Shenzhen Creative Design Award judging insights

COO’s CEO, Tilman Thürmer, has recently been part of the Shenzhen Creative Design Award http://scda.shenzhendesign.org/node_198966.htm jury panel in Shenzhen, China and returned from there with a fresh perspective on the new wave of creatives that design the future China. The city of Shenzhen is a member of the global UNESCO Creative Cities Network, initiators of the SCDA competition that rewards the institutions and personnel that have made outstanding contributions to the construction of Shenzhen “The City of Design” and an effort to promote the construction of Shenzhen quality and criteria, as well as the Shenzhen brand and reputation.

The Shenzhen Creative Design Award reviews entries based on their economic, social and cultural value and is set to become one of the most prestigious architecture and design awards in China based on its structure, entries quality and value of rewards that it has prepared for the participants. This year’s competition granted 68 awards and a total of 4 million Yuan in prizes for the winners. By supporting mainland Chinese architecture and design professionals, the competition is a welcomed event in the Chinese architecture landscape.

Designated City of Design by UNESCO in 2008, Shenzhen is a fast-growing city, with a young population of more than 14 million people and in spite of its short history as a city it represents the 4th largest economy in China. It is home to over 100.000 people working in the design area, including graphic design, product design, fashion design and architecture.