Launch Website: www.laurentdoll.com

For this project I collaborated with the design team and CEO to art direct the UI, color scheme, and visual layout of text, images, and iconography of the homepage.  The homepage required a series of revisions which were approved by the client and then communicated to the production team.

Launch Website:  www.unionpt.com

I functioned as a consultant on this project and developed the web site using Word Press and a customized theme.  The clients required a web presence and new logo and to serve as a community site to meet the demands of their Seattle customer base.

The Leavenworth Nordic Ski Team required a unique race suit design for the 2011 season.  Scope of the project was to distinguish the LWSC team from other generic suit designs with a fresh look, along with a new logo and team colors in White, Marine and Navy.

Logo designs were created for the front and back of the jersey and upper legs.  These were matched to accentuate the striping and details of the suit graphics.  Graphics were designed to allow space for sponsor logos on the upper arms along with a unique USA logo on the collar in addition the team motto on the left cuff.  Stripes and details were designed to wrap cleanly across the major seam areas and compliment any body type from young adult to professional racer.

Your logo is the most important element of your company’s identity.  It ultimately serves as the visual touch point and voice of your business.  It leaves a lasting impression on your customers, one that’s hopefully in line with the core values of your brand.  Marketing collateral and supporting graphics aim to follow this standard, reinforcing your company’s visual identity and brand strategy.

An effective logo embraces 3 key principles:

>> Appropriate

At its core, your logo is the shining symbol that represents your company, product, or service.  It is a defining mark, one that conveys an accurate first impression and delivers a clear picture of your company’s values.  It sets the tone or vibe of your brand by speaking directly to the unique personality of your target market.

>> Simple

Simplicity ensures it is instantly communicated, easily recognized, and memorable.  Complex designs take time for the viewer to decipher and can be too complicated to leave a lasting impression. Simplicity also guarantees it’s versatile – how will it look when it is resized to meet the demands of different environments and mediums?  It must be equally effective when on a business card, web page, or the size and height of a 5-story building… you just never know.

>> Unique

A powerful logo is distinctly exclusive.  It stands alone.  Being appropriate, simple, and unique will ensure your logo is different and not easily confused with other symbols, icons, or the competition.  Avoid cliché and overused imagery, research your competitors, and know your audience.

So how do you ensure your logo meets these requirements?  The first step of the process is the most critical.  To get moving in the right direction, read on.

For the designer, logo design is a bubble up process.  It begins with a thorough understanding of the core values of your business.  To ensure the designer achieves the big-picture, it’s important you work together.  Beyond the initial consultation, the first phase of the creative process is brainstorming.  Collaborating during this phase will help save you time and money.  The more information you can bring to the table the better – you know your business best!

The first step is educating your designer about your business.  To lay the groundwork, begin by defining your brand.  You might be thinking, what is my brand?  Your company’s unique personality defines your brand.  Simply put, your brand is a mixture of three elements: your product or service, your company’s culture, and how the product or service is delivered to your customer.  To further break it down, the definition of your brand should include a discussion regarding your values, competitors, vision, target market, mission, and stylistic attitudes.  This will really get the gears turning for both you and your designer, and with this information collected you can move forward knowing your business is well represented.

Start by brainstorming on paper.  Write down a list of keywords you feel define your business.  It’s a free-form uninhibited activity – relax and let the ideas flow!  Write down anything that comes to mind, you can fine-tune  later.  This method is referred to as a “brain dump”.  Then, with the help of your designer, narrow the focus to emphasize images or symbols that stylistically represent those keywords.  Extracting visual ideas is the designer’s job foremost, but as mentioned earlier, the more initial input you give the more effective the process.  This establishes a clear direction for the designer and ensures your company’s identity is clearly represented.

Certain people find it more effective to visualize ideas than express their thoughts with words.  Creatives refer to this visual brainstorming technique as “mind-mapping”.  If you’re inspired more so by sketching than writing, you may want to give it a try.  It’s a visual method that encourages the flow of interconnected ideas stemming from a primary or centralized idea.

Getting started with a logo design project can be time consuming for both you and your designer, so be open minded, don’t get stuck on one idea, and leave the artistic brilliance of creating an effective and powerful logo to… that’s right – the designer.

For a detailed look at the entire process, see my post titled “The Logo Design Process”, or click here. Check out some of my recent logo / identity examples here.

When working with new clients who show interest in the creative process, I use an established set of guidelines to walk them through the different phases of development and design.  Of course, too much client interaction can stifle a designer’s enthusiasm, and too little may result in a finished design that doesn’t meet the requirements or aesthetic of the business.  The initial consultation usually sets the tone for the rest of the design process.  If working together is not a good fit it’s fairly obvious from the first meeting. It’s important to set expectations and talk about the main requirements up front.  Time and budget are the big ones, so get these out of the way first.

