As a "design tile" brand that understands young people, Samit has gone deep into the circle of designers, maintained multi-faceted dialogue with teachers such as Shao Weiyan and Fang Yuankai, and used design innovation Root into segmented groups. In 2022, Samit became the designated partner of the "Most Beautiful Trendy Space Design Award" of the Red Cotton Design Award, one of the most influential design awards in China.
At the 2022 Red Cotton Design Award Most Beautiful Trendy Space Design Award National Summit Forum held recently at the Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center, Samit invited the popular design master Xie Yingkai to attend a design promotion event. An exchange event for dimensions, new materials empowerment, and development trends, focusing on trendy living spaces with warmth and personality, empowering diverse design languages, and building new values about home.
Xie Yingkai
Executive Director/Design Director of Thomas Kenwen Creative Group
Master's degree from the French National Institute of Science, Technology and Management (CNAM)
Vice Chairman of the Council of the Interior Design Branch of the Architectural Society of China
The first batch of experts from the Architectural Society of China’s expert database
Visiting Professor, School of Architecture, Art and Design, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts
Co-founder of "Seven+5" non-profit design organization
President of the Designer Branch of Guangdong Furnishing Art Association
Constructing space with “goodwill”
Heal life with design
Share on site
Teacher Xie Yingkai took "Design Heals Life" as the theme. In the sharing, design explained what an ideal lifestyle is, and used design as a medium to empower community design and rebuild the city. In a cramped little space. Since Xie Yingkai founded the brand 20 years ago, he has created a space of goodwill based on the core design concepts of "publicity, openness, and fun". Explore the structural relationship between people and society through commercial, cultural tourism and social renovation projects, emphasizing the use of design to improve the relationship between people, people and the environment, and people and society.
△Remodeling the bunker building in the seventh season of "Dream Renovator"< /span>
When Xie Yingkai was invited to participate in the public welfare renovation program "Dream Renovation Home" many times, he created the "Light Planting Project" series of works. By transforming old buildings and residential buildings in Guangzhou's old city, it triggered people's thinking about urban living space. , just like planting "seeds of light" in urban villages, allowing the design concept of "kindness space" to sprout in a subtle way.
Xie Yingkai continues to explore balanced and win-win solutions to the current social environment, and is committed to becoming an insight into future lifestyles, a provider of interesting space solutions, and a social co-creator.
With warm design
Explore the infinite possibilities at home
Media interviews
After the event, Mr. Xie Yingkai accepted an exclusive interview with relevant industry media, and talked about the fate of meeting Samit Ceramics, and his insights and thoughts on the future development trend of the ceramic tile industry. Throughout the interview, Mr. Xie’s constant Concern about "people" themselves.
- Compiled based on on-site interview data
PART-01
Interpret design trends and trends
Q: From a design perspective, what are the directions for the ceramic tile industry in the future?
Xie Yingkai: I think ceramic tiles should not only be about colors and categories, but should be "self". All the time, there are a lot of ceramic tiles that are becoming "others", including imitation stone, imitation leather, imitation wood, imitation metal... So what exactly is the tile itself? Tiles should have their own direction, rather than always being someone else's shadow.
Q: For decorative materials such as ceramic tiles, in addition toIn addition to being decorative and practical, what application pain points does it want to solve?
Xie Yingkai: There are many pain points. Because decorative materials can be mass-produced, they have certain advantages over natural materials, but this is often also a disadvantage, because large-area unification cannot solve specific problems in a targeted manner. So natural materials and replicable tiles each have their own merits. There are many things to consider when it comes to decorative materials, such as whether they should be more non-slip when used by the elderly and whether they should be easier to clean. In the future, from paving to processing, and then to further processing, we need to think deeply.
Q: The Red Cotton Design Award of this forum is dedicated to empowering trendy design aesthetics. How do you interpret the trend?
Xie Yingkai: I think the trend depends on the context. It can be a neutral word, a complimentary word or a derogatory word. The trend is constantly leading the way, but it is often fleeting. So what is the real trend that can be preserved for a long time? Many products designed by masters 100 years ago are still on sale today. This is a real trend. Purely visual things cannot lead the trend. It needs to be visual, meet real needs, and touch the "little ripples" in your heart to be a classic.
Q: What are the more mainstream fashion trends and elements in design?
Xie Yingkai: Design does not have eternal fashion trends, tones and styles. Fashion will come and go, but it must be able to touch the characteristics of that generation. For example, if the current era calls for warmth and softness, then this trend will reappear.
