By the numbers
Editor’s note: This post is from Yao Ying Jia, Executive Director of the Lenovo Innovation Design Center in Beijing, China. Read his bio here!
34
388
9
4
1
What meaning can be found in a number? Different cultures assign different omens to numbers. When I hear the number 23, I think of Michael Jordan. 13 is an unlucky number in the west, while 4 is unlucky in the east. In China, 6 is an auspicious number and 8 indicates making a fortune.
Today, right now, the number 388 means a lot to me and my team.
Over the past year, I have rallied 34 of our best designers here in Beijing through several rounds of competition. Our hard work and best efforts survived several rounds of selection — from 388 to 9 to 4 and finally, to the number 1.
Our design has been selected as the final winner from 388 entries for the official torch of the 2008 Olympic Games. Thirty-four designers on my team, 1 out of 388 entries, narrowed down to 9, then 4, and finally, the one. It feels as if we’ve won the first gold medal of the Games.
View larger image here
I am relieved that the news is now public, it was hard to keep such exciting news within our team! Today it is official: our design, Clouds of Promise, is going to be carried around the world and to the top of Mount Everest, carrying the Olympic flame to China.
I look forward to discussing the influences that led to our design and to exchanging ideas with you. I believe that — just as water needs to flow to keep fresh — design also needs communication for nourishment.
Well, it is late here in Beijing and I must sleep, but I will be back soon.
And finally, to my team: I love all of you!
Yao Ying Jia
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
April 26th, 2007 3:39 pm
Wow…!!! 8-D
A thrilling piece of art, fusing culture and innovations! A solid proof of excellence
Congratulations to Yao and the Lenovo design team!
April 26th, 2007 4:00 pm
I like the pattern and the subtle engraving, but the whole thing looks like a cigarette to me. Is that intentional?
April 27th, 2007 2:11 pm
Great job, Ying Jia and team! I feel that this design nails exactly what it set out to achieve – to create a cool looking torch that infuses the essence of the culture of the home country into its form. I especially love the thought that went into the decision to use a rubberised grip and the inclusion of the scroll element as a fundamental design element. To me, they represent the humanity of the Olympics and its role as a purveyor of all that is positive about humanity respectively. One question, though. What’s used to fuel the torch and how long can it last on one charge?
April 28th, 2007 4:24 am
It looks like large-scale chopsticks,haha.
May 8th, 2007 5:35 am
[...] Designed by Lenovo, it is absolutely the most b-e-a-u-tiful olympic torch I have ever seen. Love the subtle engraving, and lots of meanings behind. Modern yet reflecting our culture. It’s red and it’s so gorgeous that I’d like to have one! Filed under Something Random. | Tags: Something Random. var blogTool = “WordPress”; var blogURL = “http://www.janicelo.com/blog”; var blogTitle = “Janice Lo”; var postURL = “http://www.janicelo.com/blog/index.php/2007/05/08/torch-for-2008-olympics/”; var postTitle = “Torch for 2008 Olympics”; var commentAuthorFieldName = “author”; var commentAuthorLoggedIn = false; var commentFormID = “commentform”; var commentTextFieldName = “comment”; var commentButtonName = “submit”; [...]
May 29th, 2007 2:41 pm
[...] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. E' stata presentata la fiaccola ufficiale delle Olimpiadi di Pechino2008. È la "Cloud of Promise" (la Nuvola del buon augurio) disegnata da Lenovo.Questo nome evocativo rimanda subito al concept della fiaccola: le nuvole. Disegnate sulla torcia, nella cultura e immaginario colletivo cinese si ritrovano ampiamente a partire dall'architettura, pittura e naturalmente negli arredi. [...]
March 26th, 2008 8:29 am
The torch is really beautiful. But it seems, it becomes bloody this days – sadly we have to associate Lenovo as major sponsor with the incidents, oppressions and censorship in china 2008 and not only the “humanity of the Olympic games”.
August 12th, 2008 1:41 pm
Sadly M. Teddy must bring up points that are outside the spirit of the Olympics. It is unfortunate that the host country is guilty of such atrocities, but trying to paint a picture that Lenovo itself is supporting those actions is rather ignorant isn’t it? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? You can choose to see what YOU want, but don’t include others in the ‘WE’ in your statement.
Anyway, love the torch design. It isn’t my favorite (the Sydney torch has that honor), but it’s probably one of my top three.
Couldn’t sneak in the ThinkPad black along with the red in there huh?
December 31st, 2008 3:58 pm
[...] By the end of March, the Lenovo designed Olympic torch was lit, and the relay spanning 21 cities and 5 continents began. The torch design itself was an amazing story in 2007, as Lenovo’s design was selected from 388 different submissions! [...]