在2010年說服諾基亞(Nokia)于中國深圳成立研究中心(Nokia Research Center)的顏其鋒，后來成為去年該研究中心關(guān)閉后最后一個離開的人；他現(xiàn)在是湖南大學(xué)旗下媒體實驗室(Media Lab，也位于深圳)的總監(jiān)暨首席研究員，看好深圳在未來將會由世界的廉價工廠，成為全球性的產(chǎn)品原型設(shè)計中心。 湖南大學(xué)正與美國羅徹斯特理工學(xué)院(Rochester Institute of Technology)合作，打算將目前僅有15名成員的媒體實驗室擴(kuò)大經(jīng)營，提升為擁有1,500位研究員的大型育成中心。就像目前許多中國正在執(zhí)行的計劃，這個目標(biāo)野心很大，而考慮到顏其鋒與其團(tuán)隊成員在深圳當(dāng)?shù)仉娮赢a(chǎn)業(yè)的工作經(jīng)驗，它也是有可能實現(xiàn)的。 在顏其鋒的團(tuán)隊已經(jīng)完成的三項研究項目中，有一個已經(jīng)從原型正式成為商業(yè)化產(chǎn)品──是一款采用聯(lián)發(fā)科(MediaTek)功能型手機(jī)芯片組的智能手表，將由中國新興智能手機(jī)品牌酷派(Coolpad)在本月稍后正式發(fā)表?？纱┐魇皆O(shè)備──特別是智能手表──在中國市場當(dāng)紅，酷派也嘗試自己開發(fā)智能手表產(chǎn)品，但后來還是放棄，最后采用了顏其鋒的設(shè)計。

湖南大學(xué)旗下媒體實驗室總監(jiān)暨首席研究員顏其鋒
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“創(chuàng)新很難在企業(yè)的辦公室里發(fā)生；”顏其鋒表示，在深圳有很多公司都太專注于跟上全球競爭對手的腳步，而且中國的公司通常沒有可定義、設(shè)計新產(chǎn)品的人才：“他們偏重于投資知道怎么制作電子產(chǎn)品的工程師，卻并不一定會延攬具備產(chǎn)品設(shè)計以及完成設(shè)計案能力的人才?！倍仓赋?，中國工程師缺乏組織設(shè)計團(tuán)隊、起始設(shè) 計項目并領(lǐng)導(dǎo)設(shè)計案進(jìn)行的能力。 顏其鋒的設(shè)計經(jīng)驗是從芬蘭萌芽，他在赫爾辛基藝術(shù)與設(shè)計大學(xué)(University of Helsinki of Art and Design，現(xiàn)在改名為Aalto University)取得學(xué)位，然后進(jìn)入諾基亞工作；他那時候為了讓設(shè)計案得以執(zhí)行，得耗費(fèi)大量精力在做簡報、內(nèi)部游說上，然后發(fā)現(xiàn)要說服諾基亞高層的 一個最佳方式，就是快速打造出產(chǎn)品原型展示給他們看。 深圳正是一個能讓設(shè)計工程師快速制作出產(chǎn)品原型，并進(jìn)行各種調(diào)整、改善，以實現(xiàn)產(chǎn)品概念的地方；于是出身自中國南方的顏其鋒說服諾基亞在深圳成立設(shè)計中心，并成為該中心的第一個(也是最后一個)總監(jiān)。顏其鋒表示，該設(shè)計中 心在鼎盛時期有55位研究員，在諾基亞后來決定關(guān)閉之前，他進(jìn)行的設(shè)計案是一款鎖定非洲市場、配備太陽能板的平價電子書。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁：對深圳打造產(chǎn)品原型的力量深信不疑

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{pagination} 諾基亞在2012年生產(chǎn)并銷售了8,000臺該產(chǎn)品，雖然顏其鋒的團(tuán)隊在很短的時間內(nèi)就定義出產(chǎn)品、制作原型并成功展示，諾基亞總部還是花了很長的時間要求 該產(chǎn)品得符合各種質(zhì)量規(guī)格才批準(zhǔn)量產(chǎn)，包括從1.2公尺的高度掉落不會損壞等；這種對質(zhì)量的要求令人敬佩，但顏其鋒認(rèn)為諾基亞對于針對不同應(yīng)用與區(qū)域市場的策略不夠彈性，使得產(chǎn)品錯失先機(jī)。 盡管如此，顏其鋒仍然對深圳打造產(chǎn)品原型的力量深信不疑；深圳的產(chǎn)業(yè)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)包括了庫存 充足的各種零組件，而如果有那些零件不足，很容易就能從香港等地取得。此外他認(rèn)為深圳的供應(yīng)鏈發(fā)展完善，軟硬件開發(fā)商齊備，從PCB、外殼供貨商、修整 廠、整合業(yè)者，以及大型生產(chǎn)商都有；任何產(chǎn)品概念能在深圳一地快速完成所需的測試、原型制作與生產(chǎn)。

顏其鋒坐在他的辦公室里，展示他設(shè)計的智能手表
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顏其鋒團(tuán)隊所設(shè)計之智能手表
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本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁：以手表的概念設(shè)計智能手表

