BIZCHINA / Weekly Roundup

Cutting edge
By LI WEITAO (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-05 09:57

Design is not only about looks, but also functionality and a good consumer experience.

"Design is the soul of our company," says Feng Jun, president of Chinese consumer electronics maker Huaqi.

The company makes audio and video players and flash memory devices under the Aigo brand, which translates as "patriotic."

It sells more MP3 players in the country than any other foreign rival. It recently secured an order from a store chain in Britain for 600,000 units.

"Frankly, the quality of most MP3 music players in the market is roughly the same," says Feng.

"But design makes a big difference."

Feng's pride is an MP3 player model, the V002, Huaqi launched years ago the peanut-shaped player is still one of the hottest models sold in China.

"That is incredible in an overcrowded market. Many rivals are copying our designs, which is the best compliment for our designers," says Feng.

More than 10 people at Huaqi's industrial design centre specialize in physical designs.

"We have registered hundreds of patents in physical designs," Feng says.

Huaqi now has more than 500 people working on R&D and five research institutes for software development, functionality, industrial design and user interfaces.

This emphasis on design has largely helped Huaqi become a serious competitor.

Last year, the firm launched several high-end digital camera models, the first developed, designed and manufactured by a Chinese firm independently.

Increasing technological strength and innovative designs have turned Huaqi into a "respected firm," says Hideki Ozawa, president and chief executive officer of Canon China Co Ltd, in an earlier interview.

The high-end digital camera market in China has long been dominated by Japanese firms such as Canon and Nikon.

Design powerhouse

The awakening of Chinese firms to the power of design is helping transform the country from a manufacturing hub into a design powerhouse.

Leading Chinese firms such as PC maker Lenovo and home-appliance manufacturers Haier and Changhong are not only beefing up their own design capabilities, but also hiring internationally-known designers.

Professional consulting firms are also popping up in big cities.

Song notes that there was only one professional industrial design house in Beijing 11 years ago. "Now there are more than 60."

More than 400 universities in China offer industrial design degrees and another 1,100 offer design-related courses.
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