iPhones in China Don't Say They Are Assembled in China
I went to a store with a big Apple logo selling Apple products in Shanghai three days ago with a Chinese friend. She wants to buy an iPhone. So we picked one up and compared it to the one I...

Asia Vs. America
So I'm halfway into my four week swing through Asia and here's what I know so far. 1) China wants to shift from bicycles to cars. America wants to shift from cars to bicycles. Can't we just exchange bikes and...

Asia Bursting With Design & Creativity Conferences.
I'm off on December 1 to Incheon, Korea to give a keynote speech at the Design Korea conference. The speech is on "Designomics," a wonderful phrase that expresses the tight relationship between design and economic growth (if you prefer to...

Western Vs. Asian Designers. Controversy Breaks Out at ICSID in Singapore
One of Singapore's top designers, Feng Zhu, asked a pointed question to a panel of mostly Western designers at the end of the second day of ICSID that got the mostly Asian crowd really buzzing. "How much does making money...

Red dot Concept Awards in Singapore
I just got back from the red dot design concept awards given to Asian students and young designers. It was quite a production, with a runway for the winners to walk down to receive their awards. Kenneth Koo who runs...