“辉光日新”一词出自《周易 · 大畜 · 彖传》：“大畜，刚健笃实，辉光日新其德 ；刚上而尚贤，能止健，大正也。‘不家食吉’，养贤也。‘利涉大川’，应乎天也。”习近平总书记《在文化传承发展座谈会上的讲话》中也引用了这一古语，他提到，“中华文明是革故鼎新、辉光日新的文明，静水深流与波澜壮阔交织。” 2024 设计周的主题定为“辉光日新”，表达了新时期设计发展的丰富内涵。今天，随着全球数字经济的兴起，尤其是人工智能、云计算、物联网等前沿技术的发展，人们的生活方式、工作模式和社会互动都随之改变，设计作为社会进步的重要驱动力量，承载着人们的期望与梦想，也面临前所未有的机遇和挑战。在新时期供给侧改革不断深化、消费升级的背景下，设计作为以创新为主导的重要的新质生产力，在实现创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的发展进程中，要“苟日新，日日新，又日新”，持续不断地自我革新。设计师要掌握最新技术，要在创作中融入时代精神，不断探索新的设计理念、技术与材料，推动设计艺术与实用功能的和谐统一。设计要与时代同频共振，设计师需要设身处地地为人着想，让设计真正贴近人心，满足并引领人们日益增长的精神需求和生活品质追求。另一方面，在全球化、数字化的时代背景下，多元融合已经上升为全球性的议题。“辉 光”强调了设计和创新的多元、开放和包容。设计亟需走出城市，关注乡村和弱势群体，创造出能够传递温暖和关怀的产品和服务，为社会的进步和和谐发展作出贡献。此外，设计作为一种国际交流的话语，是跨越语言、打破文化壁垒、达到情感沟通交流的最好方式，以设计为媒介，向世界传达一种中国式的生活理念，为世界提供一种中国式的解决方案，彰显中国经验的世界性意义。这是一个全新的定位，更是新时期中国设计的全新使命。
      “Onward and Upward”is derived from the I Ching · Da Xu · Tuan Zhuan: “Daxu (The Great Accumulating), characterized by its strong, resolute, and sincere nature, shines with a brilliance that renews its virtues daily. With the strong above and a reverence for the virtuous, it can restrain the strong and is thus a great righteousness. ‘It is auspicious not to eat at home’, as this is to nurture the virtuous. ‘It is advantageous to cross a great river’, as this is in accordance with Heaven.” General Secretary Xi Jinping also quoted this ancient saying in his speech at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, mentioning, “Chinese civilization is a civilization of reform and innovation, onward and upward, intertwining calm depth with grand waves.”The theme of the 2024 BJDW is “Onward and Upward”, expressing the rich connotation of design development in the new era. Today, with the rise of the global digital economy, especially the development of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT), people's lifestyles, work patterns, and social interactions have changed accordingly. Design, as an important driving force for social progress, carries people's expectations and dreams, and faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges.In the context of the continuous deepening of supply-side reform and consumption upgrade in the new era, design, as an important new quality productive force led by innovation, must “keep renewing itself daily,” continuously self-innovating in the process of achieving innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development. Designers need to master the latest technologies, integrate the spirit of the times into their creations, and continuously explore new design concepts, technologies, and materials to promote the harmonious unity of design art and practical functionality. Design must resonate with the times. Designers need to put themselves in others' shoes, making design truly close to people's hearts, meeting and leading the growing spiritual needs and pursuit of life quality.On the other hand, in the context of globalization and digitalization, diversity and integration have become global issues. “Brilliance” emphasizes the diversity, openness, and inclusiveness of design and innovation. Design urgently needs to step out of the city, focus on the countryside and vulnerable groups, and create products and services that convey warmth and care, contributing to the progress and harmonious development of society. Moreover, design, as a discourse of international exchange, is the best way to transcend language, break cultural barriers, and achieve emotional communication. Using design as a medium, we can convey a Chinese lifestyle concept to the world, provide Chinese solutions to the world, and highlight the global significance of Chinese experience. This is a brand-new positioning and a new mission for Chinese design in the new era.