There are many parallels between the volatility of the web industry and China’s breakneck rate of change: For one thing, it’s hard to keep a finger on the pulse of either. But add the two together and you get China’s tech scene, a virtual landscape in such constant flux that our only hope of keeping pace is to look as far into the future as we’re able, try to discern what’s coming, and brace for impact. Make no mistake: The Chinese web is in some ways a different place than the web you’re used to — particularly in two or three crucial respects — and user expectations are not quite the same as they are in the West. In this article, I’ll examine the things all web professionals should know before swan-diving into the Chinese market, including how mobile-only social platforms have become the revolutionary new frontier of Chinese web design, and who’s designing beautiful websites in China today. A New Paradigm Looking to be pointed in the right direction, I stopped in to see Saber Zou 1 , who spends his days designing that frontier. Saber is head of creative at Logic Design 2 , the Beijing-based multi-disciplinary digital studio that concepted AnimalsAsia’s website Exploring Moonbear 90 3 , one of the most visually ambitious desktop websites in the country, and one of only a tiny handful of Chinese-made websites ever to receive Awwwards’ coveted recognition as Site of the Day 4 . 5 Saber Zou testing mobile websites at Logic Design’s headquarters ( View large version 6 ) “So, how do you feel China’s coming along in terms of supporting responsive design?” Saber shrugs at me, like I asked the wrong question. “There aren’t a lot of responsive websites in China, as most clients prefer separate websites for different devices
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