By: Maylin Li

Shanghai, China – January 2024 – OnePen (Shanghai) Industrial Design Co., Ltd. (*OPSH), a pioneering force in the automotive design industry, has made significant strides globally with its innovative educational framework and extensive proficiency in automotive design. Since its inception in 2017, *OPSH has not only catalyzed the advancement of China’s automotive design industry but has also amplified the global influence of Chinese automotive design, fostering a legacy through its adeptly trained student cohorts.

Based in Shanghai, *OPSH, an abbreviation for OnePenSH, encompasses three interwoven sub-brands at the nucleus of OnePen (Shanghai) Industrial Design Co., Ltd.’s operations: OnePenEdu, dedicated to design education; COVER Design, offering design consulting services; and OPMD, specializing in scale model design and fabrication. Together, these brands construct a dynamic and diverse ecosystem within the automotive design sphere.

The meteoric ascent of *OPSH within the dynamic automotive design realm owes itself to exceptional team composition, visionary leadership, and the profound industry expertise of its management cadre. Co-founder and Design Director Haibo Sheng, boasting a seasoned career at China’s Kia Design Center and Korea’s KLIO Design Studio, brings forth distinctive and robust design strategies coupled with hands-on experience to the helm of OnePen. Another Co-founder and Creative Director Yixuan Daniel Song, an alumnus of the prestigious College for Creative Studies (CCS) in the United States, infuses global innovative paradigms and forward-thinking design trends into *OPSH, drawing from a rich professional trajectory at Nissan Design in California, Peugeot in France, General Motors in China, and Kia’s Design Center in China. Lisa Li, leading the business department, leverages years of domestic negotiation prowess, coupled with astute market analysis and strategic planning acumen. Moreover, Global Operations and Strategy Advisor Tianze Yu, also a CCS graduate, bolsters *OPSH’s international strategic positioning, fortified by extensive design industry experience in the United States.

Sourced Photo – OPSH co-founders Haibo Sheng (first from left) and Yixuan Song (second from left) with Nissan China Design Director during visit to *OPSH

1. OnePenEdu: Revolutionizing Education in Automotive Design 

OnePenEdu, the educational arm of *OPSH, serves as a catalyst not merely for imparting automotive design knowledge but as a conduit that connects aspirations to actuality. It delivers a comprehensive automotive design education, spanning foundational to advanced levels, encompassing vehicle styling intricacies and engineering nuances. Boasting multiple industry-pioneering patents for original courses, OnePenEdu champions practicality and innovation within its distinctive educational framework, nurturing students’ design thinking and fostering creativity.

Since its inception in 2017, OnePenEdu has conducted over 50 design courses engaging more than 1200 participants and attracting both domestic and international students from overseas design institutions. Its standout service facilitating overseas design school applications has successfully steered numerous students into top-tier global design institutions, seamlessly amalgamating education with industry. Via OnePenEdu’s international platform, students have secured coveted internships at prestigious firms like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari, with a staggering 99% transitioning into full-time roles post-internship.

Simultaneously, *OPSH has exhibited remarkable educational achievements and prowess in pivotal domestic and international automotive design competitions. The SAIC International Challenge, spanning 2017 to 2023, witnessed *OPSH nurturing over 40 finalists, clinching top accolades including first, second, and third positions. Similarly, the GAC Design Contest showcased the triumph of over 20 students from 2017 to 2023, not only earning excellence and outstanding awards but also seizing invaluable internship prospects.

Sourced Photo – *OPSH students – winners of the first and second Red Flag Design Challenge championships – the trophy is currently on display in the Shanghai *OPSH Design Studio

In the ICCG SAIC General Motors Campus Innovation and Communication Factory, *OPSH students emerged as 26 finalists since 2019, bagging several awards, including Best Interior Innovation and Best Model Innovation. The Dongfeng Dream Car Contest propelled over 10 *OPSH winners, notably securing the Best Styling Award. Furthermore, from 2019 to 2023, 11 *OPSH students showcased prowess in the Red Flag Design Challenge, clinching gold, silver, and excellence awards.

Sourced Photo – *OPSH student Ziyu Zhang (second from left) – winner of Best Exterior Creative Award in the 2023 ICCG Competition

Between 2017 and 2023, the cumulative tally of award recipients surpassed 100, underscoring *OPSH’s unparalleled leadership and commendable educational standards within China’s automotive design vocational training landscape. These accomplishments not only spotlight *OPSH’s exceptional aptitude in automotive design education but also underscore the high competitiveness of *OPSH-fostered students in practical design and innovation. The outstanding performance of *OPSH students in domestic and international automotive design competitions injects fresh vigor into China’s automotive design domain, making substantive contributions to its continuous evolution.

2. COVER Design: Benchmarking Internationalized Design Services 

COVER Design, the design service facet of *OPSH, specializes in delivering professional design services to esteemed domestic and international automakers. Distinguished for its international design ensemble, COVER Design’s members boast overseas academic backgrounds, expansive global perspectives, and extensive industry expertise, ensuring a hallmark of innovation within their works. Catering to over 10 domestic new energy vehicle manufacturers, COVER Design has significantly contributed to the design of concept and production cars for multiple international auto shows, indelibly shaping the global automotive design trajectory.

3.OPMD: Pioneering Small-Scale Hard Model Production

OPMD, *OPSH’s dedicated brand in small-scale hard model production, focuses exclusively on 1/4 scale models, fortified by nearly a decade of expertise. Serving as the preferred model supplier for numerous domestic and international design schools, universities, and enterprises in China, OPMD also stands as a Chinese regional partner and design model supplier for the renowned College for Creative Studies (CCS) in the United States. Committed to showcasing the creativity and designs of design school students and professionals, OPMD has delivered over 300 meticulously crafted scale hard models and engaged in myriad school-enterprise collaborative design ventures, collaborating with esteemed institutions such as the China Academy of Art, Kia China, GAC Design, and Renault, among others.

In the wake of the swift evolution within the automotive industry, particularly in the realm of battery electric vehicles, China stands amidst an unprecedented transformation. OnePen (Shanghai) Industrial Design Co., Ltd. is steadfast in leading this paradigm shift. Through its exemplary performance in design education and expert consultancy, *OPSH not only molds a new cadre of Chinese automotive designers but also fervently propels Chinese automotive design onto the global stage.

*OPSH aspires not only to spearhead domestic design education but to immerse itself deeply in steering the trajectory of Chinese automotive design, catalyzing domestically-produced vehicles to ascend as vanguards on the international landscape. Every stride in its developmental journey resonates with innovation and professionalism, aiming to etch enduring and substantial imprints upon the automotive design field, domestically and beyond. *OPSH notably participated in the Seoul Design Festival in December 2023, marking itself as the sole automotive design service provider from China attending the event, receiving a resoundingly positive reception.