On November 1, 2025, a promotional video titled "No! No! No! No! No! Just Come to Shenzhen," released by the Shenzhen Talent Work Bureau, went viral across major online platforms. The vivid and engaging frames, addressing pain points directly, showcased Shenzhen's sincerity and determination in attracting talent.
Qin Shuo, a renowned observer of humanities and economics, highlighted Shenzhen's prospects in technological innovation: "The city's superior natural ecology, high-quality living environment, and inclusive ethos—'you’re a Shenzhener once you arrive'—nurture its entrepreneurial spirit. The more people who aspire to, can, and succeed in starting businesses here, the more vibrant the city becomes."
△ Screenshot from the promotional video: A metaphor for talent recruitment beyond geographical boundaries.
In this city of innovation, discussions about commerce, culture, and urban renewal ultimately revolve around one question: How can we create a localized "scenario of a better life" for those who call Shenzhen home? Only when life thrives sustainably can industries endure.
Also on November 1, Shenzhen’s latest cultural landmark—the Shenzhen Bay Culture Plaza—began trial operations. This milestone, embodying the cultural vision of the Greater Bay Area, demonstrates the flourishing integration of urban ecology, public spaces, civic services, and cultural accessibility. Beyond technology, Shenzhen is now engaging with the world through the language of design.
In the *Hi Art* 2021 rankings of top art museums, the Pingshan Art Museum was listed among China’s top ten, alongside institutions like the Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum and the Pudong Art Museum. As a public museum, Pingshan Art Museum focuses on local artists and cultural themes, helping Shenzhen residents forge a cultural identity and fostering cohesion in this migrant city. It also provides fertile ground for cultural heritage and innovation.
Looking beyond Shenzhen’s global-local dynamics, broader market trends reveal striking insights. Data shows that in 2025, Gen Z’s willingness to pay a premium for "aesthetic consumption" surged year-on-year. On Xiaohongshu, notes related to "museum cultural products" exceeded 10 million, while the Palace Museum’s文创 (cultural and creative) sales surpassed 1.5 billion yuan annually. Suddenly, it’s clear: Design is no longer just a cost—it’s the smartest investment. Culture isn’t merely sentiment—it’s quantifiable asset.
△ Phoenix Crown fridge magnet from the National Museum of China.
According to CBNData’s "Shaping Hearts" Consumer Growth Survey, standout brands in 2024 included: - **Bruco** (an original toy brick brand), which turned losses into profits through IP-driven consumption and emotional value; - **Flower Knows** (a少女彩妆 brand), which expanded overseas with a distinctive brand image, achieving 500% sales growth; - **Under the Pine** (a luggage brand), which entered the轻奢 (affordable luxury) market with a brand philosophy.
These cases prove that "product design" and "brand culture" are now critical factors in consumer decision-making. As consumers vote with their feet for "experience," design, culture, and space are quietly becoming a recurring "premium tax."
Yet beneath the hype, pressing business questions remain: - How can design shift from a "cost item" to an "asset item"? - How can cultural DNA be productized for sustainable returns? - How can the Greater Bay Area’s "pragmatic genes" coexist with an "aesthetic revolution"?
Following discussions on "non-standard commerce," "emotional value," "community assets," and "park commerce," the seventh edition of *YiPark* Greater Bay Area Innovation Salon invites three cross-disciplinary practitioners—a designer, an architect, and a human geographer—to decode the commercial transformation of "design, culture, and experience."
Join us on **November 30** at **Overseas Bookstore** to turn "aesthetics" into your "financial statements."
—— **Event Details** —— **Theme**: The Commercial Premium of Design, Culture, and Experience **Time**: November 30, 2025, 14:00–17:00 **Location**: Shenzhen Bay MixC · Overseas Bookstore, 3F
**Agenda**: - **Check-in & Warm-up Video**: 13:30–14:00 - **Opening Remarks**: 14:00–14:05 - **Keynote 1**: *Cultural Context & Brand Building: How Design Reshapes Lifestyles* (14:05–14:35) Speaker: Han Jiaying (AGI member, founder of Han Jiaying Design) Case studies: Shenzhen Bay Culture Plaza, Vanke, Konka, CR Land. - **Keynote 2**: *Good Design, Good Business* (14:35–15:05) Speaker: Liu Xiaodu (Director, Pingshan Art Museum) Case studies: Architecture as a bridge between culture and commerce. - **Keynote 3**: *Experience Value & Local Growth: How Culture Generates Cash Flow* (15:05–15:35) Speaker: Zhang Xiaoming (Professor, Sun Yat-sen University) Case studies: Quantifying cultural experiences in tourism. - **Panel Discussion**: *The Premium Formula: Design × Culture × Experience* (15:35–16:35) Moderator: Zhao Jia (*YiMagazine* Editor-in-Chief). - **Q&A**: 16:35–17:00
**Special Highlight**: Han Jiaying will debut insights from his new book, *Character: The Visual Grammar of Chinese Characters*, exploring how design can transform cultural symbols into brand assets.
**Who Should Attend?** - Innovators leveraging design for brand value - Professionals in文旅 (cultural tourism), commercial real estate, urban renewal - Product managers, designers, cultural strategists - Investors in the aesthetics economy - All who believe "beauty translates to profit"
Amid talks of cost-cutting, the wise are already investing in "aesthetic compound interest." On **November 30**, join us at Overseas Bookstore to unlock business’s elegant solutions.
—— **About the Organizers** —— - **Overseas Bookstore**: A "knowledge curator" for the Bay Area’s innovators, blending books, talks, and exhibitions into a cultural hub. - **YiPark**: A商业社群 (business community) platform by *YiMagazine*, fostering innovation through content and collaboration.
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