China's Bobo

Bobo is often used in place of the word yuppie, which has usually negative connotations.

Often of the corporate upper-middle to upper class, they rarely oppose mainstream society, claim highly tolerant views of others, buy lots of expensive and exotic items, and believe American society to be meritocratic.

The term BoBo, short for bourgeois Bohemian, has caught on in China since David Brooks's book "BoBos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There" was translated into Chinese and published in separate editions in Taiwan and China.
.In cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the word is on everyone's lips — especially young executives and other members of the nouveau riche, known in Chinese as "xiaozi" or "petit bourgeoisie" — a group that was once a target of ideological campaigns.

For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeois_bohemian, http://www.iht.com/articles/2003/11/26/edlee_ed3_.php, http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2007/04/02/businesswire20070402005197r1.html
and http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/e20038/8p44.htm

China's Illusary Middle Class

Everyone has a different definition of the "middle class" that is supposed to be behind this growth in consumer spending.

"There's no real definition of middle class," said Jonathan Anderson, chief Asia economist at investment bank UBS. "If you want to identify the number of people who can afford a mobile handset, the answer would run to nearly the entire population. If your definition is how many people have 'significant discretionary power', [it's] 100-125 million."

For more information visit: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2007/gb20070509_866451.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business

Way of Life

Today, the way of life in China is not different at all from anywhere else in the world due to Western influence. You can see in China today modern apartment complexes and towering high-rise buildings as well as modern style homes. Clothing in China is very similar to that of the Western cultures now.

However, tradition still lingers in all Chinese households and societies all over the world. In older neighborhoods, rural mud and straw houses can still be seen, and in rural areas the traditional way of life are still very alive. And although the way of life now is very modernized, traditional values of family importance and reputation still is felt by all families.

For more information visit: http://library.advanced.org/20443/way_of_life.html

Disecting Middle Class

Who is considered middle class? This is a subject of debate for most people.

It suggests that "middle class" is no longer an abstract concept in sociology but a strong force that could help reshape society as a whole. Political sensitiveness in China means that "middle class" can be termed in many other ways - such as "middle-income stratum," "middle-income group" or just "middle stratum." But it usually refers to a group of people with stable incomes who are capable of purchasing private houses and cars, and can afford the costs of education and holidays. In fact, the emerging "middle class" in China carries special meaning for multinationals that are counting on the huge Chinese market to boost their growth.

Based on an annual growth of one percentage point, the "middle class" people in China is expected to make up for 40 per cent of the total population in 2020, the academy report said.
According to the academy's standard, families with assets valued from 150,000 (US$18,137) to 300,000 yuan (US$36,275) can be classified as middle class.

For more information visit: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/27/content_386060.htm

Chinese New and High-Tech Industry

According to statistics, China has made 493,000 important scientific and technological achievements since 1981, of which nearly 20 percent have reached the advanced international levels. To speed up the transfer of scientific and technological achievements, and promote the development of high-tech industry, the Chinese government has implemented a series of policies. At present, over 80 percent of the nation's sci-tech force has been engaged in economic development work and the overwhelming majority of the scientific research institutes specializing in developing technology have gradually taken the road of independent development geared to market operations. In recent years, the business volume of the nation's technology market has increased at an annual rate of over 50 percent.

For more information visit: http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_23224.htm

$$$ Income 收入

The chinese words for income is 收入

Tremendous changes have taken place in the life of the Chinese people in the past 50 years, especially in the past two decades. People's income has been constantly on the rise, and personal properties have steadily increased. Houses and apartments, cars, computers, stocks and traveling abroad have become the main contents of people's daily investments or consumption. In 2000, the GDP per capita exceeded US $800, calculated according to the current exchange rate.
The past 20 years have witnessed the Chinese economy developing at the fastest speed, and the people's income increasing by the largest margin. According to statistics, between 1978 and 2001 the net income per rural resident increased from 134 to 2,366 yuan, at the average annual growth rate of 7.3 percent in real terms; and the disposable income per urban resident increased from 343 to 6,860 yuan, at an average annual growth rate of 6.4 percent in real terms.

For more information visit: http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_23834.htm

Chinese Family 家

Family is the cell of the society, and archons of past dynasties all paid great attention to the stability of families, which affected the stability of the society and the regime of the archon as well.

The Chinese for "family" is Jia 家, which generally means the basic family group, those who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption, living and managing their finances together. In a Jia, the males are all agnatic kin (i.e., blood relations). Sons live in their father's house with their wives, who have been brought in from outside the family. As soon as daughters come of age, they are married out, that is, they join another Jia. They are members of their parents' Jia only as long as they are unmarried. During the wedding ritual, daughters officially sever their ties to their father's patriline, and are pledged to serve their new family, including its ancestors. Males are permanent members of the family they were born into; females, however, are expected to eventually leave their natal family. Women, therefore, are only assured a place in a patriline -- that of their husband, not their father -- when they give birth to a son.

