But, like all newcomers to the sprawling metropolis, the 24-year-old soon had to face up to the harsh realities of the city’s high costs, fast pace of life and cut-throat competition for work from the constant influx of newcomers.

However, for Xiao Huang - who works as a masseur - the challenge is far greater than that faced by the majority of young hopefuls who arrive in the city. He is one of the city’s more than 60,000 blind residents.

“I came to Shanghai four years ago, but most of the city is still unfamiliar to me. It’s so easy to get lost, and I don’t like to trouble my friends too much for help, so other than traveling between my work and my dormitory, I don’t explore many other places,” he says.

Even a trip to the supermarket to stock up on essentials is a source of frustration. “I often have to ask the staff for help finding what I want, but not all of them are patient enough to take the time to show me where the different sections are, or to help me find the exact product I want. It can be a nightmare.”

Although awareness of the difficulties faced by the blind and people with other disabilities is growing in China, thanks in part to 2008’s Paralympics and the education efforts of government bodies and NGOs, there is still a long way to go.

Xiao Han, 32, is an NGO volunteer who has been blind since she was 20. She is one of the small, but growing, numbers of people to benefit from the recent introduction of guide dogs to China. However, despite changes to the law to increase access for guide dogs in the city, she still encounters obstacles in her attempt to lead a life unimpeded by her blindness.

“When trying to use the subway, I am often turned back by the staff, who say that it is too dangerous to allow a dog on the trains. This kind of incident shows a general lack of understanding of the unique problems faced by the blind,” she says.

However, despite the difficulties they face, both Huang and Han are fiercely independent, preferring to rely on themselves rather than others. For each, technology plays an important role in enabling them to do maintain their dignity and live full lives.

Xiao Han, who majored in literature at university, uses a computer with audio screen-reading software to enjoy ebooks, which she downloads from the Internet. She also uses the computer and her mobile phone to keep in touch with friends and family.

For Xiao Huang, his mobile phone is an important link between him and his girlfriend, who also works as a blind masseuse. The two each work long hours as part of their efforts to save up enough money to buy their own house back in Huang’s home town, so have few opportunities to see each other. As such, their relationship is maintained by frequent calls and texts in their spare moments.

But despite the huge benefits mobile phones bring to blind people like Han and Huang, the fact remains that most mobile handsets have been designed with the sighted in mind, limiting their usability.

That was until China Telecom received a request from the Disabled People’s Association (DPA) in China to provide one million bespoke mobile phones along with mobile services, tailored specifically to the needs of its members.

Keen to modernize its company culture, which in the past had been slow to respond to the needs and desires of customers following years of government protection, China Telecom saw the project as a unique opportunity to develop a revolutionary new product for a long-neglected customer group. The project would also be an ideal testing ground for the new customer-focused approach China Telecom is aiming for.

The operator set out to learn as much as it could about the needs of blind phone users. It enlisted the help of China Bridge International (CBi), a Shanghai-based design strategy firm with a long track record in aiding clients develop successful designs based on in-depth research and the understanding of target users. In addition, CBi’s expertise in helping clients implement organization-wide change to become more efficient and customer-lead meant the cooperation would have a far wider effect on China Telecom’s overall future strategy.

By working closely with blind mobile phone users such as Han and Huang, the research team learned just how big a role mobile phones play in the lives of the blind. Firstly, mobile phones often served as a personal assistant to many blind users, helping them to access information services, order goods and get directions. Mobile phones were also a major means of combating isolation and loneliness, allowing blind users to maintain close contact with family and friends, and access entertainment such as audiobooks and music. The research team also extended their observations to those around the primary users, such as friends, relatives and caregivers.

While the research produced a number of insights, there was one common factor that was instrumental in reaching the final design, according to CBi’s president, Cathy Huang

“The key discovery we made during the case studies was how blind people make use of  mental maps, which allow them to complete complex tasks without the need for outside assistance,” said Cathy. “The blind people we spoke to separated their tasks into step-by-step actions, the sequence of which were tied to key orientation points. As long as they could start from an orientation point, they would be able to complete the task without help from others.”

