PolyU Design to invite non-design students to join the newly launched Toy Invention Programme

Have you dreamed of making a toy of your own? PolyU School of Design newly presents the Toy Invention Programme(TIP), which offers a multi-disciplinary learning experience, co-learning with design students, and industry toy design input. Partnered with leading global children’s entertainment company SPIN MASTER LTD, students will learn creative design skills and business processes of top invention from industry experts.  TIP is now open for non-design students to join the programme as a non-credit-bearing course. Year 2 or above full-time undergraduates with good communication and writing skills, who are good team players, proactive and open-minded are welcome.  The programme will be conducted in 2023/2024 Semesters 1 & 2. The application will be closed on 6 June 2023. And the first interview shortlist will be announced during the week of 10 June 2023.  For interested candidates, please submit your application by filling out the form.

PolyU Design and Czech Republic started conversations over design knowledge exchange and industrial collaboration

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Hong Kong co-hosted a kick-off event for the Design Dialogue between the Czech Republic and Hong Kong to seek new opportunities in design education and the industry.  Intending to explore the new collaborative possibilities in both academia and the business of design, higher education institutes and businesses from both regions gathered together to kick off the dialogue through introductions of past and current projects, exhibitions, technologies and creative works of each.  “Generally, in Hong Kong people don’t have good enough knowledge about the Czech Republic, so we have a project called Czech Day. Design dialogue is the first dialogue we’d like to establish under the Czech Day promotion, and hopefully will move on to art and education to have more intensive dialogues,” said Mrs Klara Jurcova, Consul General of the Czech Republic.     As the representatives of the Hong Kong side, Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of PolyU Design; Dr Lay Lian Ong, Principal of Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI); Dr Joseph Wong, Executive Director of Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and Mr Barry Tai, Senior Manager (Business Development) of AiDLab presented their current research, students’ works, school facilities, methods in design education, industrial collaborations, the latest Artificial Intelligence technology in design and more aspects of design developments in Hong Kong.      Led by the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Hong Kong, speakers from sectors of the Czech design industry delivered the scope of Czech design, which laid a foundation for discussions about possible collaborations in the future.  Speakers from various design promotion organisations, including Ms Pavla Sebestova, Consultant for Design of Design Centre Czech Trade; Mr Patrik Florian, PR Manager of Designblok; Mr David Karasek, Vice-Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder and Creative Director of mmcite at Association of Czech Industrial Design, walked the guests through a series of art and design exhibitions and other major events of the country.  In academics, Ms Jitka Sosova, Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Development at the Academy of Arts; Jiri Bartos, Head of Department of Design of Architecture and Design at the University of J. E. Purkyne (UJEP) introduced their sophisticated design education programmes.  As for Czech design businesses, Mr Vojtech Havrda, Associate GM (Hong Kong) of Lasvit, and Ms Magdalena Maxova, Business Development Manager of Preciosa showed the guests a glimpse of the wonderous Czech aesthetics in glass installations and lighting designs. During the dialogue, both parties conveyed their anticipation and willingness to bridge up for further collaborations in all kinds of events to advance and promote design. Future collaborations may involve academic research, student exchange, business collaborations, exhibitions, technology sharing, etc. “There will be many opportunities to have a two-year degree, student exchange, or co-teaching classes in the future. We are pretty much looking forward to what will be happening after this short meeting,” said Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of PolyU School of Design. “We may give talks to students of PolyU Design and HKDI about glass design production, inviting the directors from the Museum of decorative art and the curators from the Museum of Glass. Also, I am positive about the idea of education exchange. The platform of AiDLab Design Block will be in use this year. I’m looking forward to the concrete projects and workshop,” said Mrs Klara Jurcova.  PolyU Design looks forward to forging connections with the Czech design industry to bring more international exposure and cross-cultural interactions into design education. For those who have missed the event, you are invited to watch the video here: 

PolyU Design and University of the Arts London discussed on future collaborations

Great pleasure to welcome our guests Mr Steve Cross, Dean of School of Media, and Mr Tom Webb, Director of International Partnerships from the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London earlier this week. It was a fruitful discussion on future opportunities focusing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes’ collaborations between the two universities.    

