JIDA at Guangzhou Design Week 2025: A Journey of Design, Exchange, and Inspiration

We’re pleased to share reflections from JIDA’s recent visit to Guangzhou Design Week 2025 (GZDW), a meaningful journey that coincided with the event’s 20th anniversary. More than a design exhibition, the visit offered an opportunity to observe, learn, and reflect on how contemporary design continues to evolve across cultures and industries.

Set within Guangzhou’s dynamic urban landscape, the experience brought JIDA members into close contact with a design ecosystem where creativity, business, and cultural identity intersect. As one of China’s most influential design platforms, Guangzhou Design Week provided a valuable space for interior designers to encounter global ideas, gain industry insight, and broaden their professional perspectives.

All Designs, All Solutions, All in GZDW

Spanning multiple exhibition halls, Guangzhou Design Week 2025 presented a wide-ranging view of current design thinking. Guided by the theme “520”, a phrase that sounds like “I love you more” in Mandarin, the exhibition expressed a shared passion for design, collaboration, and human-centred experiences.

Throughout the visit, JIDA members moved between large-scale installations and detailed showcases, exploring work that ranged from architectural concepts and interior applications to materials, furniture, lighting, and smart living solutions. Alongside the exhibitions, forums and talks offered deeper insight into how designers and brands are responding to shifting lifestyles, technological change, and growing environmental awareness.

From Brands to Solutions: Seeing Design as a Whole

One of the strongest impressions from the visit was the growing emphasis on holistic design thinking. Many brands presented not just individual products, but integrated solutions where design, material innovation, and technology were considered together. From residential interiors to commercial and hospitality spaces, the displays reflected a clear move towards design approaches that are more comprehensive and context-aware.

Members also observed a consistent focus on sustainability, with greater attention given to responsible materials and long-term usability. Smart systems were increasingly embedded into interior environments in a way that felt intuitive rather than intrusive, while many design narratives shifted away from pure visual impact towards creating spaces that respond to how people feel, move, and live within them.

Learning Through Dialogue and Exchange

Beyond the exhibition floors, Guangzhou Design Week served as an important platform for conversation and professional exchange. Talks and discussions brought together designers and industry leaders from different regions, offering perspectives on market changes, design responsibilities, and the evolving role of designers today.

For JIDA, these exchanges are an essential part of professional growth. Exposure to international viewpoints allows members to reflect on local practice with fresh eyes, while bringing new ideas and inspiration back into the wider design community.