Vanessa Chang Appointed Director of the Shanghai Studio of BMW Group Designworks

Creative Consultancy and subsidiary of the BMW Group on continued growth path in China

Los Angeles/ Shanghai. Designworks, the BMW Group-owned global design consultancy, announces the appointment of Vanessa Chang as Director of its Shanghai Studio. Vanessa’s assignment reflects her merits as strategist and innovation consultant and asserts growing impacts from the progressive design industry in China.

Global Urbanite with strong local ties.

Vanessa Chang has extensive experience working for the design industry in the greater China region. Specialized in social science and qualitative research, and with a remarkable ability to surface insights and transform them into meaningful experiences for brands in China and beyond, she has been a strong driving force behind many of Designworks´ innovation projects. In her new role, she will be responsible for the Shanghai studio’s design vision and daily operations, overseeing a skilled and ambitious team of 40 creatives, consultants, and strategists. She will lead the Designworks Shanghai Studio into and through its next growth phase.

Designworks in China: Mission to challenge.

“The success and rapid growth of the Designworks Shanghai Studio has been driven by agile leadership, strong expertise, and a diverse and inspiring culture that reflects the city we are in”, says Vanessa Chang. “We are the design hub, one that connects and converges the west and the east, and instigates innovation for BMW Group and clients from other industries”, she adds.

In 2022, Designworks will celebrate its 50th anniversary, 30 years as part of the BMW Group and the start into the second decade of its market presence in China.

“China is a market that is changing faster than you can say ‘disruption´”, says Holger Hampf, President of Designworks. “Therefore, the mission of our Shanghai Studio has always been to be optimistic about the future, responsible about the impact it creates, and unafraid to challenge the system, ourselves, our partners and the rules. Moving into the future, we believe, Vanessa Chang is the right person to help us deliver on that mission”, he adds.

Vanessa Chang is not only the first local to the Asian market to lead the Shanghai studio of the BMW Group subsidiary, she also inherited a ten-year-old tradition of female leadership across all three Designworks studios. Designworks Shanghai Studio is working for BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce as well as clients from other industries such as Starlux Airlines, Niu Technologies, 3M, Marssenger and ASUS Republic of Gamers. One of the most recent projects released by the studio was a visual brand language design for a series of high-end home appliances on behalf of Skyworth.

About Designworks.

Designworks is the innovation studio for the BMW Group and a global creative consultancy working at the intersection of design, technology and innovation. The teams in Los Angeles, Munich and Shanghai partner with companies worldwide to unlock brand potentials, foster business growth, enrich the human experience and stimulate behavior change to the better. Designworks is one of the only creative consultancies to specialize in Automotive, Mobility and Digital Life. The studio was founded in 1972 in Malibu, California by Chuck Pelly. In 2017, Holger Hampf was appointed Designworks president. The studio´s headquarters are in Los Angeles. The design firm employs 130+ people.

In the event of inquiries, please contact:

In North America –
Holly Palmer, Designworks LA Studio Communications
Tel: + 001 805 490 4659
Email: holly.palmer@bmwgroupdesignworks.com

In Europe –
Birgit Sauer, Designworks Munich Studio Communications
Tel: +49 151 6052 4026
Email: birgit.sauer@bmwgroupdesignworks.com

In Asia –
Kelly Wang, Designworks Shanghai Studio Communications
Tel: + 86 21 6032 6200
Email: kelly.wang@bmwgroupdesignworks.com