CBi China Bridge furthers international engagement with design communities in US and Latin America
Hot on the heels of founder Cathy Huang’s speaking engagement at the Industrial Designers Society of America in New Orleans, CBi China Bridge continued a whirlwind tour of high-profile design industry events and institutions in the United States and beyond, meeting with industry leaders and young talent, and exchanging knowledge on international design management practices.
CBi China Bridge founder Cathy Huang and Managing Partner Rudy Wimmer were invited by the California College of the Arts to give students and the local design community a window on innovation in China. As well as providing insights into the unique nature of the China market, the talk also covered demographic and cultural issues.
Charlie Sheldon, Interim Chair, Industrial Design Program, California College of the Arts, said the talk was a“valuable addition to the program,”with strong feedback from those who attended.
The visit to the institution also led to a meeting between CBi China Bridge and Professor Don Norman, cofounder of Nielsen Norman Group, former vice-president of Apple and an executive of Hewlett Packard.
San Francisco was another stop for CBi China Bridge, where Ms Huang served on the judging panel for the prestigious Spark Awards. Running since 2001, the awards are billed as the world’s first multi-level design competition, welcoming designers of all levels and skill sets.
Other experts on the panel of 12 judges included Andreas Harlow, Design Director, Nike, Portland; Rhys Newman, Director Strategic Projects, Nokia Design, Los Angeles; John Skidgel, UX Designer, YouTube / Google Inc.; and Leslie Speer. Assistant Professor, Art & Design, San Jose State University.
The Caribbean was also on the itinerary, with an invite extended by the Cuban PROGRÁFICA Committee, a non-profitable organization that works to promote the cultural values of graphic design. Its aims include stimulating the work of Cuban graphic designers through the dissemination and recognition of their work, and facilitating their incorporation into the international design community.
Cathy and Rudy enjoyed an informal talk with the audience about similarities and differences in design between East and West, the role CBi China Bridge plays in promoting insight-based design practice, and the wider Chinese design community.
The visit built upon the links with Latin America that CBi China Bridge has already cemented through the Innovation Union, established in cooperation with innovation consultancies in India and Latin America earlier in the year. More about the Innovation Union, and its highly-integrated innovation and research services in fast-growing markets based on local experts, can be read here .