Designers in Vietnam need to offer more creative products to meet thedemands and tastes of foreign markets, participants said at a seminarheld in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18.
"Theartworks and handicraft products of Vietnam are weak in design and therehas been less breakthrough in creativity," said Bui Thi Thanh An,deputy head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade).
The seminar was held in collaboration with the Vietnam Design Association.
Handicraft and art exports have reached 1.5 billion USD in turnoverper year in recent years, accounting for 1.5 percent of world marketshare.
An said that designers must begin to pay moreattention to trademarks to increase their product value and improvecompetitiveness.
Tran Ngoc Danh, deputy chiefrepresentative of the Vietnam Design Association's office in thesouthern region, said that good design greatly increased value.
"A breakthrough is needed for Vietnamese designers, such as combiningdifferent materials to make a product, especially using recycledmaterials to make sustainable products, a trend favoured by foreigncustomers," Danh said.
The two areas to exploit are graphic designs or products with many conveniences and functions, she added.
She noted that, apart from preserving national cultural character, thedesigners should make distinctive features for their products.
"Companies or designers should not copy designs of others, whichnegatively affects product appeal and export potential," she said.
Dr. Marcel Crul of the Design for Sustainability programme at theNetherlands' Delft University of Technology, said that products mustsatisfy the tastes and needs of customers.
This was necessary to create close cooperation between designers, managers, technical consultants and customers.
Designers should also be attuned to environmental problems, socialissues, and health and safety to create sustainable products.
This is a strict requirement set by developed countries, especially European ones, he said.
Also speaking at the seminar, Ho Tan Duong, deputy chairman of theVietnam Design Association, said that his group, along with the ADSInternational Design and Art Center and Vietrade were working on ahandicraft sustainable development project through the connection todesigners.
For designers, the association will help them expand corporate relations, customer research and partnership opportunities.
Designers will be provided with up-to-date design trends by local andinternational experts via design education, training and workshops.Festivals, exhibitions and competition will also be held.
They will have opportunity to enhance practical knowledge from businesses.
For businesses, they will find the right design partners. Thebusinesses will also be consulted by local and foreign experts, expandcorporate relations, be supported by the government organisations, hesaid.-VNA
"Theartworks and handicraft products of Vietnam are weak in design and therehas been less breakthrough in creativity," said Bui Thi Thanh An,deputy head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade).
The seminar was held in collaboration with the Vietnam Design Association.
Handicraft and art exports have reached 1.5 billion USD in turnoverper year in recent years, accounting for 1.5 percent of world marketshare.
An said that designers must begin to pay moreattention to trademarks to increase their product value and improvecompetitiveness.
Tran Ngoc Danh, deputy chiefrepresentative of the Vietnam Design Association's office in thesouthern region, said that good design greatly increased value.
"A breakthrough is needed for Vietnamese designers, such as combiningdifferent materials to make a product, especially using recycledmaterials to make sustainable products, a trend favoured by foreigncustomers," Danh said.
The two areas to exploit are graphic designs or products with many conveniences and functions, she added.
She noted that, apart from preserving national cultural character, thedesigners should make distinctive features for their products.
"Companies or designers should not copy designs of others, whichnegatively affects product appeal and export potential," she said.
Dr. Marcel Crul of the Design for Sustainability programme at theNetherlands' Delft University of Technology, said that products mustsatisfy the tastes and needs of customers.
This was necessary to create close cooperation between designers, managers, technical consultants and customers.
Designers should also be attuned to environmental problems, socialissues, and health and safety to create sustainable products.
This is a strict requirement set by developed countries, especially European ones, he said.
Also speaking at the seminar, Ho Tan Duong, deputy chairman of theVietnam Design Association, said that his group, along with the ADSInternational Design and Art Center and Vietrade were working on ahandicraft sustainable development project through the connection todesigners.
For designers, the association will help them expand corporate relations, customer research and partnership opportunities.
Designers will be provided with up-to-date design trends by local andinternational experts via design education, training and workshops.Festivals, exhibitions and competition will also be held.
They will have opportunity to enhance practical knowledge from businesses.
For businesses, they will find the right design partners. Thebusinesses will also be consulted by local and foreign experts, expandcorporate relations, be supported by the government organisations, hesaid.-VNA
