Drawing from a rich body of archival documents, case studies and interviews, this book explores the ways in which graphic designers in China sought to establish graphic design as a profession and discipline from the 1980s to the present day.
Yun Wang traces the impact of cultural, economic and social conditions on China’s developing design industry in a period of rapid transformation, focusing on Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen as industry centres. From the influence of the newly implemented reform and opening up policy in 1978, to membership of the World Trade Organization in 2001, and international events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wang maps the increased demand for design talent and the evolution of a creative industry. This book provides a critical and extensively researched narrative of how graphic design developed locally and regionally, through practice, in education and within the publishing landscape, and pays particular attention to the ways in which designers in different cities in the People’s Republic of China intersected with international networks.
Including material from interviews with over 50 designers and other stakeholders, archival research into graphic work, design journals and exhibition catalogues, and 100 illustrations and photographs throughout, this book provides an in-depth exploration of graphic design developments in recent decades. It also features personal and institutional accounts, in addition to the author’s unique insight and reflections on the growing design industry in contemporary China.
By:
Yun Wang (China Design Museum)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 238mm,
Width: 158mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 660g
ISBN: 9781350342286
ISBN 10: 1350342289
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 19 March 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction: Journey to the West 1. Early Dawn: International Exchange in the 1980s Introduction Starting from 'Zero': The Emergence of Graphic Designers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen Western Training, Chinese Soul: Reflections on Chinese Culture in Crossing-Cultural Communication Conclusion 2. Graphic Design in China: Graphic Design Practice in the 1990s Introduction 'Vigorous Spirit': Graphic Design Projects and Practice in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone The 'Anonymous' Designers behind the Department Store Shelves in the 1990s Conclusion 3. Social Energy? Graphic Design Exploration in the 2000s Introduction 'Breeze in China': The 2004 AGI Beijing Congress Xin: The 2009 Icograda Beijing Congress Graphic Design Experimentation: 'Social Energy', a School to Learn Conclusion Conclusion: Walking on Chopsticks
Yun Wang is Researcher at the China Design Museum, where she has worked since 2013 on projects including the Design as Enlightenment exhibition in the National Museum of China. She received her PhD from the V&A/RCA History of Design programme, UK, in 2020, and is an active editor, writer and translator for Zhuangshi, China’s pre-eminent journal for design. She also wrote a chapter in the edited volume, International Design Organizations (Bloomsbury, 2022).
Reviews for Contemporary Chinese Graphic Design Practice
A book that reveals the untold stories of well-known contemporary Chinese graphic designers. Whether you are a student, a researcher or someone interested in design history, this book helps you understand the challenging journeys and development of contemporary Chinese graphic design * Xiyuan Tan, Lecturer in Graphic Design, Loughborough University, UK * Contemporary Chinese Graphic Design Practice is a welcome contribution to the discourse of graphic design and research about graphic design. It tells an important story about a little known history - even in China, let alone the West. This book demonstrates that there are significant histories of design other than those that dominate our awareness of a field that is typically understood as Euro-centric * Ian McArthur, Associate Professor of Design, University of New South Wales, Australia *
