> Casadei Star Series Air Conditioner, Photo by YANG DESIGN

"The essence of design is to create a more reasonable way of living for human beings, instead of succumbing to consumption and speculation." In the current digital era, Yang Mingjie always faces the changes of technology and society with a critical attitude, hoping to make people perceive the pleasure and beauty of life through design, and make the relationship between people and people, people and things, and people and nature more friendly, rather than antagonistic.
Yang Mingjie, founder of YANG DESIGN, is one of the most influential industrial designers in Forbes China, and has won hundreds of domestic and international design awards. During the 10th Shenzhen International Industrial Design Exhibition, he participated with the theme of "The Disappearing Boundary", trying to explore the design perception between the real physical world and the virtual digital world with a new perspective.

> Future House "Green House", Photo by YANG DESIGN

Q: Could you please briefly introduce the curatorial theme and related information of this participation in Shenzhen International Industrial Design Fair?

Yang Mingjie: The theme plan of my exhibition this time is "The Disappearing Boundary". In the digital age, the boundary between people and things, people and machines, and things and things is disappearing. In the real physical world, this relationship is limited by the constraints of time and space. And in the virtual digital world, the Internet and sensing technologies break down this boundary, but at the same time reduce the interaction in the real physical world.
In the exhibition, I will show the "Star Series" home appliances designed for Casady. Fiber optic materials are applied to the surface of the appliances to form a smart skin that can be programmed to interact with the user through sensors, creating a better atmosphere and environment for the user. By visualizing the operating status of the appliances through lighting changes, it provides a new way of communication for users, and the boundary between people and things is disappearing. In addition, at the exhibition, products such as electric cars and smart wearable devices designed by us will also be displayed. In today's world, cars and electric vehicles are not just vehicles, they have become a social platform.

> Smart wearable sleep device, Photo by YANG DESIGN

Q: Have you been influenced by a particular design master during your career?

Yang Mingjie: My German mentor, Professor Dieter Zimmer, has been the greatest influence on me. Before returning to China, he advised me that minimalism is a spirit. It means that the only way we can see what is a meaningless temptation that we must give up is to make our minds as simple as possible, so that we can focus our limited time and energy on what is really meaningful and do the best we can. From that day on, it took me a long time to slowly understand and stick to it. As a result, I've always subtracted, whether I'm designing or being a designer.

> Pompidou x West Bank Forest of Light, Photo by YANG DESIGN

Q: As an industrial designer who has lived and studied in both China and Germany, how has the German industrial design philosophy influenced you? What are the significant differences between Chinese and German or Eastern and Western cultures? How can your designs be intertwined with your dual cultural backgrounds to create a more international style?

Yang Mingjie: "It's good to reflect on your cultural roots." Professor Zimmer once said to me that we must take the concept of "culture" seriously, considering it as a spirit and design as a standard. Designers should not pursue the instantaneous, but should think about both the material and the spiritual, so that their design works can maintain a long life. I hope to think and design from the root of culture. Localized or internationalized style is not a goal, but a natural result. I want to discard the external empty, noisy, symbolic surface forms in my designs, deconstruct the logic behind the appearance and keep the most important and meaningful ones, thus reconstructing a touching aesthetic value of life.
In Germany, what I have mastered is the design method. However, the design language of a designer is still influenced by the cultural environment in which he or she grew up. For example, the long raindrops by the West Lake in my childhood and the winding grapevines in my backyard made me have a deep understanding of "emptiness", "emptiness", "ambiguity" and "uncertainty". "I am fascinated by the visual images that are difficult to capture.
In product design, I prefer to use gradient, frosted translucent or transparent materials; in space, exhibition and installation, I always try to create "void" spaces that allow visual layers to be penetrated. The "void" itself is also an important characteristic of Eastern aesthetics. Take the "Void Landscape" installation as an example, it consists of a "Y" shaped unit that can grow infinitely, like a cell, splitting and combining into a small stool, coffee table, sofa, shelf, screen partition, or spreading to form a wall, or even a whole room. A house, a virtual white forest. ...... All the unit parts can be split and reorganized into the desired shapes and modules, recycled and sustainable.

> Sheep Shed Digital Woven Shoes, Photo by YANG DESIGN

Q: What is the value of industrial design? What impact can design bring to society, especially at this time of rapid development of industrial technology? And how will these impacts drive design forward?

Yang Mingjie: The value of design is reflected in the fact that design should create a more reasonable way of living for human beings, and design should not be subordinated to consumption and speculation. Designers should have a critical attitude to face the changes of technology and society. The development of technology should make the relationship between people and people, people and things, and people and nature more and more friendly, rather than more and more antagonistic.
I will think and balance design from the following levels: at the user level, products should be easy to use, durable and ergonomic; at the observer level, products should have a pleasant aesthetic experience, guidance and visualization; at the owner level, products should reflect the identity of users and the resulting brand genes to achieve spiritual communication between user groups and products; at the social level, good design At the social level, good design should spread a positive social inspiration to the public and adhere to a sustainable design strategy. My team and I have been involved in charity projects every year, designing disaster relief tents for earthquake victims, One Paradise to change the inequity in education, and water purification cups to solve the problem of drinking water safety in poor mountainous areas. So far over 1 million water purification cups have been delivered to children, which gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

> Yadi S9, Photo by YANG DESIGN

Q: Whether from the use of materials or process innovation, you have done a lot of experimentation, exploration and innovation. How does the occurrence and application of new technologies promote industrial design? How can technology and design be integrated with each other?

Mingjie Yang: With the increasing maturity of modern products in terms of function and shape, CMF (Color-Material-Finishing) design has become an important means of innovation. As early as 2005, when YANGDESIGN was founded, we set up a CMF lab and a special research team to explore the use of various new materials in design. In recent years, we have continued to focus on the new aesthetic values born from technological changes in the digital age. In the era of digital civilization, design has shifted from the reverse design of the past to the forward design. The freedom of form, structure and detail generated through algorithms has expanded the concept of design to an unprecedented space. The resulting new aesthetic identity is not only a style, but also a new culture, a complex algorithmic identity beyond human reach.
Interestingly, the visual forms produced by the algorithms, such as topology, are at the same time a decentralized network of relationships between people in the digital age. The freedom and individuality of craftsmanship is manifested in another way in the digital age. For example, the "Moebius Ring" chair is a parametric design combined with a FDM 3D printing process: a multi-dimensional structure based on a digital process that is difficult to achieve with traditional processes; the recycled resin material is randomly combined with colors and paths by 3D printing nozzles, creating an indeterminate handmade texture. The final seat follows the same pattern as the traditional process. The finished seat also follows sustainable design principles and has a comfortable seating experience.

> KFC recyclable food basket, photo by YANG DESIGN

Q: What are the trends and trends of industrial design in China for the future? In what ways will you explore them?

Yang Mingjie: I will focus more on the social aspect of design in the future. A good design should be friendly and environmentally friendly to human beings and society; the manufacturing, use and disposal of products should be conducive to saving energy and resources, in line with the principles of sustainable development. In this regard, modular and standardized design is an important principle. Reduce the use of disposable products, the use of recyclable materials, the rational classification of waste and recycling are effective means.

> YANG DESIGN Carbon Fiber Smart Travel Case, Photo by YANG DESIGN

Article Source:艺术与设计

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