Liu Zhilu, General Manager of Styling at FAW, presented a potted history of the state-owned manufacturer from its beginnings as Red Flag over 50 years ago. She touched on the application of certain design motifs to its early designs such as sunflowers within lamp graphics and an interpretation of the traditional Chinese fan.

Hideichi Misono, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tecno Art Research, may be accused of going off the topic of the session, yet his messages to the young Chinese designers gathered around the conference had a palpable resonance. Of particular note was his shared wisdom on designing for an increasingly ageing population, which will see 1/5th of the world's population made up entirely of the Chinese over 65s by 2025. His work on Toyota's 'Welcab' vehicle entry and egress systems struck a particularly strong chord with the young designers. He encouraged them to "prepare yourselves by training two factor of design:' Will' and 'Skill' ", adding that it was the young creatives who should be shaping the future of the Chinese industry, a sentiment shared by many on the panel of speakers.

Erik Vogas, Director of Design, Innovation and Marketing for the Asia Pacific at Eagle Ottawa, introduced the audience to Wang Yang, a young product designer who runs a  consultancy and a line of her own goods. Vogas holds her up as an example of the push and pull of East-West. Looking at her products, he said that she is creating designs that are in some ways nostalgic and obviously Chinese, but with form and detail applied in a modern way.  The Western influence comes in the shape of crisp, spare lines and geometric forms. Her work also uses symbols – and an exploration of how these are incorporated into the design rather than being motifs that are just applied. Vogas also explored Hermes for China and its references to Chinese culture and craftsmanship throughout its work, which he believes will flux out into the automotive space.

Closing the session, Robert Miller, Senior Lighting Design Consultant at Concept Design Lighting and 3M Automotive, offered insight into possible practical technical applications, a fitting way to round-off the largely philosophical debate. Emerging lighting technologies – using precision light guides, OLED technology, illuminated materials and microfilms – have the potential to completely redefine the perception of interiors, he said. The ability to apply graphics and project images, and to create smart materials and have them customizable, will allow for quick, low-cost experimentation. Add in the level of interactivity craved by Chinese youth and this is perhaps the most exciting emerging area in vehicle interior design.

Session 7: A view from the top
The conference concluded with a quick-fire Q&A panel chaired by Chris Bangle, now heading his own consulting firm. Joining him on stage were Ed Wong, Head of Transportation Design at the China Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA), Olivier Boulay, Vice President for Design at Daimler North East Asia, plus Klaus Busse, Amko Leenarts,  Liu Zhilu and Li-Chih Fu.

By revisiting key questions raised over the two day conference, the panel – this mix of Asian, European and American designers – was pushed by Bangle into answering the question of how quickly automotive design will develop in China. Individually they were non-committal or not overly-optimistic given the current management structures of the country's OEMs. The panel provided an energetic, thought-provoking and emotive wrap-up session which proved the perfect way to round off a fascinating Interior Motives China Conference 2011.

Workshops
After the conference itself, delegates had the chance to attend one of three workshops held on specific subjects: Craftsmanship in a Digital Era, by Eagle Ottowa; Building Design Teams, by PAE Design Talent; and Perceived Quality, by Icona Solutions. The workshops allowed more detailed discussion and Q&A on practical issues.

The Interior Motives China 2011 conference was held with the support of sponsorship from 3M, Alcantara, Eagle Ottowa, Icona Shanghai, Johnson Controls, Rhodia, RTT and SRG Global.

More on China
CDN organised three separate events in Shanghai this year. As well as the Interior Motives Conference, there was the winners' ceremony of the 2011 Car Design Awards China student design competition, and the official designer networking function, Car Design Night. And of course see our instant take on the Auto Show in the reports on CDN Live.

We'll be following up with reviews and perspectives on Shanghai 2011, and the progress of China's design market generally. We do it all again in Beijing next year for Auto Show 2012.

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Interior Motives China Conference 2011 - Day 1
Interior Motives China Conference 2010 - Day 1 
Interior Motives China Conference 2010 - Day 2