Lauren Parker, Zhang Hongxing China Design Now

Annotation

This is a highly topical and important look at the development of a vibrant Chinese design culture within the context of China's recent history of industrialisation, consumer revolution and rapid urbanisation. Focusing on China's hopes and dreams - from the entrepreneurial spirit of individual designers, to society's aspirations at a moment of tremendous change, to the global ambitions of a nation, the book explores how China's new design culture began, what its driving forces are, and how it is developing.Within the framework of three cities - Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing - from the early 1990s, to the present day and beyond, a broad range of topics is covered, including graphic design, branding, new media such as advertising, television and blogs, the family and the home, fashion, youth cultures, luxury goods and everyday objects, architecture and urban planning, vehicle design and transportation. Published for a headline exhibition at the V&A, and coinciding with the Beijing 2008 Olympics, "China Design Now" is a significant and groundbreaking book that celebrates the emergence of an exciting new player in the field of global design.