On Thursday, Song Mei became a registered resident of Futian district, Shenzhen, which increased the district's permanent population to one million.

Futian accounts for about one-fourth of Shenzhen's population. Song was originally from Jiangxi province and now works as a landscape designer at a real estate company in Shenzhen.

The 24-year-old tells reporters that, when she first arrived in Shenzhen she was impressed by the gardens, bookstores and exhibition venues in Futian. "Such an inviting environment attracts anyone who loves life," she says.

Hailed as a "showcase" of China's reform and opening-up, Shenzhen has transformed from an unknown village into a hotbed for creativity.

Today, it has ambitions of being a design spearhead. It hopes to bring in more talented people like Song, who are attracted by its booming cultural landscape and who can further enrich it.

One of Shenzhen's coming attractions is the much-anticipated Design Society, a cultural hub in the Shekou area that will focus on design and society.

It is a collaboration between the State-owned China Merchants Shekou Holdings and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Located in the Sea World Culture and Arts Center, it is due to open in October.

Dutchman Ole Bouman, the director of the Design Society, says Shenzhen is a city of newcomers. He says there is a constant flow of people who not only to carve out niches in the economy but also develop unique positions for themselves.

"In a way, you can say, almost every Shenzhener is a designer," he says.

Bouman first worked in Shenzhen in 2009, lecturing on architecture. Two years later, he curated an exhibition about affordable housing. In 2013, he became the creative director of the Urbanism/ Architecture Bi-City Biennale Shenzhen.

Ole Bouman says Design Society, located in the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (right), highlights Shenzhen's potential of providing a custom-made kind of production through design. Courtesy of Design Society and Maki and Associates.

He was appointed the director of the Design Society two years ago.

"From a lecturer to an institution,my life has grown with Shenzhen," he says.

"I come from Amsterdam - a very old,mature and consolidated city and, in a way, also a city craving ideas. I do not think Shenzhen has a big problem in finding ideas because there is a fresh influx of ideas almost every day."

Bouman says the Design Society aims to highlight Shenzhen's potential for custom-made production through design.

With the Design Society, visitors will be able to enjoy exhibitions, events and performances.