One example is the interviewee who arranged the contents of his refrigerator in such a way as to always be able to find what he needed. He then demonstrated to the bemused researchers how he applied the same system to the files on his computer.

 “This discovery inspired the look, feel and underlying logic of the handset we went on to design,” said Cathy.

The final design - named Jiu Gong Mobile - is the product of extensive research and cooperation between China Telecom and CBi. It takes the principle of Chinese philosophy called Jiu Gong and applies it to what the research team learned about mind-maps and orientation points. As with ancient cities, the game of Go and even sudoku puzzles - all of which have their roots in Jiu Gong - the phone uses a three-by-three square grid. The central square provides the all-important point of orientation, from which every function of the phone can be reached without the need of a screen.

As well as featuring tactile buttons that make it easy for the user to operate the keypad, the phone also has an advanced touch-sensitive panel, which allows users to control a voice output, which converts text into audio.

Recognizing that, although fiercely independent, there will be times blind users need help, China Telecom took advantage of its cutting-edge 3G network. When in need of directions or help finding an item, users can send real-time footage from the phone’s camera to their friends, who can then guide them.

Aside from the enthusiastic feedback from focus groups, the huge success of the project was confirmed when it won the 2009 China Red Star Design Award, the only national design award that aims to encourage domestic enterprises’ independent innovation, help create their own branding and improve their products’ competitiveness in the international market.

The award win also provided a high-profile success story that China Telecom’s leadership could use to demonstrate the value of design within the company. With the success of the Jiu Gong Mobile project as a rallying point, China Telecom established a dedicated User-centered Innovation Team, allocated more resources to innovation and design, and the subject of design is now never far from the lips of the company’s leaders.

 “The success of the project has given China Telecom a greater confidence to forge ahead with more innovative work, and has shown that the old image of a large, state-controlled behemoth without the ability to react to modern, design-lead marketplace is a thing of the past. CBi looks forward to continuing its work with China Telecom on other cutting-edge projects in the future,” said Cathy Huang.

This article represents an introduction to this project, we will continue to report on its effect on peoples lives and business.

CBi’s founder Cathy Huang will take to the podium to share CBi’s experiences in design research in China with the audience of designers, researchers, students, business leaders and media. She will be joined by other international design research luminaries such as Tim Brown, the CEO and president of IDEO; Don Norman, the co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group; and Heather Fraser, the director of Rotman School of Management’s Designworks and Design Initiative. Please click here to see More Speakers.

“The event will be a great opportunity for CBi to share the insight it has gained from its impressive achievements with the international design community,” said Cathy Huang. “The IIT Institute of Design’s philosophy - developing and teaching a more methodological and human-centered approach to design – dovetails with what we at CBi aim to bring to our clients and the wider design industry in China. This invitation to speak at the conference demonstrates CBi’s growing global reputation and success.”

The Design Research Conference is held every year by the Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) Institute of Design. The 2010 DRC will be held at the Spertus Institute in downtown Chicago.

This year’s conference is tasked with assessing where design research is headed, posing questions such as professional integrity, technology, communication, integration, and new markets. Questions include how can design research protect its professional integrity as it expands? What methods will new technologies allow and which methods will be swept away? How can design researchers communicate findings through experiences rather than reports? How do you ensure that research is truly integrated into the design process? And how do you conduct research in difficult environments?

For more, please kindly visit Design Research Conference 2010 .

1. Requirements of design

A) Logo should be related to the theme of “World’s Capital of the Naval Orange”, reflecting the property and identity of the city of Ganzhou, highlighting in particular the auspicious and dynamic characteristics of the city of Ganzhou; specifically displaying Grand Ganzhou’s historically cultural charm.

B) Logo should be concise but vibrant, creative but with meaning, artistic but with a slight shock factor.

C). It should be easy to produce and suitable to any use.

2. Guidelines for contributors

A) Only color artwork located at the center of A4 paper and E draft (PSD, CDR, JPEG formats only) should be submitted. Standard scale and standard color should be marked out and a detailed verbal description should be attached to the artwork. Coordinates draft is also acceptable if condition permits. The E draft should be submitted on a disc.

