A Study On The Mechanism Of Chinese Modern Design In20th Century

Based heavily on the case of Shanghai daily products design and related industries, this research examines the development and evolution of the mechanism of Chinese modern design in the last century. From the various social factors and elements within design activities that influence the industry, two vantage points, both exterior and interior, are combined in this research of design mechanisms, firstly, the vertical viewpoint, which concerns mainly with the state policy and administration level, the relationship between state departments and design agencies, the hierarchical structures within design agencies, etc., and the horizontal viewpoint, which deals with the various social environment factors that have impacts on design, mainly reflected in the connection between industry environment and design.Starting from examining three exemplary figures from three distinct periods, the paper traces the development of the organization of design activities within different historical and social backgrounds, the transformed roles and identities of designers, so as to describe the "incision" of modern design into China’s modernization process. Early20th century is represented by commercial artist Hang Zhiying, whose studio and production process, together with the diversified forms of design organization in Shanghai at that time, bear testimony to the "absorptive" design mechanism formed from bottom-to-top through the initiatives of private design agencies in Shanghai in the early20th century, characterized by market-oriented, profit-driven, industry-serving, and spontaneous endeavors.Mid20th century is represented by Gu Shipeng, director of the "team of designers" at the Shanghai Daily Product Company under Shanghai’s light industry system. The quasi-independent design organization "team of designers" reflects a mid-level design system and technique with Chinese characteristics. Design activities of the period has been integrated into the state production system. This top-to-bottom "conferring" mechanism has strong state-planning, instructive, targeted, collective elements.Discussions since the1980s is championed by Ge Wenyao, former president of the Shanghai Jahwa United Co. As a famous entrepreneur, his vision has strong implications on the positioning and development of the company brand and products. Its in-house design team once became a major driving force in the development of China’s design industry. As the industrial environment shifted from highly state-planned to market-oriented, more and more market-savvy independent design agencies emerged, co-exist and compete with design teams within the state system. This "complimentary" design mechanism is marked by highly competitiveness and professionalization.To conclude, today’s design industry bears a similarity to the competitiveness and market-driven characters of the early20th century, while the state planning of the mid-20th century has resulted in, on the one hand, certain disadvantages and malpractices that should be done away with, and on the other hand, irreplaceable industrial experiences and talents accumulated to later benefits. Today’s industrial reality and social environment has placed ever-higher demands on modern design. A highly professional, cross-disciplinary, and innovative modern design mechanism is still under exploration and in anticipation.