Facebook Live Chat - Should I study Design in Hong Kong?

We did our first Facebook Live Chat with PolyU International Affair Office ("IAO") tonight. Mr. Stefan Sonntag, our Internationalisation Advisor introduced the four main disciplines under BA(Hon) Scheme in Design, the programme structure and tips on application. Following his talk, Salla, a Finnish now studying Environment & Interior Design Year 3 shared her interesting school life in Hong Kong as an international student. Watch the playback here! Hope you would find it helpful to choose the right design programme in Hong Kong. Or contact us for more information. Thank you Stefan (Left), Marie from IAO (Middle) and Salla (Right) for joining the Live Chat.  

Temporary Closure of Material Resource Centre on 15-21 March

  Please be informed that the Material Resource Centre in School of Design will be temporarily closed from 15 March to 21 March 2018. The Centre will resume work on 22 March 2018.

PolyU Design ranked again among QS World Top 25 Art and Design institutions

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) is ranked again among the world’s top 25 Art and Design institutions by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings®.  "We welcome the new ranking, and particularly feel encouraged by the recognition from employers," says Prof. Cees de Bont, Dean of PolyU Design, citing the score that positioned the School at the 14th place among the top 25 institutions for Employer Reputation.  "It is a reflection of the academic rigor that the School has established throughout its history."  This QS metric is based on over 30,000 international and domestic responses to its QS Employer Survey, and asks employers to identify those institutions from which they source the most competent, innovative, and effective graduates.  Graduates from the School include established names like Raman Hui, director of the blockbuster action comedy Monster Hunt and animation director of Oscar-winning Shrek to James O, co-founder of the first $1 billion Hong Kong startup company Gogovan. The climbing position also echoes the continuous efforts that the School has put into its research initiatives, conducted under three pillars of interests:  Design Social, Design Economies and Design Making.  In 2017, the Asian Ergonomics Design Lab led by Dr Yan Luximon won the Best Innovation Award from ACED Ergonomics Design Awards 2017 in Japan with its SizeChina Faceform - a set of anthropometric design tools developed for head and face related products for the Chinese population.  New research collaborations have secured significant funding to conduct work in the coming years in many other areas, including Dr Hanna Wirman’s project on digital game development and design for autism and special education; Dr Gino Yu’s development of a software toolkit for the creation of intelligent virtual agents for guiding media consumption and browsing; Dr Newman Lau’s research on breast movement that supports bra design for sports; Mr Peter Hasdell’s project on engaging multi-disciplinary design approaches for rural China, and his publication on "Border Ecologies: Hong Kong’s Mainland Frontier", co-written with Mr Joshua Bolchover; as well as Mr Brian Lee's project on 3D printing design approach for sustainable product development. Read more: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018: Art & Design

Get your portfolio ready for entry to PolyU Design

Things you need to know to get your portfolios well prepared!!!! Here comes a series of videos providing advice about portfolios that may be useful for your application to our BA(Hons) programmes. Click to watch now! Advertising Design: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_AD Communication Design: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_CD Digital Media: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_DM Environment & Interior Design: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_EID Interactive Media: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_IM Product Design: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_PRD Social Design: http://bit.ly/SD_Portfolio_SD including:  - Interviews with faculty members - student sharing   The videos are also available on our Youtube channel.