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{pagination} 顏其鋒的團(tuán)隊在設(shè)計智能手表時，有很多可用的芯片與零組件可選擇，最后決定采用聯(lián)發(fā)科的低成本智能手機(jī)芯片組，并放棄2G調(diào)制解調(diào)器組件不用，是因為后者太耗電。他們所設(shè)計的智能手表能提供智能手機(jī)遙控功能，所配備的單色顯示屏幕外觀感覺有點(diǎn)過時，但它并沒有模仿Pebble或是Samsung的產(chǎn)品，而是 一開始就以手表的概念設(shè)計，提供讓用戶選擇不同時間顯示方式的功能。

酷派手表最初的設(shè)計初衷：他首先得是一塊表
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想看中文顯示時間的話，這個就是了，酷不酷？
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另一種時間顯示方式
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本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 本文下一頁：進(jìn)行中的智能廚房和“設(shè)計114”網(wǎng)站

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{pagination} 除了智能手表，目前湖南大學(xué)深圳媒體實驗室還正在進(jìn)行另外兩個設(shè)計項目，其中之一是讓廚房內(nèi)不同電器能相互溝通的智能廚房；顏其鋒表示：“我們對于為廚房家 電本身添加更多智能功能并不感興趣，因為這會讓電器價格更昂貴。”他們的構(gòu)想是利用智能手機(jī)以及通用的通訊協(xié)議，讓各種獨(dú)立的家電具備連網(wǎng)功能，因此更具智能。 顏其鋒表示，他們的智能廚房概念正在實證階段，實驗室正與中國當(dāng)?shù)氐膹N房電器制造商如歐琳(Oulin)、美的 (Midea)、華帝(Vatti)等合作：“我們認(rèn)為大學(xué)實驗室是能夠開發(fā)跨品牌通用、標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化通訊協(xié)議的一個良好的中立機(jī)構(gòu)?！倍麄兊哪繕?biāo)是扮演打造 互通廚房電器標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的一個產(chǎn)業(yè)聯(lián)盟組織。

湖南大學(xué)實習(xí)生在媒體實驗室中工作
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另一個實驗室進(jìn)行的項目名為“設(shè)計114”；114這個號碼在中國是查號臺，而設(shè)計 114的目標(biāo)就是打造一個網(wǎng)站，讓所有的產(chǎn)品設(shè)計工程師能夠透過該網(wǎng)站快速取得所需的協(xié)助。而雖然實驗室一開始并沒有打算接受外聘工作，顏其鋒的團(tuán)隊已經(jīng) 被華帝邀請到該公司去成立一個實驗室，這讓該實驗室有機(jī)會成為一個讓中國本土廠商升級至產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈上層的催化劑。

在規(guī)劃中的“設(shè)計114”網(wǎng)站
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顏其鋒希望深圳 有一天可以不再生產(chǎn)“Me-too”產(chǎn)品，他也預(yù)見深圳將會成為一個讓全球各地人們聚集在此打造產(chǎn)品原型、成功實現(xiàn)產(chǎn)品商業(yè)化甚至創(chuàng)立新公司的園地。而許 多深圳當(dāng)產(chǎn)業(yè)界人士也認(rèn)為改變不可避免，因為廉價勞動力的優(yōu)勢已經(jīng)不再(富士康也將另擇新地建立新工廠)，而且當(dāng)?shù)氐娜粘ＯM(fèi)也水漲船高。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Ex-Nokia Designer Leads Shenzhen Media Lab，by Junko Yoshida

