Hape Fun Inspiration Sparks! ● Nicole Jenkins ● USA ● Specialty: Toy Design - Inspired by nature and it’s simplicity in form and function ● Experience: Designer at Hape since tutoring bamboo workshop summer 2012 ● This has been an experience rich in learning about manufacturing, design, and Chinese culture. I will take what I have gained here with me throughout my life and career as a designer. Inspirations are like match ends, you must strike them, then you would get new sparks. Annual Hape Creative International Seminar took place from 22th April to 3rd May at Hape Ningbo office. Excellent designers from all over the world gathered at Ningbo to ● Markus Hirche ● Germany ● Specialty: Toy Design ● Experience: Joined Hape over 10 years ago, designing toys for several product lines. ● To exchange ideas with other international designers and receive feedback from the technical, marketing and sales departments makes the whole workshop very interesting, it has enlightened me with a new window of inspiration. ● Rory Perrott ● Ireland ● Specialty: Oil-Painting ● Experience: Designer at Hape since tutoring bamboo workshop since summer 2012 ● During the course of the workshop I have been exposed to many different design and production methods, it is like fresh blood to me. The environment in the workshop is very warm, creative and sometimes hectic as we attempt to get the sample work ready in time. ● Stephen Procter ● New Zealand ● Specialty: Children’s Furniture ● Experience: In 2007, Stephen designed a range of folding baby furniture and showed it at the Milan furniture fair and won the best newcomer award. ● Designing baby furniture is very challenging because you have firstly production and technical details to consider; secondly you need to meet the tastes of diverse consumer groups including children and their parents; thirdly you must meet the highest safety standards. ● Adam Shillito ● UK ● Specialty: Toy Design ● Experience: My first project with Hape was the bamboo e-racer about 6 years ago. Since then I have designed about 50 toys for Hape and some were much liked by the markets and it's been a great experience. ● Looking forward to the next 50! exchange ideas and design new furniture concepts for Hape collections and its sublines. ● Isabelle Winterhalder- Anderhalden ● Switzerland ● Specialty: Kids Furniture Business ● Experience: As an architect and designer, my first kids furniture was made for my own children. Every time I saw Aidan and Aileen jumping up and down on the double-decker bed I designed, as a mother, I was very happy. ● The trip to China has enhanced my vision, the great opportunity of having shared experiences and ideas with another excellent designers from all over the world benefits me a lot. ▲ from left: Designer Sha Yang, Isabelle Winterhalder- Anderhalden, techinician Jiaoling Wang, designer Markus Hirche, vice manager of technical department Zhimin Sheng ▲ from left: Stephen Procter, Nicole Jenkins, Rory Perrott, Adam Shillito, Isabelle Winterhalder- Anderhalden, Markus Hirche (Photographer: Yan Bi, Fox Li) 7