B) The color artwork and E draft must specify contributing organization and personal information (name of the organization or the person, gender, ID card, occupation, contact address, telephone, E-mail and other means of communications).

C). Deadline: Must be post marked by March 31, 2010.

D) The contributing design must be the original works of the author which has never been published or contributed; no form of plagiarism or piracy will be accepted. If the design is found to be unoriginal, it will be disqualified and the contributor will bear corresponding legal liability.

E) The submitted design will not be returned. The author should keep an original copy. The author can dispose of his works if he does not notice of reward within six weeks after the press time.

F) Every design must be enclosed with a letter of commitment on copyright transfer with the author’s signature or official seal; otherwise it will be regarded as an invalid design.

G) The contributing works should be no more than ten pieces per person or group.

3. Rewards and review method

A) Awards

One design will be selected as the first place winner. The award is 180,000 RMB Yuan.

Nine Outstanding (excellent) designs will be chosen. The award is 20,000 RMB Yuan each and certificates of excellence.

Fifty finalist designs will be rewarded honorable mentions and souvenirs.

B) Review method
April 1, 2010 to April 15, 2010: experts meet for an initial examination of the contributions and select 60 designs.

April 20, 2010 to May 5, 2010: the 60 initially selected designs will be publicized on the website of Ganzhou City People’s Government (www.ganzhou.gov.cn), website of Ganzhou China (www.gndaily.com). Voting will take place via cell phone messages and on website.

May 10, 2010 to May 15, 2010: Experts meet for a second review and select one final design and 9 excellent entries.

May 20, 2010: Announcement of the finalists and prize winners on Gannnan Daily, Ganzhou City People’s Government website, China Ganzhou (Hakka) Website and contact with the finalists, and awarding of the prizes.

4. Other rules and regulations

A) The organizer will not assume any liability on the entries possible post delay, mislabeling of the envelope, insufficient postage, stolen, lost and damage caused by another party.

B) The collection party holds the right to ask the author to revise the selected design according to the requirements and have elements of the selected design revised by the author.

C) All participating parties shall have sufficient understanding and will have accepted the terms of the notice on the related rights and obligations. The final interpretation on this contest belongs to the Logo Collection Office of “Ganzhou-World’s Capital of the Naval Orange”.

5. Address and contact

Xiao Zimin

Telephone :　 0086-797-8391358

Address:  Ganzhou City Bureau of Culture, 21st Floor, Southern Building, Ganzhou City Hall (envelope please marked with contribution)

Zip code: 341000

Enclosed with: Letter of Commitment for Copyright Transfer

 The Logo Collection Office of Ganzhou-world’s Captital of the Naval Orange

Dec.20, 2009

Note: Please visit www.ganzhou.gov.cn and www.gndaily.com to obtain the brief introduction of the city of Ganzhou and download Letter of Commitment For Copyright Transfer

Letter of Commitment for Copyright Transfer

To The Logo Collection Office of “Ganzhou-World’s Capital of the Naval Orange”

I hereby declare that I have read, understood and accepted Contest Entry Notice of the Design of the logo of “Ganzhou-World’s Capital of the Naval Orange” and made the following commitments.

1.My contributing design, submitted to the competition, is original, never have been published or used, possessing sufficient, entire and exclusive copyright, the candidate’s work(s) will not infringe on any rights and interests of the third party.

2.After the candidate signs the letter of commitment and has won the prize, the copyright of his selected works will be transferred to Ganzhou City People’s Government irrevocably at one time, and at the same time, the author should commit to quitting all rights to publishing, authorship, amendment and protection of integrity. Ganzhou City People’s Government has the right to decide, by itself, any amendment, use, development, authorization, license and protecting activity on the designs, without any interference and restriction from the author or any third party.

3.If the contributing design wins,Ganzhou City People’s Government can enjoy all the rights stated in the letter of commitment after paying the rewards accordingly and without any extra pay, the contributing party has no right to enjoy any special rights and share any rights and interests obtained from the selected works with Ganzhou City People’s Government.

