Design Forum and Workshops Unite Global Leaders, Exploring Future Trends

Over four days, the KOHLER · Design Shanghai Design Forum, CMF Conference, Workplace Conference, Presentation Zone, Innovation Workshop, and the Sustainable Design China Summit brought together the advanced ideas of leading designers worldwide, offering a platform for insightful exploration of future trends through design thinking. This initiative reflects Design Shanghai's commitment to professional excellence, fostering a space where creativity, innovation, and sustainable practices are seamlessly integrated and shared with a global audience. Always the main stage for intellectual exchanges, the Kohler · Design Shanghai Design Forum is one of the best attended and comprehensive seminar programmes in Asia. The theme for this year’s forum was ‘The New Universal Language of Design’. As the world becomes increasingly smaller, the forum explored how the East and West are interacting in ways they never have before; through the use of AI and highlighting our duty of care for the planet.

Notable speakers included Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, who shared his unique understanding of Chinese and Western culture and emotional design in his new book ‘Humanise’; Ed Ng, co-founder and chief designer of AB Concept, shared his views on "turning invisible emotions into tangible reality"; Luke Pearson, co-founder and director of Pearson Lloyd, explored the close connection between design and the world, and Aldo Bakker, founder of Aldo Bakker Studio, delved into the similarities and differences of design language from the perspective of "personal language".

Above: Aldo Bakker (L), Tomas Heatherwick (R)

Above: ED NG (L), Luke Pearson (R)

“My overall impression of Design Shanghai was the professionalism and energy - the quality for this year was outstanding. The incredible features and forums have given me a different perspective on the design industry, which I'm completely passionate about. It's not just about selling products, it's about producing culture.” Luke Pearson, Co-founder and director of Pearson Lloyd