The process doesn’t get started until both parties have clearly stated their objectives and an agreement is established, (pull out that contract to ensure everyone is protected).  The client must be willing to impart a detailed analysis of their business upon the designer, while the designer must be wholly committed to providing an effective solution that meets the core values of the clients business effectively, in addition to staying within budget and time constraints.

I use the 10-step process outlined below as a boilerplate to help my clients understand the stages involved when creating an effective logo design.  Depending on client requirements and project scope, I tweak the outline to accommodate the individual specifics of each project.

>> I will use a symbol and text based logo for this example.

Step 1: Concept Development & Brainstorming

The first step of the design process is the most critical, and therefore requires the most input from the client.  Before creating any graphic elements the designer must possess a thorough understanding of the company, product, or service.  Begin by defining the company’s overall personality; this includes brand values, competitors, vision, target market, mission, and stylistic attitude.  The objective of this exercise is to summarize the core values of the business, distilling this information into a framework from which the actual development process begins.

Working together the client and designer will create a list of keywords that define the business, writing down anything that comes to mind – this is called a “brain dump”.   After that they narrow the focus to emphasize images and symbols that can be used to stylistically define those keywords.  Pre-existing stylistic elements should also be discussed if relevant, such as existing collateral/visuals, primary/secondary color pallets, and font preferences.

Step 2: Concept Sketches

Using the information gathered from the brainstorming session, the designer will create concept sketches emphasizing the core values discussed.  Sketches primarily include text, symbol, or a combination of both elements depending on the information gathered in Step 1.

>> Focus on symbols/icons unless the logo will be purely text based.  Address text/font variations at Step 5. Start with around 10 sketches.

Step 3: Review & Feedback – Is the Design On Track?

This step ensures the primary focus is on the core values of the company.  Additionally it helps narrow down options, or allows ideas to expand in different directions if not on target.  Ideally a few variations can be selected for moving forward in digital format.  If nothing stands out the designer will do a second round of sketches for review.

>> Select 3 concepts to develop digitally.

Step 4: Digital Prototype – Designing in Black & White

The graphic starts to take shape as rough sketches are fine-tuned using design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or Fireworks.  It’s best to concentrate on designing in black and white at this early stage.  The use of color can unnecessarily complicate the design, drawing the viewer’s focus away from the raw form, which can often lead to shortcomings in one of the three key areas.  This ensures the logo is simple, effective, and can be reproduced in various mediums.  The addition of color comes later when the designer is certain the logo meets the criteria for success.  Is it Appropriate, Simple, and Unique?

>> Start by selecting 3 concepts; develop 5 variations for each of these for a total of 15 samples to review.  Narrow these down to a primary and secondary design.

Step 5: Typography – Selecting an Appropriate Font

If the design started purely as a graphic symbol, it’s now time for the addition of text to identify the brand with the identifying mark.  Custom typefaces, or fonts, play a powerful role in alluding to the unique personality, vibe, or culture of a brand.  The expressive style of custom fonts can be largely responsible for how the target market identities with the brand.

>> Using a custom font can add instant personality and really enhance a logo, but be cautious; the wrong font can also ruin an otherwise successful design.  This should be intuitive – select carefully with target market in mind and make sure your choice is a perfect fit.  Start with 10 variations.

Step 6: Logo Prototype – A Blend of Font & Symbol

Paired with various text arrangements, formatting, and font styles, the logo should have a finished appearance.

>> A great design can be ruined without proper whitespace – let it breath!  Ensure space exists between individual elements and the composition does not feel crowded or tight.  Adjust formatting (light, medium, or bold styles and italics), tracking (space between words), kerning (space between characters), and leading (space between lines of text).  Still working without color, verify the design is successful in black and white before moving on.  Provide 5 combinations.

Step 7: Concept Review

A thorough review of the guidelines established during the initial brainstorming phase to guarantee all criteria is met.

>> Make necessary revisions and adjustments if required.

Step 8:  Final Logo

The final design is presented for review, including both black on white / white on black versions.

Step 9:  Color & Enhancements

Color is applied to improve the existing black and white design.  Additional enhancements such as drop shadows, effects, and stylized features are added if desired.

Step 10:  Final File Delivery

The final logo is delivered in vector (scalable) and raster (non-scalable / pixel-based) formats, along with a variety of file types.  This guarantees it is versatile for any medium and dimension – be it web, print, broadcast, billboard, or business card.