4.If the author fails to carry out the commitments in the letter, Ganzhou City People’s Government reserves the right to claim indemnity to the author for the direct, indirect and other economic losses caused by him.

5.No matter if the author is at fault or not, if the contributing design leads Ganzhou City People’s Government to any claims, litigation, arbitration, and complications from any direct or indirect losses of fame, reputation and economy, Ganzhou City People’s Government has rights to take legal actions against the contributing Party.

6.Without the written consent of Ganzhou City People’s Government, the author cannot transfer any or all parts of the commitments of the letter to a third party.

7. The interpretation of this letter is subject to the relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China.

8.The Letter of Commitment will be effective upon the signature of the candidate.

Candidate’s signature and seal

ID Number

Date

The culture of Chinese characters has long historical roots a nd profound meanings; it fosters China’s ancientcivilization and advances the cultural evolvement of it. Kaishu (a formal script of Chinese characters), in the entirehistory of Chinese characters, enjoys an irreplaceable status and holds significant meanings: it embodies theChinese humanistic spirits and demonstrates an understanding and representation of beauty.

CAFA is one of 30 schools honoured in BusinessWeek’s Special Report on Design Thinking, which includes an article on China’s new focus on design. Selected from 115 nominations by a panel of 42 academics, designers, consultants, and business managers, key criteria were Master’s and MBA programs combining design thinking and business administration.

Wang Min, Dean of the School of Design at CAFA and a current Icograda Vice President, noted in the report, “With almost a million students studying design in universities, design education is a national issue. Most people don’t really know what design can do for them.” Referencing Chinese government’s design policy, which is being developed as a framework to facilitate China’s evolution beyond a manufacturing economy, he added that design education will play a crucial role. “In many places, we still need to promote design and design thinking.”

Prof. Don Ryun Chang, Icograda President, congratulated CAFA on the recognition. “CAFA has been an active member of Icograda’s Education Network (IEN) since 2004. They have played an instrumental role in connecting Chinese designers with their international counterparts and incorporating leading international best practice in CAFA’s curriculum. Their approach to integrating design thinking and business skills as critical competencies for the next generation of Chinese design leaders exemplifies Icograda’s mantra of leading creatively. As host organiser of our upcoming World Congress, the international design community will have a unique opportunity to experience CAFA and gain a deeper understanding of how China values design as a medium for progressive change.”

Beijing welcomes the international design community
From 24-30 October 2009, Xin: Icograda World Design Congress 2009 will take place in Beijing. The occasion is an historic event, marking the first time the Icograda World Design Congress will be hosted in China since its inception in 1964. Member delegations from more than 30 countries and regions will gather for the two day biennial Icograda General Assembly, which opens the Congress on 24 October. Reflecting Icograda’s international mandate, the date coincides with United Nations Day.

Keynote presentations on 26 October include Pan Gonkai, President of CAFA and recipient of the Icograda President’s award; Sol Sender, creative lead of the Obama ‘08 campaign identity; Kohei Sugiura, one of Japan’s most innovative designers; Jan van Toorn, the Dutch designer whose work investigates visual meaning; and Patrick Whitney, Dean of the United States’ Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology.

Parallel sessions of the international conference, a two-day design education conference and numerous exhibitions will be hosted on the CAFA campus. The sessions, presented by a roster of 97 international will explore the capacity of design to integrate with other media, to transcend national, cultural and economic confines, and to benefit the world at large. Included in the congress proceedings is the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards ceremony, which will recognise 13 winners of this international student competition.

Swarovski Element has been crossing-over with world-renowned designers, such as Konstantin Grcic, Naruhito Yoshioka and George Armani, in unique cooperation that shows the Swarovski crystals charm in different angles.

