Pandas all over. Sichuan is full of them – not so much in the wild, as they are an endangered species with only about 1,000 panda bears left – but rather in the panda breeding center and as a symbol on taxis and cigarette packages. The region is also famous for its spicy, and we mean SPICY, food. We spent a whole lunch crying over a hot pot. Now, our visit to the region’s capital city Chengdu was not all about food and pandas – we also spent a lovely morning at the Sichuan University for a seminar with the

industrial design students. Never before did we get so many questions during a presentation. Way to go, guys – asking is important. What is 'Chinese design style'? How to balance different design requirements and make the right sacrifices when developing a product? Someone raised the issue that only 10% of the design graduates in China actually get a job in

the design field – what do the IDEA NOMADS think about that? Well, first and foremost – having creative skills and being able to work in a structured way is of value in any future job position, no matter if you work as a designer or not. Secondly, we couldn't help but posing the question to the rest of the students: who wants to become a designer? In a group of 80 people, we saw three or four hands raised. So – are the students modest, or just not interested? All we can say is that being a designer requires passion. Work on your passions, guys, and you’ll be all fine.

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