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{pagination} Ex-Nokia Designer Leads Shenzhen Media Lab Junko Yoshida Coolpad to launch his new smartwatch prototype this month SHENZHEN, China -- Qifeng Yan, who convinced Nokia to build the Nokia Research Center in Shenzhen in 2010, but became the last one out the door when it closed last year, knows something about Shenzhen, and about the city's potential in the next 10 years. He's betting on Shenzhen's shift from the world's low-wage factory to a global prototyping center. Yan, now the director and chief researcher at Media Lab (Shenzhen) at Hunan University, is part of the big plan hatched by his employer. Hunan University, in partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology, of Rochester, N.Y., is plotting to expand its Media Lab here — currently consisting of 15 people -- into an incubator for 1,500 researchers. Typical of most big plans in China nowadays, it's ambitious. It is also possible, considering Yan and his team's experience in working their way around Shenzhen’s built-in electronics industry ecosystem. Of the three research projects Yan’s team at the Media Lab has launched, one has already turned a research prototype into a commercial product. A smartwatch, running on MediaTek's feature phone chipset, will be launched later this month by Coolpad, a well-known domestic China smartphone brand. Smartwatch designed by Qifeng Yan, director of Media Lab (Shenzhen) at Hunan University. Wearable devices -- especially smartwatches -- are all the rage in China. Coolpad, too, had its own smartwatch in development, but had to scratch it. When Yan came to Coolpad, Coolpad jumped on Yan’s design. “Innovations can't happen in the office,” said Yan. A lot of companies in Shenzhen are too busy keeping up with what their competitors in the rest of the world are doing, he observed. One problem in Chinese companies is a shortage of people with the talent to define a product and design it. “They pay more to engineers who know how to build electronics, but they don’t necessarily pay well to those who actually design it and architect a project,” Yan explained. Further, Chinese engineers often lack the experience of putting together a team, initiating a project, and leading it, he added. Yan’s design experience began in Finland. After he got a degree from the University of Helsinki of Art and Design, which recently became Aalto University by merging with Helsinki’s Technology and Business schools, he stayed in Finland and joined Nokia. Yan, however, got frustrated by the time and energy he had to waste doing Powerpoint presentations and internal politicking just to get the green light for a project. Yan decided that the best way to persuade Nokia management would be to build a prototype -- fast -- and show it to them. Seeing is believing, as they say. There's no better place in the world than Shenzhen for researchers to work on a prototype, adjust, modify, and improve it in order to prove the product concept. Subsequently, Yan -- born and raised in the Southern China -- talked Nokia into opening the Nokia Research Center in Shenzhen. He became its first (and last) director. At its heyday, the facility had 55 researchers, said Yan. Before Nokia decided to shut down after three years, Yan led the design of Nokia’s eBook for Africa. Featured with a solar panel, the tablet-size device was supposed to become the “One Tablet Per Child” for countries like Kenya and Tanzania, Yan explained. Nokia built 8,000 units and shipped them in 2012. But that was the first and last lot before Nokia stopped research in Shenzhen. While Yan’s team was quick to define the product, build the prototype, and pull off the working demo, it took a long time for Nokia headquarters to approve the final product, because it had to meet stringent Nokia quality standards, including dropping the tablet without breaking from a height of 1.2 meters. The goals were admirable, but Nokia often missed the window of opportunity for its products. The company wasn’t flexible enough to understand what was good enough for certain products designed for certain applications in certain regions of the world, Yan observed. Nonetheless, Yan is still a big believer in the power of Shenzhen. Shenzhen’s ecosystem consists of well-stocked parts and components. If the ones needed are not available, they’re easy to source from Hong Kong or elsewhere. Shenzhen has well-developed supply chains, along with software and hardware developers. There are vendors selling PCBs and casings. There are tooling companies, integrators, and, of course, local mega-manufacturing facilities with well-trained factory hands. In essence, Yan says, if you have a good idea, Shenzhen is the place to test, prototype, and manufacture it -- very quickly. Continua for kitchen appliances When Yan’s team was designing a smartwatch, they had a plenty of exposure to available chips and components. Eventually Yan picked MediaTek’s low-cost feature phone chipset and disabled the 2G modem part because it drained power. The watch offers remote-control functions for a smartphone. Its black and white screen looks a little outdated. Yet, its design is no copy of Pebble or Samsung’s smartwatch, because this one is first designed as a watch. It features a number of unique designs to show the time a user can choose. At Hunan University’s Media Lab in Shenzhen, researchers are working on two other projects. One is a smart kitchen with communication protocols for different kitchen appliances to talk with each another. Yan said, “We are not particularly interested in adding more smarts to kitchen appliances themselves. That will only make them more expensive.” Rather, by using the power of a smartphone and common communication protocols, standalone dumb appliances can get connected, and smarter. “We are at a demonstration stage,” said Yan, who is working with domestic kitchen appliance makers such as Oulin, Midea, and Vatti. “We think a university media lab is a good mutual place to develop standard communication protocols that could work across the brands,” he noted. Asked about his goal, Yan said, “We want to be the ‘Continua’ (Continua Health Alliance) of kitchen appliances to build interoperable systems.” The third project the team is working on is “Design 114.” 114 in China is a phone number for the help line. The team is working on a website called Design 114, whose goal is to enable every designer to get the help he needs quickly. While the Media Lab doesn’t plan to design for hire, Yan’s team has been invited by Vatti to open a lab inside the company. It poses an opportunity for Media Lab to serve as a catalyst for local Chinese companies to move up the food chain. Yan hopes that Shenzhen, someday, will end me-too manufacturing, typified by Chinese bosses in local electronics ODMs and OEMs going after quick buck by copying the latest iPhone or Galaxy model. Based on his firsthand experience at Nokia Research Center in Shenzhen and now at the Hunan University Media Lab, Yan foresees Shenzhen eventually as a global mecca where people gather together, prototype their ideas, commercialize new products, and start companies. In the minds of many locals here, such change is inevitable. Already, Shenzhen no longer offers the cheapest labor (i.e., Foxconn will be building its new production facilities elsewhere) and the cost of living is skyrocketing. In the following pages, you will be able to take a look inside the Media Lab and at Coolpad's new smartwatch featuring a number of unique designs to show the time a user can choose. Qifeng Yan in front of Media Lab entrance. Notice the logos of both Hunan University and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The Coolpad watch is designed first as a watch. If you need to show the time in Chinese characters on the same watch, here it is. Cool typefaces. Again, here's yet another way to show the time. A screenshot of the "Design 114" website under development. Hunan University students working inside Media Lab. Media Lab director Yan sitting in his office (with a view), showing off his smartwatch on his wrist.