Draftfcb China partners with four institutions to develop new forum for creativity Dream:IN

Draftfcb China, the famous Parsons School for Design in New York and three of China’s major academic institutions have combined to create a new source of creativity for Chinese enterprises that is developed from the city streets. 

The project is called Dream:IN and it was launched in India in 2011, developed further last year in Brazil and unveiled in three China cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong ­ this year, with Draftfcb in a coordination role.

Dream:IN functions as an incubator for creativity that is sourced from people’s ideas and aspirations for themselves and their families, but also wider considerations such as education, the environment, social responsibility, business and international relations.

In March and April, the Dream:IN project was brought to life at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, Tongji University in Shanghai and the Hong Kong Design Centre and created around a model developed by the famous Manhattan-based Parsons School for Design .

Patrick Tong, Draftfcb Regional Account Director Asia Pacific, said, “The three China Dream:IN events were highly successful and work was continuing on providing tangible creative output from the sessions.”

“Through extensive field work, Dream:IN collects dreams and ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas from individuals and communities, which pass through the Parsons School’s innovative methodologies and are then framed, debated and transformed into entrepreneurial large-scale venture models,” said Tong. “The goal is to design alternative futures for emerging markets that balance social development, economic growth and sustainable use of the local environment.”

Tong added, “Dream:IN was not organised as a commercial venture at this stage and that the partnership between Parsons, the academic bases and Draftfcb was focused on spreading knowledge of Dream:IN as a new source of creative thinking for any entities including business, academia, government, NGOs and social groups of any size.” 

“Draftfcb sees unprecedented opportunities to broaden our thinking by working with creative people from diversified portfolios of talents and from other creative fields,” said Tong. “There is an alternative platform for creativity that is not based on people’s needs, but more on what they dream about and aspire to be. This is where real invention takes place.”