>> Logo is supplied in black on white, white on black, color, and enhanced versions.  File types include: PSD (Adobe Photoshop), (AI) Adobe Illustrator, JPG, EPS, TIF, PNG, and PDF formats.  Additional versions and file formats may be provided upon request.

Buying stylish threads for a bargain is easy in Shanghai – if you know where to look.  If you’re brave enough to explore the “fake markets” an extensive selection of reproductions abound, along with unique finds that make you wonder “how can this actually be so cheap?” So here’s the low-down you’ll need to navigate the colossal urban landscape before you and score some of the best deals around town.

Depending on the experience you’re after, there’s a destination in Shanghai that will no doubt suit your tastes.  In this post I’ll emphasize the truly unique shopping experiences, not the mainstream mega-malls typically found in the Western world.  I consider these locations to be for the more adventurous.  If you’re not in the mood for wild crowds, strange odors, and hanging with the local color, then perhaps you should take a nice stroll down the Bund and do some sight seeing.  Here are a few of my top picks:

Qui Pu Lu Shopping Compound

Qui Pu Lu, or “Cheap O’ Lu”, is the biggest and baddest locals-only bargain shopping mecca in the city.  Worth a visit for the thrill factor alone.  Prepare to spend about an hour here before you go ape-shit and lose your cool.  If you’re into cheap Chinese clothing and “true” knock-off labels, this is your Shangri-La.  However, if you’re afraid of crowds and have any sense of style, or personal space for that matter, it’s probably not the best destination.  The strip is basically a chaotic maze of nauseatingly jam-packed 6 story mega-malls groaning with the sheer weight of stall after stall of craptaculous crap.  Not to mention the foot traffic of thousands of pint-sized trendy teen shoppers pushing through the crowded maze.  There can be some scores if you spend time sifting through each building, although sizes are probably the biggest negative as most items are designed to fit the slim Asian frame and height of a 16-year-old Asian clientele.

Upon arrival, for a truly authentic experience at Cheap O’ Lu, grab some grilled octopus-on-a-stick and a bubble tea from one of the many street vendors.  This helps fit in with the mob and throw off hecklers who think you’re a wealthy westerner looking to buy fake North Face and Polo.  Wearing sunglasses and acting like you’re stoned will also do the trick.  If you plan to cross Baoshan Lu via the skywalk – which you will – as two of the largest teen-pop malls sit opposite each other on the divided road, get ready to be elbow-checked in the ribs as you push through mobs of 5 foot tall manic shoppers.  It’s a slow grind across the skywalk thanks to vendors who choose to setup shop in the middle of the path, but this truly adds to the raw authenticity of the Qui Pu Lu experience.

Upon entering any of the buildings make sure you scope out a few landmarks – or bring a GPS and a days worth of food and water.  The amount of stuff that overflows into the halls can sometimes make it difficult to find an exit.  The lower levels of the main buildings on Baoshan host many fashion forward items influenced by the Korean wave and Hong Kong pop-style, while the upper levels cater to local vendors who come to buy bulk for resale at their neighborhood stores.  The full experience wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the lower level of the main building next to the skywalk, which hosts a slew of retailers catering to a rare group of punky adolescents who’ve disgraced their families by defacing their bodies with tattoos and multicolored hair extensions.  You can even get fake eyelashes while you wait for your bejeweled mani-pedi to dry, if that’s your thing.

The vendors are not too interested in haggling, as most items are already priced ridiculously low.  You may be able to knock a little off the top, but keep in mind this is a locals zone that primarily caters to young customers and storeowners.  Watch out for the dude who speaks English and wants to escort you to his shop which is “the best discount”; it’s usually 10 minutes away and has the same crap as everyone else.

Nanjing Xi Lu Fake Market

One of Shanghai’s premier knock-off markets, 580 Nanjing Xi Lu consists of a 4-story mega mall jam packed with loads of fabulous crap.  You’ll find some great designer clothing here along with shoes and watches.  This is my favorite location to find “brand name” fakes.  The vendors don’t hassle you much and the styles reflect trendy Western designs, not the Asian teen-pop fare you find in typical neighborhood shops and Qui Pu Lu.  Prices are reasonable – unless you visit on a day when the tour buses are parked out back.  To really score a good deal you have to walk the walk, or at least know the basics.

Fake Market Rules:

Prepare to throw down a little Mandarin or you will really get hassled.  Keep a smile on your face and don’t stop walking unless you really want to buy.  When you do stop to browse and want to make a purchase, be sure to try it on – sizes are typically smaller and slimmer than Western standards.  The price will always start insanely high – as if the item for sale is actually legit… cut it down by 90% and haggle until you can’t stand it anymore or you’ll be getting ripped off.

