The forum was jointly hosted by the German Design Council and China’s Dongdao Brand Creative Group.

Some of the most important players in the industry were invited to make speeches and share their unique perspectives on combining tradition with modern designs.

They included Chinese-American product designer Jeff Shi, graphic designer Yu Jinjiang, and landscape architect Wu Hao.

German Design Council Awards winner, Dongdao Brand Creative Group, also offered its experiences on incorporating original designs with Chinese thinking.

“Art, culture, and fashion are closely connected. For example, we may see a fashionable girl on a street in Paris wearing a skirt with traditional cultural elements, but the viewers still regard it as modern. Designers nowadays would like to find ways to add traditional cultural elements to their works. Our group has always tried to express modern creations in traditional languages, to recreate traditions in a fresh way that can be accepted by today’s minds,” said Xie Jianjun, CEO of Dongdao Brand Creative Group.

Wang Lei, chief representative of German Design Council, told CGTN that they greatly value cultural aspects in identifying outstanding works when handing out the organization’s annual awards. He adds that it’s culture that makes the difference in identification.

With 66 years of history, the German Design Council is responsible for promoting brand, design, and innovation.

The 2019 Beijing Design Week runs through October 7.