We will visit two or three companies every day, including China’s leading UX agencies as well as client-side UX teams in both technology giants and start-ups. The visit will include presentations from host companies and fellow participants, tour of the office and discussion on topics that are mutually interested.
There will be opportunities for you experience the popular product and services in China, getting first hand experience on how technology and design are integrated in Chinese people’s day-to-day lives.
In the evenings we will visit traditional tea houses, watch performances and go ‘pub crawling’ to experience Chinese culture from ancient to contemporary.
At the weekend you will have a chance to see some of China’s world-famous tourist hotspots.
On the first day, after registration and getting to know each other, we will visit two companies to find out how UX is being embraced within their businesses.
2015 UX Tour @ Baidu
We will take it easy on the first evening and enjoy an authentic Chinese meal, before getting an early night.
Photo by Neeti Gupta
We will visit another 2-3 companies during the day, discussing a variety of UX topics with UX teams, as well as experiencing their products.
2017 visit to iQiyi
We are going to Laoshe Tea House to enjoy traditional Chinese tea and watch some exciting live folk performances (Optional, surcharges apply).
Face-changing at the Sichuan Opera
We will visit another two companies during the day, discussing a variety of UX topics with UX teams, as well as experiencing their products.
2015 @ LeEco
Today is our first day in Shanghai, you will notice the difference between Shanghai and Beijing straight away. We will be visiting 2-3 companies in the city.
2017 visit to AstraZeneca
After dinner we will have a free evening for a rest or to socialise with newly-made friends.
Dinner and chat
Another full day visiting 2-3 companies in Shanghai, getting to know how UX designers work in China and discovering the challenges facing them.
2017 visit to Tezign
We will be visiting bars and experiencing the nightlife in the Old French Concession area, sampling its unique flavour of old and new, East and West, in one special evening.
Tianzi Fang Pub street in the Shanghai
French Concession
After a rest and some lunch we will go out to see ‘the Paris of the Orient’. Shanghai captures the essence of the new China as well as her centuries of history and culture.
Yuyuan Garden (Photo from the internet)
The Bund
Let’s travel to Hangzhou, the “heaven” in China. This beautiful city is home to some of the most famous Chinese UX teams, such as Alibaba and NetEase spreader around the charming West Lake and mountains.
West Lake in Hangzhou (Photo from the internet)
Ancient street (Photo from the internet)
We will visit another two companies during the day, discussing a variety of UX topics with UX teams, as well as experiencing their products.
Alibaba Hangzhou Campus
In the evening we fly to Shenzhen.
After welcoming new guests we will visit 2-3 companies who are helping to define UX in China.
A free evening for you to take a rest or socialise with new friends.
2015 @ Wechat
2017 visit to dji
On the last day of the tour we will again visit 2-3 companies, spending time with UX designers their, getting to know their daily design and research activities. Our tour will finish at 5pm.
That’s a wrap! We hope to see you again next year!
2017 visit to Kingdee
2014 @ Tencent
2015 @ ZTE
In most of the cases, you will need a visa to visit mainland China. We recommend that you consult the Chinese Embassy in your own country to check what is required in plenty of time before departure. You will also need a passport which is valid for six months after your intended date of return.
We cannot accept liability if you are refused entry onto a flight or into the country.
Yes, certainly. We are happy to provide all the necessary documents for your visa application. Please email hello [at] chinauxtour [dot] com (change [at] to @ and [dot] to . ) if you need help with the application.
In previous tours, we visited some of China’s biggest IT names such as Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba and Lenovo; national companies such as China Telecom and China mobile, and China CITIC Bank. We also visited design agencies and start-ups, as well as academic institutions. In addition to Chinese organisations, we also visited Western companies in China, such as Honeywell and R/GA.
We will announce this year’s hosting companies nearer the date. Please follow our Facebook page for the latest information and announcement.
Once they have been confirmed we will make every effort to ensure that we visit the companies named in the schedules. However, we reserve the right to change one or more of these should issues arise outside our control. You will receive a detailed itinerary nearer the time, though it is possible that we may have to make changes at short notice.
Please email hello [at] chinauxtour [dot] com (change [at] to @ and [dot] to . ) with any questions you may have. We will aim to reply to you within 48 hours of receiving them. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest information about the tour.
To ensure the best communication quality and create the most intimate relationship building opportunity, we limit participants number to under 10. So sign up early if you don’t want to miss out the unforgettable experience!
We encourage you to prepare a short presentation about you and your company’s expertise. This is your chance to shine and to win clients. You should also prepare as many questions as possible to ask while you are on the tour and during the day conferences.
The price of the 2018 tour is £3,999 for an all-inclusive package. We regret to say that there will packages available to join only part of the tour this year. Included in the all-inclusive price:
Not include:
Yes, we offer a 10% Early Bird discount if you sign up and pay before 31 July 2018 (discount code: EARLYBIRD). If you joined in the tour in previous years, save 15% using the code COMEBACK. Academics or students save 10% using code RESEARCH10. Discounts are also available for group bookings of three or more people. Please email hello [at] chinauxtour [dot] com (change [at] to @ and [dot] to . ) for more information on discount.
Absolutely! We believe family is an integral part of our life, business and culture. This is an experience tour, not just one of observation. One of our previous guests commented: ”Empathy is important. If you don’t make feelings personal, it’s just some kind of sympathy.” And we agree with him. So if it’s your first time going to China and you want your family to experience what you experience, bring them with you for a full immersion in our culture and way of being!
Sorry, no, we have removed this option from the 2018 tour.
Christina Li is a user experience specialist and service designer with almost 15 years’ experience in the UK and China. She has worked for many of the world’s leading companies and organisations including Thomson Reuters, BBC, Lenovo and Orange, before working as an independent consultant through her own company, Infinite Interactive.
In the recent years Christina has advised companies in the West, including Pearson, Sensorion and Great Friday, on designing for the Chinese audience. She has also spoken at conferences about UX in China.
“Christina Li has been a wonderful bridge between our communities, first with her work with the uiGarden website that brings together English and Chinese speaking audiences and now with her able assistance in translating this book (The Design of Future Things).”
– Don Norman (Design Guru, Nielson Norman Group)
“The UX Tour of China was fun and challenging in all the right ways. I brought so much home with me and find myself referring to conversations and things I learned all the time. The way China does UX, service design and product management is different in fascinating ways and I was amazed at how many practical things I brought home and began to apply in my work.”
– Simon Bostock (Senior UX consultant)
“Christina organised a range of meetings in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen with a broad range of companies such as Lenovo, China CITIC Bank, Tencent, Alipay and Baidu in which we had the opportunity to present and discuss our approaches to UX & Service Design and hear more about each company’s understanding and unique approach in the area.
Without Christina’s knowledge, local network, and translation skills we would never have had those valuable opportunities. I highly recommend Christina’s UX tour of China for those who want first hand insight into the market.”
– Guy Buchan (Director – Integrate London)
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