Some people fondly love haggling – like it’s a sport or something.  The rush of getting a deal can be addictive and it often gets the endorphins going.  If you’re a haggling pro and crave a little good natured conflict, square off, put on your best game face, and get to work.  The shop owner will act thoroughly disgusted that you called out such a low-ball price, like they’re totally getting screwed.  They will shake their head, give you stink eye, and act quite offended to say the least – but don’t take it to heart, it’s all a well-rehearsed act.  They will even play the poor me card and try their best to make you feel bad once a price is finally agreed upon.  Don’t worry, when they’re counting their cash you’ll see a sparkle in their eye, and know you could have gone a little lower.

It can be quite a game and I play on principle.  I don’t like to haggle, but I don’t like to get scammed either, so I often use the “walk-away technique” – when they scoff at your low-ball offer, just slowly walk away.  Look over your shoulder once or twice when you go, and hesitate just a pinch.  They’ll keep dropping the price every step you take, so just wait until they concede and settle the score.  When they hit that initial offer, turn around with a gracious smile and pay up.  Knowing what things are worth really helps.

I’ve included some sample prices to benchmark the going rate for certain items. These prices reflect expert technique as vendors roughly start 80% higher, but with a little tenacity you can always cut the price down by at least 2/3rds.  Keep in mind this is a general guide and ¥100 RMB currently equates to around $15.  Currency is noted in Chinese Renminbi (RMB), also called Chinese Yuan (CNY).

Call out a price a little lower than this, then come up just a bit and hold your ground.  If that fails use the “walk-away technique” and you’ll probably have it for your number.

• Jeans – True Religion / Rock & Republic / Seven for Mankind / Diesel: ¥100
• Jeans – G-Star Raw Denim: ¥120
• Shorts – G-Star Raw Denim: ¥80
• Shorts – Abercrombie / Polo / Quicksilver / generic brands: ¥70
• Jackets – G-Star / Diesel / D&G: ¥250
• Coats – G-Star: ¥280 +
• T-Shirts – G-Star: ¥60
• T-Shirts – Abercrombie / Diesel / Polo / Quicksilver: ¥40
• Shirts (Short Sleeve Button-up) – mixed brands: ¥80
• Shirts (Long Sleeve Button-up) – D&G / mixed brands: ¥100
• Leather Belts – Diesel / Energy: ¥100
• Leather Belts – generic brands: ¥70
• Shoes – Diesel: ¥90
• Low-end Designer Handbags (i.e. Chloe, etc.): ¥100 +
• High-end Designer Handbags (i.e. Prada, etc): ¥250 +

For the guys, G-Star products are one of the best deals around.  Each item matches it’s true counterpart at the G-Star factory store nearly flawlessly to the detail.  They’re often not fakes but overproduction stock that can’t be sold as a genuine product due to the nature of production.  The details are nearly flawless and host authentic hardware, zippers, rivets, tags, fabric and silkscreen/embroidery, cleanly matching the “real’ product.  A few minor details or imperfections might be present, such as a zipper is absent from a hidden pocket, or the lining material is just a little off.  In a G-Star Store jackets go for anywhere from ¥1000 – ¥2500 RMB.  This equates to around $140 – $350.  For a little more background on the differences between fakes and overproduction see my post here.

For the ladies, designer handbags are of course what comes to mind.  The good ones are usually tucked away in the back of the store behind a series of hidden doors.  Just ask for Prada and they’ll take you back.  Pleather can be kind of ghetto, but when it says Prada on the side it’s definitely ghettofab.  Many of the bags are actually quite well made – and some are even real leather, not that laminated crap.  The high-end fakes are very authentic, costing upwards of $100-$300 and not typically found in the Nanjing Xi Lu market.  These outlets tend to stay on the move and under the radar as they draw huge crowds and way too much foreign female attention.

There are a slew of trendy boutiques offering up expensive no-name labels that imitate the current designs of popular fashion houses worldwide.  This is the real deal for the ladies but you have to venture beyond the dirty fake markets to the stylish boutiques of Shanxi, Fuxing, and Changle Lu.  Prices are higher, but the latest trends are artfully recreated in silks and luxurious fabrics, represented in various knock-off styles and modern designs.

