design being crucial. Design is not only an important reference standard for consumers when choosing products, but also a key element in determining product quality, and is also the core competitive strength of Geely Automotive.” Academician Tan Jianrong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering pointed out, “Only through design can we grasp the core technology of the industry, expand into new markets, and shape new brands. For Chinese products to become Chinese brands, they must go through innovative design to extend our industrial chain, achieve enterprise transformation and upgrading, and reflect the added value of the products.”
Liu Ning, President of the China Industrial Design Association, emphasized that the design of new energy vehicles in China is no longer just the design of individual vehicle models, but the design of the entire system, the entire value chain, and the entire industrial chain. We are very pleased to see that Geely is an excellent representative of this independent brand, and is developing into a smart electric travel and energy service technology enterprise with global design competitiveness and influence, continuously winning recognition from the international community and global consumers.
Geely Automobile Group Vice President Chen Zheng said: “This forum brings together top wisdom, shares true insights, and one by one proverbs let us see a difficult but correct ‘road of design truth’. The Geely Galaxy E8 is the road that Geely design has opened up – not compromising with existing conditions, constantly fighting the increase of design entropy, and finding beauty in disorder. Because the Chinese new energy market is a high-quality soil for the birth of good design, it is a highly anticipated high-value design incubation field in the future.
Now, the development of Chinese new energy design is the right time, the right place, and the right people, everything is ready. Now is the best time for China to build a discourse system for Chinese design.” Creating a “new paradigm for Chinese design” Since its establishment in 2013, Geely Design has taken it upon itself to promote the design of independent Chinese cars in the new era, using design to continuously drive Chinese cars to climb the peak of value, influencing the trend of Chinese and even world car design.
“The ‘New Paradigm of Chinese Design’ requires the joint efforts of all sectors inside and outside the industry to promote. This forum provides a platform for all parties to jointly discuss, empowering the global automotive industry chain, value chain, and innovation chain with design power for sustainable development, and proposing the rise of the ‘New Paradigm of Chinese Design’ for the next 10 years. Geely Design focuses on expanding its enterprise innovation reserves and cultivating future forces of Chinese automotive design. At this forum, design academic heavyweights from key domestic art colleges come together to promote the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application, accelerating the independent training of talent.”
“The power of good design to change the world | 2023 International Automobile Design Forum and Geely Design’s 10th Anniversary” opens a new chapter, igniting more potential and significance for “good design” in the new wave, and also proposing Chinese strength for the world’s automotive development history of “good design”.