Global Game Jam 2018 Hong Kong connected thousands jammers over the world

Over 42 thousand jammers in 804 jam sites located in 109 countries participated in Global Game Jam 2018. Hong Kong was 6th biggest among these locations with 339 jammers, both students and professional game designers, creating 59 games at Cyberport over the past weekend. During the 48-hour jam, a global theme was announced, teams formed and full game development cycle completed from ideation to testing including art design, programming, game design, sound design, user interface design and testing. This year's theme was the word “Transmission”.   The event led to a two-hour award ceremony where the best teams in nine different categories were awarded. The award for Best Theme Integration went to the team behind the game “Postrans”. In the game players connect cities with roads to deliver mail. The award for Future Game Developer was “Love in the Game Jam” a VR game where players matched couples with cupid’s arrows. The Audience Choice Award went to the team behind the game “Worder” a game where players solve puzzles by changing their character’s shape into different letters of the alphabet. The Innovation Award also went to “Worder” for this new gameplay mechanic. “Hello, Operator?” a game about using a switchboard to connect telephone calls won the award for Comic Relief. The game “You Shall Not Pass” won the award for Best Board Game. In the game the players attempt to cheat during an exam without being caught. The Old School Cool Award went to “Urgent Transmission” a factory management game. “Wild Sound” won the Most Potential for 2018 Award, a game about connecting telephone calls between animals. Finally, a there was a second Audience Choice Award that went to “Edward Has a Butterfly” about chaos theory.    Globally, the jam has a reputation as a creative platform for professional and beginner game developers to create innovative games in a limited period. Many such games are further developed into commercial products or successfully inspire new ideas in the industry. We expect to see some of this year’s games in the app stores later this year. Hong Kong’s 2018 game jam event was a good example of how entirely unique ideas, interfaces, technical implementations and gameplay can be created in a fun event and working with new people.  The event in Hong Kong was organized by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Design together with Cyberport. Seven other institutions of higher education supported the event. Hong Kong Game Development Association, Chinese DIGRA, Game Dev Happy Hour Hong Kong, Hong Kong Digital Game-based Learning Association, Press Start Hong Kong, Dimsum Labs and Hong Kong Maker Club were Supporting Organisations of the event. Unity, Outblaze, LKF Labs, Capstone, Visionaries 777, Shadow Factory, TFI and RETRO.HK sponsored the event. GoAnimate was the Official Animation Partner. HK01, GEME was the Official Digital Partner.  All games created during the GGJHK, together with videos, are available at http://globalgamejam.org/2018/jam-sites/hong-kong/games. Jammers please make sure you uploaded your YouTube link and game file to your game page so everyone can see. Photos from the event will be located on our Facebook page. For more photos or any other inquiries, please contact hanna.wirman@polyu.edu.hk. For details, please visit the event’s official website.  Hope to see you all again next year!   Hanna Wirman and Rhys Jones,  On behalf of the GGJHK Organising Team,     