Yang-Design
Yang-Design., established in 2005, is a Shanghai-based design consultancy dedicated to integrated brand strategy with strong focus on product design.
Jamy Yang, design director of the company, is formerly a headquarter product designer of designaffairs in Siemens, Germany. He is also the winner of more than ten international design awards such as 2009 Red Dot Award, 2008 Design For Asia Silver Award, Top Ten Excellent Young Chinese Designers, 2003 European Kitchen Cupboard Design Silver Award and 2002 Red Dot Concept Gold Award,.
The design team, divided into Departments of Trend & Strategy Research, Lifestyle Product, Technological Product, Constructional Product, Integrated Branding, Engineering & Structure, provide service covering various product categories. Our clients include renowned brands internationally and domestically including Siemens, Bosch, Absolut Vodka, Swatch, Kingston, EMTEC, China National Offshore Oil Corp and World Expo.

A series of exciting conferences, exhibitions, events, concerts, performances and fringe activities will be held from 24 - 30 Oct and beyond based on the theme Xin which literally signifying human speaking, representing a primitive means of communication and has come to encompass many more dimensions today. Some of the most sought after luminaries of the design and visual art industries, including Jan van Toorn, Sol Sender, Patrick Whitney, Pan Gongkai, Kohei Sugiura, David Kester, Ruedi Baur, Xu Bing, Troika, N55, Joachim Sauter (Art+Com), Ric Grefé (AIGA), Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto), Brian Collins, Michael Rock (2×4), David Carson, David Small, Qiu Zhenzhong, and Dunne & Raby will be on stage to address delegates from around the world.

The key events during the week of 24 - 30 Oct include the grand Opening Ceremony at the National Centre for thePerforming Arts, and the International Design Conference and Icograda Education Network (IEN) Conference at China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Exhibitions opening throughout the week include “Lifescope: Design Design! Live Life!” at Beijing World Art Museum, “Design as a Second Productive Force” at the National Art Museum of China, the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Award (ADAA) Exhibition (following its award-giving ceremony on the 26 Oct) at China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Library, and “Chinese Graphic Design in the 20th Century: A Documentary”, “Beijing Typography 2009” and “365: AIGA Annual Design Competitions Show” at CAFA Art Museum together with several others.
In addition to the core programme of the event, Icograda World Design Congress Beijing 2009 & the 1st Beijing Design Week will also host a spectrum of events and activities that are highly recommendable for design professionals planning to be in Beijing this Oct, which include the “Beijing High-End Design Projects and Policies Release” - announcing Beijing’s city-level design projects in the next decade, “Beijing Design Tour” - an insider’s trip to the Beijing dynamic design scene, Launch of “Beijing Workstation for International Designers” - a service platform for international designers by Beijing Creative Centre, “Xishi” - an opera based on the story of a beautiful Chinese woman, “Unitxt” - live audio-visual art performance by the acclaimed visual artist/electronic musician Alva Noto, and a variety of selected excursions in and
around Beijing. More events and activities will be announced on the www.beijing2009.org soon.
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The event is co-organised by China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing Industrial Design Centre (BIDC) and Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group.
Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations) is the world body for professional communication design.
Founded in 1963, it is a voluntary assembly of organisations concerned with graphic design, visual communication, design management, promotion, education, research and journalism. Icograda promotes the vital role of communication design in society and commerce, and unifies the voices of graphic designers and visual communicators worldwide.
The 1st Beijing Design Week will be running parallel to the Icograda World Design Congress. And as part of the legacy of the Congress, the BDW will be a long term programme of Beijing City aimed at promoting the role of design in China.
Registration
Online registration is available for Xin: Icograda World Design Congress Beijing 2009. Professional, academic, student and member rates are available for qualifying delegates. Please visit www.beijing2009.org/reg.htm for further details.

website:http://2009.vudn.com/en.html

To match the Swatch Valentine’s Day watch of this year, the package created by Y-TOWN is called Flying Hearts Gloves. The heart-warming valentine’s gift can also be used as a pair of woolen gloves, as if hand-knitted by lovers, integrating a sense of intimacy and tenderness. When both hands held together, the two hearts on each glove can be combined as one butterfly pattern, as a romantic symbol of the loving hearts and flying butterflies.