Quantity over quality
Guangzhou-Singapore, 27th November 2013
4 Four more to go…
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As I round up may trip to Guangzhou and on my way back to Singapore, I cannot but think about the enormity of the LED business. I wasn’t able to join todays’ organised factory visit due to tight timing with my flight, but I have been in some mega LED factories before and have seen also many pictures during the event. I know what I was “missing”. My overriding thought though about all this, is that in China specifically it seems to be all about quantity…more, rather than better. As I mentioned yesterday quality and comfort seem to take a back seat to faster, brighter, bigger.
Yet the general opinion of the Chinese is one of acceptance. Part of the conference program was a night river cruise on the Pearl River which winds it way through Guangzhou, passing by many of the cities’ landmarks, bridges and not to forget the Guangzhou or Canton Tower which stands more than 600m tall in all its LED glory. All along the river there was an abundance of LED lighting on the buildings, bridges, running all the colours of the rainbow, a real cacophony of light and colour; one bigger and brighter than the other.
The point is that I observed many of the installations to be faulty or not properly working; when we passed illuminated bridges I could see the shoddy workmanship; on some of the buildings many of the lights were either not working, not in sync or of different brightness. Did anyone on the boat care…no, not really, it was like a trip in Disneyland with “ooohs” and “aaahs”…everyone happily snapping away pictures. We as professional designers see how it could have been done so much better (quality). But average Joe public, doesn’t, and seem to accept that this is what LED’s are all about…
Light Watch 4-204: The Guangzhou Pearl River cruise…
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