World Design Cities Conference closes, cementing Shanghai's global design ambitions

The World Design Cities Conference concluded on Sunday, attracting 92,000 attendees and showcasing over 100 product launches.

This four-day event generated more than 2 billion online views on related topics. The WDCC 2025 also emphasized achievements in industry, ecology, fashion, and talent development, reflecting a growing consensus that design is vital for high-quality urban development.

Shanghai has strategically promoted the coordinated development of five key design sectors – industrial, architectural, fashion, digital, and service – rising to over 1.6 trillion yuan (US$222.2 billion) in 15 years.

Mayor Gong Zheng said Shanghai Design must be more original and influential, build a modern industrial system, boost cultural soft power, and improve the city.

WDCC successfully expanded its Shanghai International Design Think Tank team by adding 11 world-renowned scholars and masters as its fourth batch of experts.

It organized over 100 new product launches and business matching sessions that resulted in design center-business cooperation agreements.

This year, WDCC hosted a recruitment fair for design schools, talent, and 800 employers offering nearly 10,000 jobs.

Jimmy Choo, a global design ambassador, praised Shanghai's growth, saying, "It is a great honor to witness the global influence of Shanghai design. I hope people all over the world can come to Shanghai and spread the charm of art design to the whole world."

The 2025 "Shanghai Design 100+" global competition results highlighted three future trends: AI empowerment, cultural heritage, and green sustainability.

AIGC generation platforms from Alibaba and MiniMax, the Unitree R1 humanoid robot, the CCTV Media Large Model, and an AI sports analysis system were the winners. "Tang Dynasty Style" jewelry by Lao Feng Xiang was recognized in the culture and fashion category. Shanghai Greenhouse Garden project, a DMAA-Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Institute collaboration, was also one of the winners.

Since 2020, the "Shanghai Design 100+" global list has generated results worth over 250 billion yuan, demonstrating the city's design strategy's economic impact.