China is on the verge of a design revolution. A
"third generation" of the People's Republic of China
that came of age during China's "opening up" period of
the 1980s now strives for fame, fortune, and self
expression. This generation, workers in their thirties
and forties, has more freedom to create--and to
consume--than their parents or grandparents. In China's
Design Revolution, Lorraine Justice maps the evolution
of Chinese design and innovation. Justice explains that
just as this "third generation" (post-Revolution,
post--Cultural Revolution) reaches for self-expression,
China's government is making massive investments in
design and innovation, supporting design and creative
activities (including design education programs,
innovation parks, and privatized companies) at the local
and national levels. The goal is to stimulate economic
growth--and to establish China as a global creative
power. Influenced by Mao and Confucius, communism and
capitalism, patriotism and cosmopolitanism, China's
third generation will drive the culture of design and
innovation in China--and maybe the rest of the world.
Justice describes and documents examples of Chinese
design and innovation that range from ancient ceramics
to communist propaganda posters. She then explores
current award-winning projects in media, fashion,
graphic, interior, and product design; and examines the
lifestyle and purchasing trends of the "fourth
generation," now in their teens and twenties. China's
Design Revolution offers an essential guide to the
inextricably entwined stories of design, culture, and
politics in China.
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