AP Xinyang Fashion & Gifts Market – Metro Line 2 / Exit 2

Another fake market of notable interest is the AP Xinyang Fashion & Gifts Market, or better known as the dazzling Science and Technology Museum Metro Station Fake Market.  Similar to its Puxi counterpart, 580 Nanjing Xi Lu, this market is a little more diverse encompassing a superb range of bargain-priced crap in all its brilliant glory.  The usual suspects are all here; shoes, clothing, sports equipment, luggage, pearls, and local knick-knacks, along with high-end radio controlled toys, electronics, and a spattering of authentic clothing mixed in.  There’s also a large area exclusive to tailors and fabric vendors.  The hecklers are not as aggressive and bargaining is tougher than other fake markets.  This is greatly due to the higher numbers of international travelers, thanks to the ultra-modern business centers and luxury hotels clustering the Pudong skyline.

There are countless other places to shop, check out this post here for my complete list.

Mandarin Shopping Tips:

Bust out a little Mandarin to sound like a local, or at least make the vendors smile. 

A few key phrases are all you really need to get started and sound like a local, even if you are a Lao Wai (foreigner).  English is the prominent language here; so don’t worry if you’re not a pro.

“Bu Yao” literally means “Don’t Want!” or simply translated “No Thanks!”  Use it.  Often.

(English transliteration sounds like “Boo Yow”).

“Duo Shao Quin?” means “How Much Money?”

(English transliteration sounds like “Dwo Shaow Chee-in?” – say it like a question because “Quin” uses a down/up tone).

“Tai Duo” is “Too Much”, Tai Gui Le” is “ Too Expensive”

(English transliteration sounds like “Tai Dwo” for “Too Much” and Tai Kway La” for “Too Expensive”).

“Duìbúqì” means “Excuse Me” (Sorry) – this is good to know as people will often be absent mindedly standing in your way, with no intention of moving aside.

(English transliteration sounds like “Dway Boo Chee”).  You can also use “Jiéguǒ”, which literally means “In The End” or “Result”, but this is also used as slang for telling someone you need to pass by, or get out of your way.  (English transliteration sounds like “Jee-ay Gwo”).

“Xièxiè” is “Thank You”

(English transliteration sounds like “Sheh Shyah”, make sure you blend it together and say it quickly).

I do not endorse the purchase of fake or black market goods.  Don’t buy fakes and sell them as the real deal, that’s just not cool.

Despite a lack of external influence, the high-fashion scene of cosmopolitan Shanghai is gaining momentum. Under the churning surface of stylistic mayhem there is a current of fresh ideas. Innovative young designers are eagerly pulling inspiration from the fashion capitals of the world. An edgy Asian aesthetic influenced by the Korean wave, KPop and Hong Kong celeb-style are seen cleanly represented in the modern lines of these dynamic artists. Undercurrents of popular American and European subculture, such as Emo, Goth, Punk and street-style, along with subcultures from neighboring Japan, like Cosplay, Manga and Otaku, are breeding new visual trends that can be found represented on the bodies of creative youths. As the Chinese Communist Party lightens its grip, new school movements in fashion and art are emerging all over the country, many defiantly focused on counter-culture and anti-communist ideals. The government quickly extinguishes these with an imperial smirk, but it’s clear the youth are breaking out of their shells on a mission to find individuality among the masses.

Cheap wannabe imitations mimicking the latest trend are chronically over-produced, available by truckload at ridiculous prices in comparison to Western standards. Take a stroll down Nanjing Xi Lu, one of the cities busiest shopping strips, and you’ll find many exclusive high-fashion brands and designer labels, however a ride around town on the metro paints a homogenous picture of “same-same, but different” as they say in Thailand. The crowded streets are amass with variations of mismatched pattern and color paired in various fabrics, prints, and styles – a train-wreck of your neighborhood thrift store paired with Old Navy’s trendy collection from three years past. Luxury boutiques, such as Prada, Dior, and Cartier are represented, but often deserted and carry minimal inventory as business is depressed.

A few chance “fashion encounters” to prepare for when strolling around your local Chinese hood…

A trip to the bank to make a deposit at 9am: The middle-aged, middle-class, mother of 1.
Patterned pajama suit complete with questionably authentic LV print handbag, skin colored ankle socklets, and a matching pair of paten-leather pumps?
Check.

Stopping by the local grocery store for a bottle of beer and a boiled egg around 5:30pm: The 50 something working man, definitely not middle-class.
Nothing but flimsy, white, paper-thin boxers, purchased when Mao was still in office, washed by hand once a month, with a pair of flip-flops?
Check.

Strolling to the local fried chicken bubble-tea vendor, day or night: The young college student between 16 and 22, recently relocated from a small city of 5 million.
Knitted red sweater-dress worn as a top with large Mickey Mouse face embroidered on chest, bright purple mini-skirt that barely covers her butt-cheeks, white patterned stockings that are too short – showing the band at the top along with a little thigh, 5 inch green platform stiletto’s, huge yellow polka dotted bow in hair, with matching handbag?
Check.

