China Design 2026

The world's largest growing country and most rapidly developing sits on the cusp of answering many of the design challenges that have plagued every other industrial country thru its growing pains. China is unique with its own culture and style so design solutions from the west can not simply be grafted upon the country and be expected to work. To answer these questions a bunch of European design students traveled to China to work with Chinese design students to understand those challenges, to take the experience the west has had with those same problems, and learn how to apply them successfully to China. So the question is, what will China be like in 2026? One example is the image above, the Fetish Mask. I'm sure you've seen news footage and images of Chinese people walking around with masks on. They wear it to protect themselves from the polluted air and to a lesser extent, disease. We all know those paper dentists masks do little to actually protect you but herein lies the problem; how to do you take something that is socially ingrained and redesign it for the future? The masks filters the incoming air, and medically sterilizes biological and chemical particles. It also incorporates a non-condensation mechanism so your exhaled breath doesn't build up and cause you to sweat underneath the mask. more info: http://www2.kh-berlin.de/china/