The Global Capital of Design
London is a global capital of design, but for how long?
London’s position as a World Leader in the design world is well known and well earned. It has an outstanding reputation for innovation and is home to some of the best design schools, attracting thousands of talented ‘creatives’ to the capital.
This status is shared with other cities - New York, Tokyo, Milan and Paris – each one known for leading the way across all design disciplines.
London has attracted young designers for years and the city has a proactive attitude towards the industry, hosting major international events each year (London Fashion Week, the Design Festival). Ken Livingstone champions Design for London in order to boost the city’s architectural and structural development and organisations such as The Design Council offer support to designers and businesses across the country. But is this enough?
The recent rapid development of Asian markets has seen Shanghai, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and others wanting to challenge their well-established peers in the design stakes.
Seoul was last year nominated World Design Capital 2010 and will host the first annual Design Olympiad in October. Both these events aim to attract young talent and foreign designers to Korea to give the country momentum as it emerges onto the world stage. Seoul’s mayor, Oh Se Hoon, recently stated: “If you want to check out the latest in design trends, go to Seoul”.
Similarly, China’s global presence is growing. Hundred’s of design consultancies have sprung up in Shanghai and design is one of the most popular university subjects, with many young foreign designers coming to try their luck in this dynamic market. China has recognised the need to develop its own style, moving away from the ‘me-too’ designs of the past decade. The National stadium, the ‘Bird-nest’, is already an icon of the Olympics even prior to completion. These are clear signs, from the country once considered the global ‘workhorse’, that China will be a strong contender in coming years.
Reputation goes a long way but with so much energy being put into the Asian design world, it seems the ‘Old Guard’ will have a challenge on their hands maintaining their current standing as World leaders. Only time will tell how they will react to the challenge.
Are you a designer, agency or other creative with something to say about global design? Which city, in your opinion, deserves the title ‘Global Design Capital’?
Comments
mickey | 09/06/2008
Global Design Capital: Liverpool