It truly is a city of fashion… but still catching on with the locals.

Here’s my list of the best Shanghai Markets and Shopping Zones, from obscure to mega mainstream.

Off the Beaten Path:

Tai Kang Lu – By far the most magical place to spend a warm fall evening, Tai Kang Lu is a true Shanghainese neighborhood, now converted to a maze-like compound where you can stroll around the winding pathways for hours, window shopping and sipping cocktails.  Creative artists and designers host shops here, however it’s most well known for the great selection of cafes, dining, local crafts, and curiosities.  Lovely spot to go in the evening for a chat with friends and a glass of vino.

Qui Pu Lu – or Cheap’O Lu.  Be brave, this place is worth a visit for the thrill factor alone.  The Cheap’O compound is a dirty mega-mall zone the size of two football fields (yes I mean American football) filled with fake crap and shockingly terrible adolescent style.  If you like to play rugby this is the place to go, as you may take a hit or two getting in and out.  It’s seriously a zoo, and your “personal bubble” will not exist for long.  This is where all the craptaculous local clothing vendors come to buy their weekly wares by the bag full.  Also home to knock-off brands you may have heard of such as Puna (aka Puma) or Niker (aka Nike).  There are some scores to be found, and it’s a must see if you’re into clothing, but you were warned.

Popular Areas:

Nanjing Xi Lu – Designer fashion strip, more modern than most areas with lots of mainstream high-end fashion and expensive flagship stores.  Home of “Ghost Malls” such as Plaza 66 – the tallest building on the Puxi side of the Huangpu River.

Xintiandi – Narrow lanes and quaint boutiques, this once traditional Shanghainese neighborhood is a newly westernized version of old Shanghai.  Home to popular restaurants, bars and over-priced shopping, it’s not a good place to buy, but great for browsing.  Also fun to people-watch while you sip a cocktail from one of the many outdoor patios.

Nanjing Dong Lu – The most insanely crowded and action-packed walking strip in Shanghai.  Well known for shopping, I would recommend checking it out just for the experience.  Filled with tourists, both foreign and Chinese, it’s great at sunset when the LED’s light up and crowds evening crowds pack-in.  Beware of touts selling fake watches, college students from Hong Kong who want to “join you” for an over-priced tea ceremony, and pickpockets,.

French Concession:

Huaihai Lu – Similar to Nanjing Xi Lu, clean and modern hosting stores with high-end labels and additionally some great boutiques. More of a neighborhood feel as major shopping strips go, as it’s in the midst of the French Concession.  Many of the side streets are charming, and a quick walk south brings you to Fuxing Lu.

Fuxing Lu – Just 1 block south of Huaihai Lu and nestled in the heart of the French Concession.  Awesome strip for the ladies as this area is filled with many fabulous boutique’s hosting the latest in fashion from around the globe.  Be wary of designer labels sewn into items that are less than “authentic”.  Sizes are on the smaller side, so if you’re a 6 foot tall diva you may not have much luck.

Changle Lu – This strip is very charming and hosts a great variety of shopping.  Also in the heart of the French Concession, just north of Huaihai Lu.  Many great boutiques, especially for the ladies, and a little more upscale than Fuxing Lu.

Shanxi Lu – Intersects with Huaihai Lu.  Again, lots of great boutiques that will appeal to the ladies, and some alternative, street-style shops representing young trendy clothing.

Dingxi Lu – On the far East edge of the French Concession, this area is worth a look if you’re on this side of town and searching for more of a local scene.  On the northern end, closer to Zhonghan Xi Lu, you’ll find a variety of local-style boutiques, and close by is the massive Cloud Nine Mall for those globally recognized brands.

Mega-Malls – to name a few:

• Raffles City Mall at Peoples Square
• Pudong Super Brand Mall off Metro Line 2 at the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower
• Parkson Mall at Shanxi Lu and Huai Hai Lu
• Cloud Nine Mall at Zhongshan Park
• Xujiahui Mall Zone in Xujiahui (good for electronics)

Fake Markets 1-4:

Try your luck at one of the many “Fake Markets”.  There are 4 major ones, many have come and gone due to crackdowns and restricted items, but these are the ones to know and will probably be around for years to come.  Most people think it’s too crazy to go these places, but I feel it truly represents the Chinese spirit.  You’ll definitely get heckled if you’re a foreigner.  I prefer to smile and nod, and if they won’t leave you alone just stop in and take a look.  They won’t bother you much after that.  You’ll see similar items at each of these markets, but certain items are more prominent at each location, and reflect the unique demographic of the area.  Bargain hard.

