Han Ximin

A FORUM on Shenzhen’s design sector and its development at Shenzhen University will open today to launch the Shenzhen Design Month which runs through December.

Well-known designers from Germany, Japan, South Korea and Australia will cover a range of topics such as the government’s role in design, urban lifestyle and fashion design, design education and design culture.

A series of activities to be held during the design month, 34 in total, fall into seven categories including design exhibitions, forums, fashion shows, design competitions, said Diao Tiejun, vice general director of the Shenzhen Municipal Culture Bureau, organizer of the design month, at a press conference yesterday.

“Design is becoming more important for the economic growth and quality of life, and the activities during the month will serve as a platform for exchanges in design businesses and will promote the city’s drive in constructing a ‘city of design,’” said Duan Yabing, deputy chief of the Shenzhen Municipal Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China.

The city now has a team of more than 20,000 design professionals and their works have helped Shenzhen earn wide recognition.

In the field of graphic design, 60 percent of the country’s professionals are working in Shenzhen, while two of the six Chinese members of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) are from the city. Most designers are affiliated with large firms.