Gaining Perspective...

I think one of the biggest challenges facing the west in regard to China is developing an understanding of the context of the present changes. For so long all we have heard about China is mostly negative "propaganda' and retoric from the usual sources of information which are very filtered to protect the dominant ideologies of state and corporate interests...Now the groundrules are changing and as things change there is confusion.

“We must carry on tradition while creating something new…”

These words of a young 24 year old Chinese ballet dancer from Hubei Province, featured on mainland China’s international, English speaking television station CCTV9 [5/10/02], seem to embody the outlook of many students I encountered teaching design in Shanghai.

One of the oldest cultures on the planet, China is complex and mysterious. On a daily basis it is frustrating and challenging at all levels to the “alien” as both professional and resident. The undertaking of this research is valuable for a range of reasons outlined in this paper. There is an implicit responsibility attached to teaching the design process in a rapidly developing country perceived by the world – and itself, as a rising superpower of the 21st Century. As a design educationalist, it is important to develop an awareness of the past in order to understand both historical precedents and goals for the future.

This is equally true for industry professionals...