Fake Market # 1 – 580 Nanjing Xi Lu

Rated # 1 in my book for clothing, this mall has the best prices bar far compared to the other fake markets due to its location.  It’s a little more off the beaten path than markets 2 and 3, but the easiest to get to if you’re staying downtown in Puxi.  For the dirt on this market check my post here.

Fake Market # 2 – AP Xinyang Fashion & Gifts Market

Found beneath the Line 2 Metro station by the Science and Technology Museum, this large fake market is great for buying electronics such as radio controlled airplanes and phones.  Also a nice selection of clothing and shoes including knockoff designer labels.  There’s a separate area with tailors and fabric vendors for your own custom reproductions.

Fake market # 3 – Hong Mei Lu

Located off the grid on the west side of the city in an area famous for it’s foreign population, this market is good for electronics, men’s dress clothing, and sporting-goods equipment such as golf clubs.  The building sits right on the corner of Hong Mei Lu where the shopping strip begins.  When you’re done grab some international cuisine or a happy hour beer at the food court lane just a little down the strip on the left.

Fake Market # 4 – Longhua Pagoda

One of the older markets and a long ways off the beaten path unless you are in the area to see the Longhua Pagoda, one of only a few historic spiritual sites in Shanghai that survived the cultural cleansing.  This market will eventually close as the other larger markets (1-3) are in higher traffic zones and cater to a greater variety of foreign tourism.  Not much to see here unless you want to buy luggage or local style clothes, which of course you can find in just about any other local neighborhood.

Other Notable Markets:

Antique Market – A fun strip to roll thru with countless interesting objects, most of which are obviously not “antique”.  Nonetheless a great place to buy Chinese themed gifts that look old and weathered, and of course you’ll find an array of Mao memorabilia.  Each shop sells similar items, so break out those negotiation skills as prices start high.

Fabric Market – 399 Lujiabang Lu

A massive building of tailors, which will create or copy anything you desire in your fabric of choice.  Bring your favorite shirt, jacket, jeans, or dress along, then come back a couple days later to collect your new items.  Around 100 RMB for mens shirts, 120 for jeans.  Out front you’ll find peddlers from Eastern China selling costume jewelry, beaded necklaces, scarves and belts – which is strangely a rare sight.

Eyeglasses Market – Shanghai Railway Station, Line 3/4, Exit 3 – Complete eyeglasses including eye-test for around 80 RMB.

Camera Market – Xieto Lu & Luban Lu – New and used items.

Musical Instruments – Jing Ling Lu – Funny how the name is so appropriate.

Book stores – Fuzhou Lu – A few major bookstores along with many calligraphy brush vendors.

After spending countless hours cruising the city in search of stylish threads, I developed a taste for the finer side of shopping – Shanghai style.  If you think buying designer jeans in The States is expensive, the real deal in China has an even fatter over-inflated price tag.  My search for authentic style, not falling short of the fashion disaster which has affected many local residents, led me to faraway destinations across the hazy sea of concrete, steel, and bamboo scaffolding.

Of primary interest were the items I found to be questionably fake.  These pieces exhibited obvious craftsmanship and a high-level of detail, making it hard to determine if they fell on the authentic or imitation side of the line – despite the low price.  Many questions came to mind.  Where did they originate?  Were they produced illegally?  How do factories get away with making imitation goods?  Despite cheap labor and material costs, why are prices so incredibly low?  With such variation I had to address the range of so-called “fakes” running rampant in the Chinese black-market… most of which only exist in Mother China.

Let’s take a closer look at the variety of products out there:

Fakes & Knock-offs – We know they’re fake and so do the vendors.  Most are hastily made imitations of actual products, although some fakes rise above the cheap crap category to a level of detail similar to that of the genuine brand.  The most popular being women’s handbags and men’s watches, designer jeans and high-end clothing are also common. And of course there are the obvious culprits that are not fooling anyone such as “Niker” and “Celvin Klein”.

Shanzai – Literally meaning “Mountain Stronghold” in Mandarin.  This is local slang for the cheap crappy products which run rampant throughout the orient.  Shanzai typically refers to electronics and high-tech gadgets, however it can also be anything mass-produced under the patent and copyright radar.  Common Shanzai items are fake iPhones and mobile devices – they look like the real thing however have a Chinese operating system that’s so counter-intuitive it’s practically impossible to figure out.  They also “self destruct” within a few months as the quality sucks.

One-offs, 2nds, or Samples – These items are actually the real deal and most likely manufactured in China then integrated into the market through legitimate purchasing channels or well-connected vendors.  They’re cheap because they have imperfections, missing labels, etc.

