Innovative ideas for the wheel of life

By Gan Tian (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-18 10:47

World-famous Danish designer Jens Martin Skibsted has a message for the citizens of the "bicycle kingdom": Bicycles can be colorful, stylish and multifunctional.

Invited to speak at the Young Global Leaders Dalian Summit 2009, the 39-year-old designer mentioned the bicycle in his speech, How design could positively impact the future, during the panel discussions on "Design for Change" and "Made in China: The Evolution of Design".

"It is reassuring that the term 'design' is finally associated with something of imminent importance. When financial, economic, ethical and environmental crises converge, we are forced into mutual introspection and hopefully nudged closer to action," Skibsted said in his speech.

Founder of the world-famous bicycle brand Biomega, Skibsted says, "One heritage that I think China should rediscover is their love of bicycles. They are the most efficient bio-mechanical machines in the world, and something deeply associated with China's effort to create an alternative to capitalism."

He traces his interest in innovative design to the modernist buildings of Barcelona. "I got the inspiration for my bikes from the modernist buildings of, among others, Antoni Gaudi. They are very expressive, yet function well in the urban environment," Skibsted says.

Meanwhile, his Copenhagen bike was inspired by the Danish motorcycle Nimbus, which has a cardanic shaft. Just a few simple details like the shaft drive, Marc Newson's head stem, and the machined logo set it apart.

Skibsted was also drawn to the mountain bikes that were popular in cities in the 1990s. "It didn't make sense functionally to have bikes specialized for rough terrain in the cities. So I took out the parts that were not functionally beneficial until I had the essence of a bike."

The young designer has even cooperated with Puma to create a totally new bike. "The Boston folding bike that I originally made for Puma has a very unique feature in that the down tube is not a tube, but a wire. The wire can be used as a lock. If someone breaks the lock they also break the structure of the bike - so it doesn't make sense to steal something that doesn't work," he says.

"Good design is that what works well in all three areas: It's beautiful, works well, and can be mass marketed," Skibsted says, citing the iPod, Porsche 911, and Volkswagen Beetle as good examples.

Although many world icons, such as iPods can be found here, there are few iconic products that originate in China, says the designer. He believes Chinese food boxes and Chinese porcelain are iconic representations of Chinese culture.

"Every country and culture has its own icons. Icons happen when a culture starts adding so much meaning to a product that its meaning is more important than the product itself.

"China is now in the process of educating a whole generation of young designers. Soon, there will be a huge generation that can help transform 'made in China' into 'designed in China'," he adds.