OUTGOING

A report on travels, experiences and wonderful people we've come across in the search for Sparks... Join us! 

April, 2010

Next Big Thing(s)
Just back from our Spring visit to Asia. In summation-- well worth this expansive 15-day visit to China. A fascinating aspect about the design scene in China is the intense competition between the big cities. They are all rapidly building infrastructure, schools and awareness about the potential of design. It's an "unbuilt" environment getting built really fast. It makes for a giddy whirlwind of priorities, pressure and planning and it is great fun to be in the fray, fashioning a small part for Spark. If everything goes to plan (unlikely)-- we'll have a September exhibition in Shanghai, October SparkAwards in San Francisco, November's Beijing Design Week activities and in December we send the 2010 Spark Exhibition and Celebration to Guangzhou Design Week.

Interior shot, Terminal 3, third largest bldg in the world

Spark started in Beijing (BJ), landing amidst the annual Spring sandstorms.
Streaming down from the Gobi Desert, they are not nice. I spent two of 4 days cooped up in Gehua Hotel, although truthfully, I needed the time to write proposals. We’ve been asked to help with programming for a national design event.
Where's a taxi when you need one? Mickey D Delivers!
Practice Time Lots of lux in BJ

So the only touristy stuff we had time for was an exquisite meal of (what else!) Peking Duck at the famous Da Dong restaurant. Truly up to its billing (thank you Anthony Bourdain). Our Spark winner and good friend, Joaquin Huang shared this good time.  He graduated GAFA and jumped right to Nokia/Beijing. Bright fellow! I also visited and lunched at the lovely Opposite House Hotel near Dong Yue Miao.  This property was created by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose exterior “stuns with an emerald green glass overlay.” Well, it was pretty nice, and the food was great in their courtyard cafe… and over the courtyard door was an admonition writ in stone, suggesting we all nurture our inner Spark. I’d have to agree!

On the road to old Nanyuan airport, I spotted a monster lumbering through the dusty landscape. Truly awesome, the CCTV building by OMA is felt rather than seen.

At the airport I attracted a fellow's attention as I scribbled notes in my journal. He was soon joined by a second fellow, then a third, and so on, until we had a crowd of 25+.

No one spoke English, nor I Chinese, but it is one of my most treasured travel moments.
The hour went by quickly, then we waved goodby through the dusky sand storm and buckled up.

Next stop– Guangzhou (GZ), in the Pearl River Delta, China’s vast manufacturing center. It is also the base of SparkChina, our cooperation to promote SparkPro competition entries, Our friends at CitiExpo and in the GZ government made us very welcome indeed, with proposals of deepening our involvement and bringing more elements of Spark to the region and country. We also spent quality time with Prof. Tong and Asst Prof. Haishan Deng of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts– they are good friends and offer wonderful insight about Chinese design and designers.
University Island, home to 120,000 students & 10 colleges

This morning I’m looking out at bare brown fields of rubble from the 26th floor of our ultra-modern Shanghai Holiday Inn Express.  The hotel is somewhat near downtown, next to the train station, and all but surrounded by construction debris. Jackhammers rattle day and night (hence the 26th floor!) and residents struggle to stay cheery– through slightly strained smiles they predict all will be finished in one month, in time for the World Expo. They’ve been under this duress for over a year, and their relief is at last at hand. Interestingly– ALL construction does stop May 1, for six months, during the World Expo. Better get cracking, boys!

So, best be getting on with the day– first another proposal for BJ, another for GZ, then meetings with some great Shanghai design resources: Cathy Hwang and Rudy Muller at CBI and Parson Ge at PG Design & Branding. Tomorrow we are off with Prof. Jan Von Holstein to visit Vice Dean Lou Yongqi at the brand new College of Design & Innovation at Tongji University. Jan sits on the Board and teaches at this interesting school, the creation of a stellar international academic committee. We also stopped for a chat with friends at Autodesk and a tour of their new campus in Pudong.


Then on to Hong Kong, for more rounds of research, friendship, Design and probably, sigh, proposals. This is shaping up into an exciting year for Spark’s international programs, with prizes, awards shows, exhibitions and much more. Best!




December, 2009

So-- Where've you been, Sparks?

Good question! Sparking, of course. After the incredible climax of the Spark Judging and Awards Celebration, we dug into the complex process of awards trophy and certificate production. Essentially this is all hand-work, with something unique for all 350+ finalists and winners.

But adding to the fun was the production of the Sparks Over China Exhibition and mini conference for early December. Here's the story:

Mid-November, we pulled together the Spark assets-- hi-res images or real pieces, for air shipment to China. Plus every conceivable media from mug-shots of the winners to videos, documentation, etc.

This went into the able hands of our CitiExpo partner in China, Ready Zhang  and our great task-ms-tress, Mabel Mai, who got the job done. We flew out on the 29th-- first to fulfill our happy duties to the Global Design Network in Hong Kong.

 We love this city.

Part of the giant Business of Design Week, one of our favorite design expos and HIGHLY recommended. Here's Victor Lo, major player in the GDN and BODW and able event director Amy Chow.

Fellow delegates included good friend  Julia Chiu, of Japan's Good Design Awards (and soon President of ICOGRADA).


We were happy to see our Asia-mentor and pal, Geoff Fitzpatrick, head of the Australian Design Institute.

And Kigge Hvid,  CEO of kindred-spirit aspirational INDEX Awards told us about new INDEX efforts to incubate good design.

Then-- a quick train  zip to the even-gianter
Guangzhou Design Fair, for some real Sparkn' Chinese-style!

I love this slide!

 This delegate-stuff is not easy. One is kept busy from 830am to 11pm, in a constant whirl of meeting politicians, dignitaries, banquets, award-shows (we handed out trophies at 4 of them--gadzooks), TV interviews,   (Here's David Grossman explaining the work of the Israel Design Works), magazine interviews, speeches and jury-duty for the Kapok award.


Press conferences are fun too. I had a nice view--
of the Mayor's welcoming speech, followed by the delightful custom of loud explosions of confetti (the cleaners LOVE this I'll bet)


Our Spark mini-conference went very well. After the PK pitch (with excellent translation by Ding Zhong), Professor Tong, President of Design at the Gungzhou Academy of Arts, related his tale of journeying to America, visiting many of the top design schools and judging Spark. Great stuff.


Also Asst. Prof and 2008 Spark winner Haishan Deng (on the left) spoke about the experience of Sparking, and why more Chinese designers should be entering competitions.


Then we handed out Finalist Certificates. These folks were SO happy!

Ah but BEST of all was our exhibition of Sparks. All of 'em, from the last three years. Quite an accomplishment to get everything together--especially 09-- in such a short time. We were so proud to see this great work being honored in China.

 
The work was in display cases or mounted on silk panels by students from GAFA, working with the Citiexpo team. Just beautiful. Great job.


Here's a great group we've grown accustomed to: Jan von Holstein, and next to me Prof. Tong and Johan Adam Linneballe. Friends for life (count David Grossman in here, too).


It was a fine experience. We'll be back soon, to march out the Spark exhibition and story to the other great cities of China and Korea.


So it went, so it goes. Blowing in the wind.

Re-zipping  back to Hong Kong, the wind at our back
we found a nice view out our window  and time for some deep thinking about our friendships and progress in this exciting land. Without getting too blogged-down, I think much is done for peace and cooperation--and progress and freedom-- in weeks like this. So maybe we should all just get out there more, and meet people and make plans and just DO It. Because you can. And it helps. And you'll get rich-- inside.

The wrap-up. What a finale to this visit. (Actually, ALSO a nice start for the Asian Games) Thanks for the Sparks, China!

The End of the Beginning.

 

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BACK TO THE FUTURE-IN 2008
The Business of Design Week in Hong Kong (www.BODW.com.hk) took place in early December and Spark was back for the 2008 show. As always, this was an exciting time, meeting our old friends and making new ones. This year, we became a partner organization of the Hong Kong Design Association, and recently Spark was invited to join the Global Design Network, based in Hong Kong. So we had many things to do!

We especially enjoyed meeting the Spark entrants who are also in town for the event, including Haishen Deng from Guangzhou, and Brian Lau, Prof. Frankie Ng and Prof. Michael Siu from HK Polytechnic.

Top speakers at the Forum include Rem Koolhaas, Ben van Berkel and Marcel Wanders. They are also representing the event's Partner Country, Holland, which hosted a large exhibition pavilion in Hall 2.

 
Designed by the architecture firm Skidmore Owings and Merrill.

Here's our scrapbook of memories from this year!

   Welcome to Hong Kong!  Food Fun!
The Opening Ceremony for BODW

Humble but Effective Spark Display


Geoff Fitzpatrick, Director of Design Institute of Australia--and friend

The HKDC Awards Show

Boy Wonders!                                                 Amy Chow, HK Design Center & Frederico Caravaggi, Domus Academy


Victor Lo, Chair of the HK Design Centre and our gracious host

Speaking at the BODW Conference, Hou Hanru, Director, San Francisco Art Institute

The audience went wild!
Claire Hsu, Asia Art Archive



Rem Koolhaus and his courageous call for cooler visions

That's All Folks--See you next year--And Thanks, Hong Kong!

 

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If You missed it, here's our round-up from 2007:
                                                                                         
We flew in at night, and were greeted by the famous skyline

The first morning we were a little apprehensive, not knowing quite what to expect, or how to best greet our hosts. We were soon made to feel very welcome indeed.



We trudged a fair distance along enclosed pedestrian bridgeways, which connect many of the spectacular buildings in Central. Two of our favorites have local feng shui issues. As visitors, we get to gape in admiration.

  This is Paul Rudolph's Lippo Building           And I.M. Pei's Bank of China

However, the Expo beckoned and off we went 

The opening ceremonies, with dignitaries from around the world of design 


 
First stop was the Spark display, to add a few finishing touches to the excellent work of Stanley and Phoenix.

Then on to check out the booths and talk to the designers.

  Here's some students from the famous Hong Kong Polytechnic University

and a few    more just taking a break.

One highlight of the week was the exclusive announcement of the architect and plan for HK Poly's new Innovation Tower. Let's guess who this star is.

  And here's her glowing work:    Zaha!

As the week drew to a close, we were able to join with new friends at combined BODW/Holiday celebrations. Here, we found some very cool dudes,

including this Christmas hipster    (He played a mean conga!)

and the great designers Mario Bellini and Massimo Vignelli 

  and the new IDSA Executive Director, Frank Tyneski, with friend.

We have many people to thank for this long visit. Was the trip worthwhile? The smile on this guy's face says it all.

  PFK



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HKDA Awards 07 Exhibition

One of the organizers of BODW, Hong Kong Design Centre has partnered with Hong Kong Designers' Association to bring the "HKDA Awards 07" Exhibition, one of the exceptional Hong Kong design awards exhibitions, to the InnoCentre from 8-30 January 2008.

Organised by the Hong Kong Designers Association (HKDA), the HKDA Awards has been a who's who of design excellence in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific for over 30 years.

It is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary award for professional designs in the fields of graphic, product, spatial and new media.

The exhibition showcases 90 winning designs from the graphic, product, spatial and new media categories based on the theme of the HKDA Awards 2007, "Design. No Junk Food".

For more  information click here.


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  DESIGN 360 MAGAZINE

Flying high above the Rocky Mountains. Down below, Colorado is getting it’s first dustings of snow and the high peaks look cold and beautiful in the setting sun. We’re snug and warm in this seat on a big Boeing, admiring a copy of Design 360 Magazine.

This is our first look at the publication, although several designer friends have recommended it to us. We have to confess a secret, special interest in magazines… our first job after university was starting a small press mag. We love the Print Media. Before starting the Spark Competitions we were on staff or management of both newspapers and magazines. In the process we met most of the top publication designers and editors—our working heroes.

First impressions: Design 360 just feels good. Its size is like National Geographic, but thicker. It is handy and natural—perfect for reading in a relaxing hot tub! But don’t get it wet—this magazine is a “keeper” that you’ll want to archive and read again. It also has a wonderful, diagonal cut on the right side—i.e., the second page is a little wider than the first, and so on, through all 250+ pages. So you have a slanted edge for your thumb to rest, while you flex the book and page through the features. A wonderful idea and—why didn’t we think of that! A new, perfectly functional feature in the old business of magazine publishing. That’s good design.

  Vivi Zhou, Executive Editor, and Shaoqiang Wang, Executive Director

Writing about Design is of course what this magazine is really all about. It has an omnibus, international approach, apolitical and universal. But we were happy to find a clear window on Asian design and especially Chinese designers. This is appropriate and welcome, since there are many great design talents that are relatively unknown in the West, and they should be more widely promoted.

 

We won’t describe the content in detail, except to say that the features and reports are well-observed, interesting and beautifully illustrated on expensive, coated paper stock—often in full color. Oh yes, the art direction and overall design are quite fine. 360 utilizes very readable fonts, interesting chapter logos and continuing design motifs, and is laid out in such a manner as to minimize the inherent clumsiness of bi-lingual text. This is a difficult feat—many publications don’t manage this problem as well.

Is there anything to improve here? Not much. Perhaps better Chinese to English translation. One generally knows what is intended by the author. Nevertheless, some of the diction is garbled and it could be better. Translation is a difficult task—we’re glad Spark doesn’t do this—yet.

The reader can easily see that this magazine is what we call a labor of love. Talented writers and designers have spent a great deal of time and energy to create this—a most distinguished publication.

So, our “bottom line”—we wish we had found this magazine right from its launch. But we won’t miss any of the first 11, because this high flight takes us to China—and we’re going to grab all the back-issue Design 360’s we can find.

(Hard to find in the States, Design 360 is a window on a very important world of design... If you're interested, hit their website or email Spark's and we'll help find you a copy or subscription.)

Best!
--PK

One for All -- aspirational design spark awards spark award international design competition international design competitions clean tech sparkawards trickle-up sparks awards grow bike international design contest sparkchina Dan Sturges sparks award spark design award spark awards 2010 reverse innovation spark design architecture design competitions international design awards -- All The Best!

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