ALIBABA DESIGN
CSR SHOWCASE
PARTNERS
Wonderlabs Studio
Yang Si
WHAT
Exhibition design
Art direction
Project management
YEAR
2021
BACKGROUND
At the 2021 Alibaba Design Week, we showcased our philanthropic efforts through a design charity exhibition booth, highlighting impactful design-initiated charity projects. It was the first external venue where the Alibaba design team displayed their philanthropic work. Additionally, we organized a recruitment drive for design volunteers interested in future initiatives by Alibaba Design.
ROLE
As the design project manager for the exhibition showcase, I consolidated and curated content from multiple design teams at Alibaba. I also acted as the primary liaison for design operations and processes, and contributed to the design direction and execution to ensure a seamless exhibition experience.
As Alibaba Design prepared its first design-driven CSR exhibition showcase, I faced the challenge of unifying content from various design teams within the company. With each project being unique, it was difficult to also achieve a consistent thematic look and feel. To address this, I collaborated with our exhibition vendors and internal design team to establish a unifying theme throughout the showcase.
CHALLENGE
I faced the challenge of unifying content from various design teams within the company. With each project being unique, it was difficult to also achieve a consistent thematic look and feel. To address this, I collaborated with our exhibition vendors and internal design team to establish a unifying theme throughout the showcase.
Alibaba Design Week aimed to inspire 25,000 designers to participate in public welfare projects and recruit 1,000 designers as volunteers.
A user journey model, employing behavioural design, was implemented to promote the effortless integration of charitable activities into daily life. Footsteps accumulated during the exhibition can be donated on Alibaba's CSR platform, "Each one 3 hours".
02 OBJECTIVES
At our booth, visitors were directed to the "Each one 3 hours" platform on the Alipay app after viewing the exhibition. Those who donated their steps received free gifts as a token of appreciation. Our aim was to demonstrate how simple it is to contribute to philanthropic efforts and leave visitors with this takeaway.
The exhibition's most striking feature was undoubtedly the transformative rebranding of agricultural products in impoverished regions, which had a profound impact on the local industry. The design team responsible for this effort ingeniously integrated the region's cultural folk drawings into their modernized packaging, resulting in a visually appealing aesthetic that resonated with younger audiences. The success of this redesign was evident in the significant increase in sales of agricultural produce.
03 EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
04 RECEPTION
The exhibition booth was a success; a total of 29,300 visitors visited the booth across 5 days, far exceeding our target of 25,000. We also managed to recruit over 1,000 design volunteers for future philanthropy projects.
To enhance visitor engagement, we seamlessly integrated interactive elements into the exhibition. We created an interactive game set in a dark room, showcasing beloved characters from the Alibaba Zoo. In addition to this immersive experience, we also curated a green room where visitors could actively participate in the recording and production of art lessons designed for children in rural, mountainous regions. These interactive features not only added depth to the exhibition but also fostered a sense of connectivity and empowerment among our visitors.
OTHER PROJECTS
The video was created as a finale to the exhibition, with the primary objective of educating Alibaba internally on the role of design in the company's CSR efforts. Its purpose was to demonstrate how design can enhance the overall CSR exhibition experience, marking a milestone for the internal CSR team as they explored the integration of design into exhibitions for the first time.