For more information visit: http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_23819.htm

Chinese Culture

Red Packet for Chinese New Year

A Red Packet (Red Envelope) is simply a red envelope with money in it, often decorated with lucky symbols, which symbolizes luck and wealth. It is called Hong Bao in Chinese.
Occasions for Red PacketsTraditionally red packets are handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. They are also popular gifts for weddings and birthdays. Nowadays giving red packets as a bonus at the year-end by employers becomes popular.

Chinese Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie is a traditional Chinese festival, which is on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese New Year. The festival marks the end of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year.
Chinese started to celebrate the Lantern Festival from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 221 AD). Like most other Chinese festivals, there is also a story behind the Festival. It is also believed that the festival has Taoist origins

Chinese New Year

The Spring Festival is the grandest festival for the Chinese. The Spring Festival is also called "Nian", but who knows the term, Nian, was once the name of a furious monster that lived on human beings in the ancient time. How the Festival has some relationship with the monster lies in a story about the origin and development of the Spring Festival.

For more information on chinese culture:

http://chineseculture.about.com/od/culturesociety/Chinese_Culture_and_Society.htm

Chinese Mythology

Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written form. There are several aspects to Chinese mythology, including creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state. Like many mythologies, some people believe it to be at least in part a factual recording of history.
Historians have conjectured that the Chinese mythology began in 12th century B.C.. The myths and the legends were passed down in oral format for over a thousand years, before being written down in early books such as Shui Jing Zhu and Shan Hai Jing. Other myths continued to be passed down through oral traditions such as theatre and song, before being recorded in the form of novels such as Fengshen Yanyi.

For more information check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mythology

Product Opportunity Gap

This graph shows the existing competitors on the market for 'Looking Out' and the market positioning comparing Cost and Technology.

1. Cheap Rag Curtain
2. Polyester/Cotton Curtains on railing
3. Painted Bamboo Curtain
4. Curtains on pulley track
5. Painted Vertical and Roman blinds
6. Screen Printed Blinds
7. UV Protected Blinds
8. SPD, Electrochromatic, Photochromatic, Smart Glass

The X represents where 'Looking Out' is going to placed within the market. It is high in technology as I am designing for the near future market and foresee the demand for such product at an affordable cost to the middle class sector. It is a matter of Demand and Supply to drive down the technology, and manufacturing cost.

Single Minded Proposition

“外看(looking out) - Improve lifestyle through visual stimulation”

Target Market

Who am I targeting?

• Emerging Middle Class Sector from the 1.4 billion population of China


• 13 per cent of the country's urban households, or 24.5 million household with a total of 75 million people, will become middle stratum families in 2005.


• The number is expected to amount to 25 per cent in 2010, indicating 57 million households with 170 million people will be classified as middle stratum.


• Five categories of people are expected to represent the new middle stratum:

1. entrepreneurs in high-tech companies


2. managerial staff working in foreign firms in China


3. middle and high-level managerial staff in State-owned financial institutions


4. professional technicians in various fields especially in intermediary firms


5. some self-employed private entrepreneurs.

Age Bracket:

• Take-Care-By-Government – 50+


• Xiao Kang – 40+


• Astronaut – 30+


• Bobo (Bourgeois Bohemian) – 20+

I have chosen the 3 highlighted age bracket groups as my potential markets. Even though Xiao Kang groups are the most well off out of the 4 groups, it is the Astronaut and Bobo groups which are more inclined to accept changes and western influences. In saying so they still feel cut adrift somewhere between Chinese traditional and modern culture. The Take-Care-By-Government groups are mostly all for Chinese traditional culture and nothing else.

Group Research

Our group research shows how China wants to portray itself to the world. Beautiful architectures, colourful gardens and clear blue sky. This is China's Brand Identity.

Map of China 中国

Classmate's Chinese Outing

These two images were taken on our case study trip, researching on chinese lifestyle, food, religion and architecture.

Watch the video clip taken in the restaurant whilst we are having lunch 'Yum Cha'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYs0171Eaq0

Design Brief

This design project is for china’s home furniture and furnishing which is being undertaken by 3rd year Unitec Product Design students and the Mayde (Mayland Design Exchange) staff in Guangzhou. The brief is centered around new product development for Chinese manufacturers.

外看
‘Looking Out’
Designed For China