Q: As a designer, what are the requirements for choosing materials?
Xie Yingkai: In fact, creating a space is not ultimately about reflecting the designer’s own characteristics, but about making the people in the space feel comfortable. For example, some designers design lights. They only design lights, not light. This is wrong. When light hits the material, it reveals the reality of the material itself, and the light cannot take over the focus. Just like life requires passion, but it cannot always be there. So I think moderation is the best design.
PART-02
Join hands with Samit
Create a “warm” space
Q: How did you get in touch with the Samit brand? Is it different from other ceramic tile brands?
Xie Yingkai: At that time, I visited a Samit showroom that was very well done. From the display method to the product itself, it was very attractive. It is a project of "Dream Renovator" to have in-depth contact again.The presentation effect is very good. In fact, as far as the tiles themselves are concerned, most of the common features are the same, and there is not much difference in physical properties. However, Samit has its own unique tone, and is a brand that is not artificial or exaggerated.
I am personally very interested in large monochrome ceramic tiles, which have a metallic feel, and some textureless tiles, which have a skin-like texture to the touch.
Q: Samit created an exhibition area with the theme of Fusion & Health and actively promoted cross-border cooperation. If a brand wants to co-create with designers, which channels should it start with, and what should it pay attention to?
Xie Yingkai: First of all, I also hope to cooperate with Samit to create something together. Because our own company also has a 10th anniversary public welfare organization, and the things we do are also related to co-creation. When it comes to how designers and brands co-create, the first thing is that the designer must match your "brand tone", and the second thing is ability. The design concept is good enough but the ability is not enough. When the two parties choose each other, , it is necessary to communicate in depth and reach consensus.
Many things are easy to make high-end, but things that are grounded and warm are difficult to make. There are many "useless" things in life. A doll or pillow may seem to have no practicality, but it can provide psychological comfort and security. We need such story-telling things in our lives. We need a kind of "imperfection" that can be broken and combined with other things to become something else. It is easy to achieve perfection through industrialization and mechanization, but this will lose a lot of warmth and interest. So the important thing is not the function itself. Who says that a bed must be used for sleeping and a stool for sitting? Many things don't have to exist, but if they have it, it won't be obtrusive, and there will be a lot more stories, which is more interesting.
Q: We know that Mr. Xie is very good at discovering stories in design, so he also cooperated with Samit's products in "Dream Remodeler" to create a very comfortable and beautiful space. How did you incorporate Summit tiles into the remodeled space?
Xie Yingkai: First of all, I went to a Samit showroom. When I walked in, I felt that this was what I needed. What we have done in "Dream Renovation Home" in the past few years has been in a healing direction. What I do must be something that can help others or be interesting, such as helping low-income families, young people, the elderly, etc. In particular, housing prices in Guangzhou are very expensive. We hope to make it easier for young people to return to the city and the old town. I hope to tell them: In fact, "broken houses" can also be very beautiful. Many people actually bought them after the show was broadcast. Renovate an old house by yourself. I feel that the products and materials I choose all have temperature.And Samit just gives me the feeling of warmth and attitude, so he can blend them together.
Q: Just now you mentioned the topic of young people. Samit has become younger and younger in recent years. Talking to young people, from a designer's point of view, what changes have occurred in young people's lifestyles and how design can From what angles will their needs be addressed?
Xie Yingkai: I feel that today’s young people will not blindly pursue imported brands, because the overall national strength and the level of domestic brands have improved, and young people are more confident in domestic brands. Many times, foreign things may not be suitable for Chinese people to use. There are differences between Western systems and Eastern systems. I think Chinese people should make products that Chinese people use, but they can avoid particularly obvious brands, such as totems, wish-fulfilling knots, etc. In fact, it is a misunderstanding of the connotation of Chinese style. Many people like paintings or furniture from the Song Dynasty. This Chinese style "does not reveal itself" and allows you to slowly immerse yourself in that atmosphere. I think this is one of the best designs.
Samit has always had the vision of "becoming a brand that understands design better": Ceramic tiles are space materials, and each piece is a reflection of personality and a carrier of inner emotions. Therefore, we Using design to pay attention to people's emotions and make products better serve people coincides with Mr. Xie Yingkai's concept of "healing life with design". In the future, Samit will continue to practice the brand concept of "design + life" and continue to create "people-oriented" products with warmth, design and fun, giving life aesthetic spirit and imagination, and bringing more Wonderful living experience!
