Harnessing the 'C' Factor in Automotive Design is the Real Challenge

LONDON and SHANGHAI, China, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- China is looking for effective and powerful design innovation to help cope with the huge challenge of becoming the biggest vehicle maker in the world within the next few years.
The designs from both foreign and domestic OEMs alike must develop a more distinctive character suited to the market. On the one hand, domestic Chinese brands need distinct design identities in order to differentiate themselves from local and global rivals. And on the other, they should reflect the elusive 'C Factor', harnessing elements of Chinese culture to create a distinctive Chinese design philosophy and aesthetic
Developing these themes is one of the purposes of this year's major automotive design conference in China, to be held during the Auto Shanghai motor show in April.
The Interior Motives China conference, hosted by Interior Motives magazine and its parent Car Design News, has speakers including design chiefs from OEMs such as Harmut Sinkwitz, head of interior design at Mercedes-Benz, Chery design director Li Chuan Qun, and VW China design boss Simon Loasby, together with leading influencers like former head of global design for Toyota Hideichi Misono, and Li-Chih Fu, former design director of Nanjing Auto.
Conference Director Abel Sampson commented: "The explosion in contemporary architecture, fashion and product design in cities like Shanghai has made Chinese consumers much more design literate. The challenge for carmakers is catering for this awareness by creating more contemporary and harmonious designs for the Chinese market.
'Our conference in Shanghai in 2007 identified some of these issues, and by bringing together domestic design talent and decision-makers from China with expertise from countries with more developed design capabilities, we expect to generate real solutions in 2009."
Also working on these solutions will be speakers like Ed Wong, director of transportation design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and Lowie Vermeersch and Jason Castriota, respectively design directors of major independent studios Pininfarina and Stile Bertone.
The Interior Motives China Conference will be held from 21-22 April 2009 at the Intercontinental Pudong Hotel, Shanghai. Delegates will also be invited to attend the Designers Night on the evening of 20th April.
Notes for Editors:
Details of Interior Motives China conference at http://www.interiormotivesconference.com/china
Interior Motives magazine http://www.interiormotivesmagazine.com is the leading print publication covering the design of automotive interiors. It circulates globally to senior professional designers within OEMs, independent design studios, selected Tier 1 suppliers and providers of services like modelling and studio technology.
Car Design News http://www.cardesignnews.com is the most powerful online resource used by professional and student designers. Its content includes: design reviews and design development features of the latest cars; exclusive interviews with global design chiefs; daily reporting on new concept and production vehicles from a design perspective; breaking news from the automotive design community; extensive photo galleries from each major auto show over the past eight years; and large-format, hi-res images to download.
Interior Motives and Car Design News are published by Ultima Media Ltd, a provider of information and media in print, online and at events to the global business-to-business automotive sector. http://www.ultimamedia.com
Contacts:
Abel Sampson, Publisher: abel.sampson@ultimamedia.com tel: +44(0)208-987-0963
Euan Sey, Editor: euan.sey@ultimamedia.com
Contacts: Abel Sampson, Publisher: abel.sampson@ultimamedia.com tel: +44(0)208-987-0963. Euan Sey, Editor: euan.sey@ultimamedia.com