ThingsCon goes Shenzhen

Is there something like China design? Most of the product design we saw this week was highly professional and completely international as well. Some product categories are specific to the region - it seems every designer wants to have a go at a ricecooker, and there were a lot of tea sets and liquid bottles as well. Spotted this Buddhist phone in the Artop showroom #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Shenzhen, Guangdong)

Statue in the hallways of Artop Design - a 1000 people company that does design, patents, has its own patent department and academy and its own factory. The red envelope symbolises “lucky money”, the money given at new year or for a new baby. The WeChat payment service was developed after the many employees at Tencent had to stay in line for a long time to pick up their new year money at the office. These days it stands for mobile payments. #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams

Folding beds at Tencent HQ for after-lunch nap time. Perhaps this is the secret behind the endless energy and optimism we encounter around here. Naps. #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij 腾讯大厦)

Finally figured out how to use the WeChat wallet - another user has to send you some money first, which activates the wallet. Register with a credit card and choose an 6-figure password and you are good to go. Now if you want to pay you just show your QR code to the cashier who scans it, done. Bought a fridge magnet at the Tencent souvenir store #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Tencent)

Very very tall buildings all round, and no qualms about bold decoration #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Shenzhen, Guangdong)

One of the most impressive things in Shenzhen: the popularity of shared bicycles and the wide range of electric and transport bicycles available. Mobike is the shared system that has taken off like a rocket. You scan the QR code and pay 1 RMB per hour (13 Eurocent) with your Wechat account and leave the bike where you want. The city is really full of bicycles. #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Shenzhen, Guangdong)

No problem #thingsconams #thingscongoesshenzhen

David Li explains how to work with Shenzhen. “There are no consultants in Shenzhen. With no shipping, noone makes money.” Whereas going to the markets made the makers in our group giddy with excitement (you can buy anything! We can make anything!) - he explains that for most International designers and developers, that is usually not the way. Work with solution houses, local design and production companies, or find the right supplier via Wechat. There are Wechat boards with carefully selected suppliers. Translation on Wechat works fine. Prepare a good one pager on your product - and omit anything you would not say in public #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab)

QR codes are ubiquitous in Shenzhen, used to connect everything and everybody on Wechat. A Shenzhen event will start and finish with the event code on screen. Everyone duly takes out phone and is instantly connected. So if you are on Wechat, here is the QR code for #thingsconshenzhen ! #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab)

China produced IoT products for the African markets, that’s where it is at, according to David. And he sees it happening. #thingscongoesshenzhen #thingsconams (bij Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab)

After three days in Shenzhen, one observation is that somehow, the city feels less exotic than expected. In a way that is because the city is so newly developed with skyscrapers, malls and hotels that are like skyscrapers, malls and hotels anywhere. Big brand stores of brands we know. Laptops, phones, drones, that we all know too well - with millions of variations but essentially what we know. And while the dishes on the restaurant menu’s include some ingredients we rarely eat - chicken feet, bullfrog, jellyfish - it’s Chinese food and we all know Chinese food and its delicious. (As one of us noted, the whole city smells like a Chinese restaurant). It’s also a very young city, and although most people do not speak English, the interactions are easy and friendly. Translation apps on your phone help a lot. It feels safe. What you miss if you think about it: old people, old buildings, the sound of emergency services. In the picture: people picking up breakfast. (bij 深圳華強北電子商圈)