Design Tibet

By+staff+reporter+LI+GUOWEN

IT was early spring when I first met Dainqoi， a professor at the School of Art of Tibet University， at the new campus on the eastern side of Lhasa. Warm sunlight shone through the abundant trees， creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Tough School Life

Dainqoi was born in 1978. His parents are Lhasa natives. “When my parents were younger， Lhasa was a small city with a population of 20，000 to 30，000 living around the Jokhang Temple，” Dainqoi said. “It was a society in which everyone knew one another.”But he recalled that in his childhood， the city began to expand towards Tibet University in the east and the areas close to Norbulingka in the west where the Tibet International Grand Hotel is located.

Dainqoi spent the first few years of his life in the old city of Lhasa and later moved to the citys new district with his parents. There he entered the Lhalu Central Elementary School. In 1993， he went to Anhui Province in eastern China to start middle school in a class specifically organized for Tibetan students. Dainqois school days remain fresh in his memory： “It was a unique experience for us Tibetan children to attend school in a large city where we could receive better education. We had access to a modern education system and advanced equipment， while continuing to learn about Tibetan language and culture.”

However， it was not an easy time for the young boy. In the four years he spent studying in Anhui， he never returned to Tibet because he was deemed too young to travel such a long way alone. But in the holidays， his parents would go to visit him. “The nostalgia I felt in my teens is unforgettable.” Fortunately， he was not alone – his classmates and teachers were Tibetans as well and kept each other company to ward off homesickness. Later in 1997， when Dainqoi moved to Chengdu in Sichuan Province to attend the Tibetan Middle School there， his parents allowed him to travel home alone for the holidays. Dainqoi and transportation to Lhasa had both matured.

Devotion to Design

Dainqoi entered Tibet University to study graphic design in 2000， the year the program was launched there. Having lived in larger cities for several years， the young man had already learned much about diverse modern cultures. As a result， it was easy for him to adapt to the course. “With the teachers guidance， we worked hard to incorporate traditional Tibetan culture with modern designs，”Dainqoi said.

After graduation， he spent three years at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu studying for a masters degree. Seven years study in this field had laid a solid foundation for him on theories， techniques， and the meaning of art.endprint

On completion of his studies， Dainqoi， like many of his peers who left Tibet for higher education elsewhere， returned to contribute to the progress of his hometown. In 2007， he joined Tibet University to teach design in its School of Arts. Later， the courses he led expanded to wider subjects including design innovation， computer art design， and packaging and logo design， to name a few. Over the last eight years， he has taught modules covering a dozen topics that are well received by his students.

On top of that， Dainqoi has been involved with a number of design research projects in recent years， including a project to study enterprises images and product package designs. Furthermore， he participated in research on innovation in traditional art， contemporary design education in Tibet， and digital design. Dainqoi applies these research achievements to his teaching.

Combining Teaching and Practice

Dainqoi has always believed that the best teaching methods are born of social practice； successful design projects in real life can be used as good examples in class. It is to this end that Dainqoi and his colleagues are proactive in designing logos， packaging， and activities for various local businesses in Tibet.

Dainqoi was part of the team behind the visual design of the 2009 Shoton Festival held in Lhasa. Another of his achievements is independently designing the emblem of the first China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo in 2014.

Through these projects， Dainqoi incorporates practice with theory in his teaching. “Students are much more interested when I talk about my practical experience，” he said. Meanwhile， Dainqoi strives to provide his students with platforms from which they may obtain more professional experience outside school. With his guidance， students have completed several design projects for local companies and handicraft factories.

Design for the Future

According to Dainqoi， the large demands for design work in Tibet took shape in recent years with the development of some local companies. These companies， which often feature ethnic characteristics， are greatly supported by the government. Dainqoi pointed out： “The design industry in Tibet Autonomous Region has boomed in recent years. However， most design projects for large state-owned enterprises and major events in the region are commissioned to designers in more developed areas.”endprint

Indeed， Tibet is one of the underdeveloped areas in China. Its isolated location hampers local companies progress in R&D， innovation， marketing， and human resources. Local businesses are confined to fields like tourism and souvenir products， local specialties， and Tibetan medicine. Such problems “restrict excellent designers from giving full play to their abilities and thereby restrain the development of design industry，” according to Dainqoi.

Currently， many industry players do not think Tibet has favorable conditions for homegrown modern designers to flourish， and often turn to those from more developed areas. “But a designer who does not have a deep understanding of Tibetan culture tends to approach its elements somewhat superficially in his or her designs，” Dainqoi said.

In his opinion， developing Tibetan design is not only the requirement of this industry， but also a mission of this era. He calls on designers to study traditional Tibetan culture and learn from the latest global design theories to develop concepts that are in line with the tastes of the time， the marketing environment， and the economic development of Tibet. Doing so will generate more development opportunities for designs with Tibetan characteristics.endprint