誰要做個 Social Designer?—— 蕭競聰

理大設計學院副院長蕭競聰先生談社會創新設計。原刊2016年12月號 《號外》 。   當今設計的面向 今時今日談設計，當然還會談名錶首飾、珠寶時裝、型格家具和樓房豪裝。設計塑造潮流品味，鼓勵美好時尚生活的慾望，是當今消費社會的經濟原動力。但這些美好生活慾望背後，卻存在着不少社會矛盾：過度生產及盲目消費導致嚴重的資源浪費；貧富懸殊，設計就好像只為富有階層服務等等。設計聲稱可以改善人類的生活，有時卻搞不清是為哪一羣人謀幸福。專業設計師，就是專為廠、商服務，去設計各個生活範疇的產品和消費模式。大家喜歡談的設計，都似乎是時尚型格物品的設計。 事實上，「設計」有多重意思：它可指我們週遭的人造器物，也可意味一種設計行為。在未有「設計師」或「設計品」的稱謂以前，人類一直都運用手上的資源——包括身邊的物資，本身的才智和技藝，去策劃、製作和創造所需的東西、工具和環境。這是一種自然行為，甚或漸漸形成一套技術。人類要適應環境，自然就養成了「設計」的本事。一般來說，人類製造出來的所有東西，都是經過設計的。但現代社會所謂之設計，卻漸漸指向由專業設計師所設計的東西，而非日常生活的實踐。如此這般，設計師設計出來的器物、家具、衣飾以至環境、建築等等，都以最後可提供售買的「成品」為依歸；設計品於是成為一種商品，設計成為一個生產消費品的行業，大大收窄了「設計」的意涵。   從設計消費品 (designing consumables) 到 設計社會項目 (designing social projects) 若把「設計」看成為「一種策劃、製作和創造所需東西、工具和環境的行為和技術」的話，那麼設計師就是利用這些技術去「改善人類生活」的專業人員。但設計師所面對的「改善生活」，卻不只是抽象的概念；他們需要清楚，是要改善哪些人的生活、如何去改善等等。說到尾，就是要釐清「為誰設計」、「為甚麼要設計」和「設計甚麼」等問題。這裡談的設計師，並不滿足於「打好呢份工」的心態，他們往往會從一般人的生活實踐中取得設計靈感，把某些在地、貼身的議題和自己對這些事物的觀察變成「設計」的項目 (project) 。這類設計師對設計有着比較廣義的理解：設計並不局限於時尚型格物品，也不止於大量生產的日用器具和消費品 (器物設計) ；他們以設計建構更佳的生活環境和空間 (環境設計)、再發明和推展出更以人為本的服務 (服務設計)，以至策動更有意義和效用的傳訊和溝通的形式 (傳訊設計) 。從這角度思考，今天的設計師可以不再單一地、專門地做產品設計、室內設計、建築設計、衣飾設計、時裝設計、玩具設計、廣告設計等「專業」，反而學會融滙貫通、抱着人文關懷，把設計器物、環境、傳訊和服務的各種專業技術，應用到不同的社會項目去，策動事物的變革。   什麽是Social Design？ 要把 Social Design 翻譯成「社會設計」似乎亦不太正確，設計界都擔當不起去「設計」整個社會的宏願。較貼近的翻譯也許是「社會創新設計」，即Design for Social Innovation，意指「社會項目的設計」 (Social Project Design) 。要策動事物的變革，就要不斷發掘新的可能，以改變某種社會習性或慣常運作。 較簡明的例子有如 「步行校巴」計劃 (Walking School Bus)。據說是由澳洲社創家 (Social Innovator) David Engwicht在1992年提出，1998年在英國赫特福德郡 (Hertfordshire County) 的Wheatfields Junior School推行，後來通行全國，及至歐美和世界各地。方法是聯繫該校的志願家長，每天輪流由兩名代表——一個在隊前一個在隊尾——帶領鄰近學生步行回校和返家。步行路線和「停站」位置、時間由家長集體設定，沿途小朋友加入步行行列，並確保大家準時及安全回到學校或返家。看似簡單的運作，卻可取代保母車或家長個別接送，既可節省車資及家長的 (個別照顧) 時間和 (安全) 憂慮，也可增加小朋友步行 (運動) 的誘因。這種安全、健康、環保和輪流互助的學童接送服務，無疑是私家車、校巴和保母車以外的「另類運作」。至於設計師可以怎樣參與其中，就有賴大家對設計的理解和對設計師的期望了。 要談此計劃的「設計」，就要：體察家長、校長、學生的想法，甚至鄰舍的意願，並建立信任和共識；考慮街道的規劃和安全問題，及學童的年齡、步行速度和能耐；設計路線和停站時間、訂定家長當值表和互相聯絡的措施；宣傳其良好的誘因；配合或重新倡議法律的規定；甚至規劃路標、設計指引、標誌、安全服、雨衣，以至手機程式等。換言之，即策劃日常運作的整個機制。他們的設計已超越單一的設計品。新一代的設計師除了提出新穎的想法外，還具有策劃和組織的能力。他們會以某些設計方法 (design methods) 如圖像或互動遊戲，去策動羣體對話 (social conversations) 和設計參與 (participatory design)，從中發現問題的面向和提出解決方法，並設計配套，協助落實方案。他們亦會設計各種模擬或具體的示範、模型等，讓大家理解新運作方式的好處和可行性，以至每一項細節的作用和意義等等。這是揉合器物、傳訊、環境的服務設計 (service design) 。 社會創新的項目跟設計師何干？ 也許大家已聽聞過、甚至經驗到盲目消費、過度汚染、資源浪費、貧富不均等狀態所帶給社會的不良後果。