Counterfeit – Exact replica of the genuine product, sold at close to retail or market value.  Typically passed off as the real thing to naïve tourists who don’t have a clue that Italian leather handbags and German engineered watches are obviously not found in stinky stalls under the metro station.

Black-Market goods – The term is used loosely in Asia – essentially any economic activity which is illegal or not reported is considered Black-Market.  These goods and services ride the line and exist in a space where the government happens to look the other way.  The DVD market and fakes that are prohibited and monitored – such as The North Face and Rolex – tend to fall in this gray zone.  The prostitution industry also fits in this category… but that’s a whole new topic.

Authentic & Genuine products – Obviously if it’s a luxury item being sold at a flagship store or authorized retailer, and the price-tag is a bit astronomical – it’s legit.  Although keep in kind you never know what to expect in China, a couple fake Apple stores selling iPhones and iMacs recently popped up out of nowhere – and the employees didn’t even know it wasn’t the real deal!

Bottom line, if it’s not sold at an authorized retailer, it’s not legit.  But this great jacket I just found at the local clothing shop… how can I tell you may ask?  Sometimes you can’t, however depending on the type of product, and its theoretical origin, it’s pretty easy to figure out.  Sometimes you’ll actually find a pair of Italian leather shoes or designer item at that random shop down the street.  Typically it’s a large size that somehow wiggled its way into the hands of an excited dealer, or a sample that didn’t meet factory QC standards.  Strange enough, there are also items that are an exact match to a “fresh off the runway” ad you saw online the other day, yet have a random label affixed to the collar… hmmm.  Yet others are just blatant fakes, like many of the expensive women’s handbags… Prada doesn’t use rubberized faux suede and gold-plated plastic hardware… do they?

The reality is, most of your western wardrobe is actually produced in China – or somewhere in Asia Pacific.  Have you ever looked at the tag of your favorite jacket or that little black dress in your closet?  Go ahead, take a peek.  A large portion of your apparel is most likely a confirmed suspect.  Many companies who produce products in China, for example G-Star, lose inventory at the hands of illegitimate dealers, AKA the black market or underground economy.  Let’s take a closer look at how this happens –

When a garment designer coordinates a product run with the factory, they purchase enough material to cover a set amount of product, in addition to some excess which is factored in for any mistakes the factory encounters during production.  After the run is completed, certain factories continue to illegally produce the product using the excess material.  In essence they operate under the radar to create another small unauthorized run (minus minimal labor costs) which for the most part is identical to the last batch.  These items don’t necessarily meet the design and quality build of the original run but come very close.  Often the run will have less attention to detail, such as pockets may be missing a closure or the stitching may be a little sloppy.  The factory cannot legally sell these as authentic or genuine products, even though they carry the label, custom hardware, zippers, embroidery, etc. – all the details of the original brand.  The garments are then quietly filtered into the economy via black-market channels to vendors who run small gorilla retail outlets.  Sold at a fraction of the price of the genuine product, and often sold far below the cost of actual production due to the fact that they were illegally produced, the garments have limited value except to a select group of buyers who operate illegally under the governments fuzzy laws.

Most companies recognize it’s sketchy to operate in china and do everything they can to prevent crooked factories from sharing their specs or running unauthorized batches, but due to a lack of supervision, communication, and local control, many products slip through the cracks.  Actually pinning down the negligent factory and its illegal run is often out of the question for small companies who rely on the cheap labor costs of out-sourcing.  These days all you need is a dose of Internet savvy and a sample of the product you’re interested in producing, and a shady factory in China will be more than willing to knock-off a cheap copy a thousand times over at bargain prices.

For a little more on local flavor, shopping etiquette, and finding fakes in Shanghai, see my post here.

Launch website: www.thenubbin.com

Logo – For the logo I used a clean sans-serif typeface with pronounced circular characters to integrate a stylized render of the product in the logo. Scroll to see development sketches for the logo design.

Website – Featured elements of the home page design demonstrate an XML slider showing images of the product, a Flash rotator in the lower right corner listing testimonials, and a JavaScript Menu system with accordion properties.  To optimize accessibility I used the ‘Z’ eye-pattern for the UI layout, placing important elements in the upper left of the page so the eye gradually flows through the main areas of the screen, landing on key areas in order of most important to least important.  A ‘soft’ and ‘Earthy’ color scheme with brighter accents was selected to promote the positive health benefits and cutting edge technology of the product.  Internal pages feature detailed  product information, pictures, company info and a PHP contact form.

Development sketches for The Nubbin logo: