In the past ten years, Asia's economic landscape has been subject to serious changes. It has developed from a mere production site to a knowledge-based society. It is, for example, reflected in the continuous development of high-tech industry. Thanks to well-directed public promotion and private commitment, Asia's creative industries can report their greatest success. Today, Asia is one of the most important centers of design worldwide. Manufacturers have learned that design is of great significance for a company's commercial success, because design provides good ideas with a form and is indispensable for differentiation in the global market.
Being competitive means striving for being best. The exhibition "red dot on tour - creative asia" presents the enormous potential of Asian design to a wide audience. From 15 May until 18 May 2009, the exhibition at the "City of Design" Creative Industrial Estate, Central Park, in Shenzhen, shows a selection of awarded Asian products from the internationally renowned red dot design award. The exhibited products present an interesting inventory of Asian creativity from the previous years.
"red dot on tour - creative asia" is a cooperation project of Shenzhen Sphinx Cultural Investment Co. Ltd. and red dot. Shenzhen Sphinx Cultural Investment Co. Ltd. is part of the "City of Design" Creative Industrial Estate in Futian District, Shenzhen, and a non-state owned enterprise, which is the first domestic enterprise focussing on culture industry's operating as well as design promotion. The cooperation with red dot should serve as a basis for a systematic investment in design and the promotion of design as an important business tool.
"In the red dot design award we have been observing that design becomes more and more important in the Asian market during the past years. Changing from an economic place of production into a creative market with future potential, Asia, and China in particular, has grown to a leading region in the world of design," says Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award and senator of Icsid.
A decision for design means dealing with risks and uncertainties, but because of this, when successful, the decision for design adds extremely high-value. Good design pays off. Design in this context relates to series products that fulfill a purpose and offer quality of use. These are products that many people know or even own. "Good design improves the quality of life and helps companies to achieve economic success. Good design pays off because it creates added value," says design expert Peter Zec.