人們生活不安、社會不穩；從醫療、保育、政經、教育、老齡社會等議題看去亦未見合意的改善方案。設計師開始發問，這個專業可以做些甚麽去幫一把呢。若設計師真的擁有策劃、製作和創造器物、工具和環境的思維和技術，那麼他們可否應用這些技術來改變種種不良的社會習性呢？ 沿用已久的社會運作方式，到了今天有可能失效，我們亦無必要墨守成規。去改變社會原有運作模式之目的，在於以新穎和更有意義的方式去發展社會各個範疇的生態，如改革生產行銷的流程，以節省地球資源、改善弱勢社羣的生活條件、提高人們生活的滿足感…或透過「設計」鼓勵互助，增強市民的責任感和參與社會的動力等等。就是要減少人類本身對世界的侵害，達至多贏、優良，以至更正面的社會效果。像「步行校巴」計劃就大大培養了學童步行的習慣，增強健康、減少了肥胖症，甚至其他不必要的醫療開支。 城鄉共生圖解。取自《馬屎埔村生態地圖》，局部。此圖正是以傳訊設計去說明及推廣「城鄉共生」這個社會創新的發想。這是香港理工大學設計學院美術及設計教育文學士學位課程學生作品，由kubrick出版。 這實質是對當今社會運作方式的重新想像和設計。例如，香港近年有人提倡「城鄉共生」，在市區邊緣復耕農地，並且實驗種種有機種植 (包括稻米)：如八鄉的生活館和菜園新村，已逐步發展出以本地市區居民為對象的銷售平台和支援網絡等等。這無疑是對當今香港社會某種運作方式的「重新想像」：我們也許可以減少依賴進口蔬果的安全風險，以及因進口而導致的碳排放和資源浪費；我們甚至可以透過「尊重土地」的種植和鄰舍互助去建立可持續發展的城鄉生態和社區經濟！在這類新進 (或復古) 的社會想像下，最近亦出現了首本本地的當代農業雜誌《種植香港》，以宣揚這些生活理念。歸納起來，針對這些「社會項目」或「社會創新」的設計，還需要大量的實踐者，包括農夫、保育人士、規劃者、商人和各方面的專家和設計師。社會創新設計師 (social designer) 可擔當的，就是以專業設計的手法去協助構想、設計相應的資訊、器物和環境，透過設計聰明的策略去探討、發掘社羣／社區／社會不同持份者的願景，重新構思人與人、人與物以及人與自然生態之間的溝通和互動 (互助) 模式，去有效利用 (天然) 資源以促成某些可持續的實踐等等，務求讓人們有機會切身體驗生活的可能。 書於二Ｏ一六年十一月廿三日 原刊2016年12月號 《號外》 作者授權轉載，文章經本專頁編輯 版首圖片取自短片 “The Story of Solutions”，是 The Story of Stuff Project 的其中一條短片。此計劃亦是社會創新設計的好例子。最近他們成功推動大眾關注微膠粒的問題，部分國家甚至立例禁止製作/出售含有微膠粒的產品。

Showcasing Brilliance: EID and PD Students Exhibit Outstanding Projects at ARUP's Prestigious Venue

We are honoured to announce that our gifted students from the Environmental and Interior Design (EID) and Product Design (PD) have received a unique invitation to display and exhibit their outstanding projects at ARUP this November. This prestigious opportunity to display their work at ARUP's premises is a testimony to the exceptional standard and potential of their projects, which were presented at our Annual Show 2023.   ARUP is well-known for its dedication to cultivating emerging talent and fostering creativity in the realms of architecture and design. The invitation to showcase our students' work at their office represents a major achievement and source of inspiration, as they embark on their professional journeys. The names of the individuals selected for this exclusive opportunity and their extraordinary projects:   EID: Phoebe Mak – IIIusio Bibliotheca Karman Li – Archaeology of Sight   PD: Calvin NG – MOI Samuel Liu – OriGround Ricky – CROAD   To discover more about their exceptional projects.