In response to the "Industrial Design Empowering Guangdong Action Plan (2022-2025)" and the Special Action for Industrial Design Empowerment in Eastern, Western, and Northern Guangdong, the Better Design Award Design Empowerment Industry Matching Conference was successfully held in Shaoguan on December 20. The event aimed to promote the transformation of design achievements in Guangdong and facilitate the gathering of outstanding talent.

The event attracted over 100 participants, including excellent project teams from the Better Design Award, industry experts, enterprises from both upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, industry associations, and social organizations. Attendees included Huang Yu, Deputy Director of the Shaoguan Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology; Chen Zhong, Deputy Director of the Shaoguan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Tourism and Sports; Xie Xuebo, Party Committee Member and Deputy Director of the Shaoguan Municipal State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission; Peng Hedong, Fourth-Level Investigator of the Shaoguan Municipal Bureau of Commerce; Chen Wanxing, Fourth-Level Investigator of the Shaoguan Municipal Administration for Market Regulation; Liu Zhiqiang, Fourth-Level Investigator of the Shaoguan Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; and Wang Yuejun, Deputy Division-Level Official of the Shaoguan Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology.

▲ BDA Design Empowerment Industry Matching Conference – Shaoguan Event Site

The event introduced industrial service resources, including design agencies and academic experts, and featured activities such as field research and keynote speeches. Concurrently, BDA Outstanding Design Exhibition and Design-Driven Brand Exhibition were held. The goal was to establish a platform for deepening the integration of design and industry, facilitating the transformation of results from the Better Design Award, empowering Guangdong's high-quality development through design, and accelerating the progress of the "High-Quality Development Project for 100 Counties, 1,000 Towns, and 10,000 Villages."

At the event, senior design experts, including Zhi Xiaobo, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of XINLIJI (Shenzhen) Brand Technology; Zhou Luping, Founder of Jixing Creative Design; Chen Taiwei, Founder and Creative Director of Zero-G Design; and Xue Haocheng, General Manager of YOHOESIGN, delivered in-depth presentations on design concepts, methods, and case studies. They also provided design service consultations for Shaoguan enterprises and offered professional guidance on issues raised by the companies.

▲Zhi Xiaobo, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of XINLIJI (Shenzhen) Brand Technology

▲Zhou Luping, Founder of Jixing Creative Design

▲Chen Taiwei, Founder and Creative Director of Zero-G Design

▲Xue Haocheng, General Manager of YOHOESIGN

The roundtable discussion was hosted by Zhou Jun, Associate Professor and Vice Dean of the School of Art and Design at Shaoguan University, specializing in Visual Communication Design. Representatives from Shaoguan enterprises, including Xiao Weiliang, Chairman of Shaoguan Invlock Equipment Co., Ltd.; Gong Jianlin, Chairman of Lechang Nongxing Food Co., Ltd.; and Luo Yumiao, Project Director of Guangdong Jane Bee Biological Science and Technology Co., Ltd., shared their insights and experiences on the theme "Design Empowerment—Innovative Transformation and Integrated Development of Shaoguan’s Industries." They explored how design innovation can drive the high-quality development of Shaoguan's industries.

▲BDA Design Empowerment Industry Matching Conference – Shaoguan Roundtable Discussion

The event featured an interactive experience exhibition area for the award-winning works, showcasing outstanding designs from the Better Design Award and design-driven brands. These product designs were innovative and unique, demonstrating the participants' exceptional creativity and offering attendees a dual feast of visual and creative experiences.

▲BDA Outstanding Design Exhibition and Design-Driven Brand Exhibition

Before the matching conference began, the representatives conducted in-depth field research at Shaoguan-based enterprises, such as the Guangdong Lingnan Food Industrial Design Research Institute and Shaoguan Keyi Creative Industrial Co., Ltd. They gained a deeper understanding of the enterprises’ actual conditions and design needs, promoting the effective transformation of design results from the competition and exploring new pathways for design to empower industries.

▲Field Research at Guangdong Lingnan Food Industrial Design Research Institute

▲Field Research at Shaoguan Keyi Creative Industrial Co., Ltd.