On April 28th, Chris Bangle, an iconic figure in global automotive design and former Chief Design Officer of the BMW Group, visited SUES. He engaged in face-to-face discussions with faculty and students from School of Design (in preparation), sharing the fundamental logic and cutting-edge concepts of design innovation. SUES President Lou Yongqi attended the event and held in-depth conversations with the honored guest.
Chris Bangle, former Chief Design Officer of the BMW Group, previously led the design strategy for brands such as BMW, Mini Cooper, and Rolls-Royce. He reshaped modern automotive aesthetics with his bold, sculptural forms, pioneering the “flame surfacing” design language. His seminal work, the E65 7 Series, became the best-selling 7 Series in history, profoundly influencing the direction of global automotive design.
During their exchange, President Lou Yongqi introduced SUES’ unique “SPINNOVATION” talent cultivation model, characterized by the “3-wings” interdisciplinary synergy of “Engineering ×Management × Design”. The two parties discussed topics including international collaboration in industry-education-research and the development of design disciplines. Chris Bangle expressed a strong willingness to deeply participate in depth in the advancement of SUES’ design programs.
At the New Technology Lab, directed by Associate Professor Chen Junkai, Bangle engaged in lively interaction with students. He answered questions on the fundamental logic of design innovation and forward-looking concepts such as emotional and scenario-based design. He emphasized that design innovation should not stop at superficial levels but must repeatedly question root causes, ground itself in context and lifestyle, and endow works with anthropomorphic vitality through emotional resonance and formal tension, prompting deep reflection among faculty and students on the essence of design.
Attending students noted that the exchange broke through their superficial understanding of design. They realized that innovation stems from life and roots itself in fundamental contexts, and expressed a future commitment to infusing their work with greater emotion and warmth, thereby clarifying their creative direction.
This exchange represents a significant step in SUES’ efforts to advance international design education and interdisciplinary innovative talent cultivation. It helps connect faculty and students with top-tier global design thinking, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of design disciplines and the deep integration of industry and education.