Product Design student named First Runner-up in 24th Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition

Congratulations to our year-2 Product Design student Lee Kwan-ho on being named the First Runner-up (Student Group) in the 24th Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Inspired by the World Tree, a mythical tree of life, the awarded men’s jewellery series ‘The Beetle’ features three rhino beetles living in the world tree with a lifespan of only one year, urging humans to experience and cherish life despite the transience of time, life and youth. Themed “The Origin of Life”, this year's competition received nearly 100 entries. The designs were judged based on four criteria—creativity and innovation; aesthetics; craftsmanship and wearability; topic relevance and marketability.  Winning pieces are being displayed during the fair period of the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, from 1 to 5 March 2023. Photo Credit: HKTDC Communications & Public Affairs Department 

Design that makes a difference: fostering inclusion and empathy

  Dr Tulio Maximo   Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil (2006) Master of Science in Ergonomics – Inclusive Design, Loughborough University, UK (2012) Doctor of Philosophy in Disability Studies, Loughborough University, UK (2017) Assistant Professor, PolyU School of Design (2018 – present)     “PolyU’s School of Design (SD) offered me an opportunity that I always dreamed of, which is to engage in student-centric education and inclusive design,” says Dr Tulio Maximo, Assistant Professor at SD, as he reflects on why he decided to join the School in 2018. He adds, “The School’s vision to nurture open-minded creative leaders who make a positive impact also corresponds with my own values and inspired me to join this world-class School”.   Success met with failures Since joining SD, Dr Maximo has created an elective course focusing on inclusive design called “Design meets Disabilities”, which applies empathy to guide students to design more user-friendly products, especially for people with disabilities. In particular, he encourages his students to develop a personal understanding of users' needs, by collaborating with potential users throughout the design process, starting from research and conceptualisation to product testing. He also equips students with tools to immerse themselves as an elderly or disabled person, simulating reduction of capabilities faced by this population and thinking about what kind of products would be suitable for them.   Dr Maximo’s passion to promote empathy and inclusion is partly motivated by the example of his mother, who was a public-school teacher in Brazil. His mother was committed to helping and teaching others regardless of their background or personal circumstances. In fact, she went out of her way to help the most disadvantaged members of society. This spirit of serving others inspired Dr Maximo to do likewise through practising inclusive design. His own childhood diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also made him an advocate of inclusive education, which means providing a learning experience that respects students’ neurodiversity (or difference in cognitive behaviours).   As a result of his devotion to inclusive design and education, Dr Maximo was presented with the prestigious 2022 UGC Teaching Award in the Early Career Faculty Members category, one of only three recipients this year. Please refer to page 23 to learn more about this award.   Design is thriving in Hong Kong Since moving to Hong Kong after completing his PhD in the UK, Dr Maximo claims, “I greatly admire the design culture in Hong Kong. I think inclusive design is really valued here.” He commends the local Government for promoting inclusive design through collaborative projects with the community. One example is the playground in Tuen Mun Park which was designed collaboratively with potential users, including children and seniors to make the playground user-oriented. He’s also encouraged by SD students tackling social issues through their capstone projects or other design initiatives.   Inclusive design generates social and economic value In Asia, Dr Maximo has been influenced by innovators such as Yohji Yamamoto, a Japanese fashion designer who has for decades been making gender-neutral clothes that can be worn by both men and women, thus pioneering inclusive design in the fashion industry. He’s also impressed by the work of PolyU SD alumnus Dr Rico Chan, who founded a social enterprise called Beyond Vision Projects that aims to enhance the quality of life for visually impaired people. Whereas Comma Leung, an SD alumna, founded Mosi Mosi, a design studio which creates people-oriented products, including a wallet for visually impaired persons and a coin-purse for people with cerebral palsy. These examples, according to Dr Maximo, illustrate that inclusive design is not only socially beneficial, but can also be economically viable as a business. He hopes they inspire more designers at PolyU and in Hong Kong to champion user-centric design.   Significant personal projects In terms of his own projects, Dr Maximo is proud of a project called Ciranda, which he undertook in Brazil at the Instituto Noisinho da Silva. Ciranda helps young children with physical disabilities to sit independently on the floor, enabling them to play and learn and interact with other children through a specially designed floor seat. Not only was this seat produced and commercialised, but parents from poor backgrounds who couldn’t afford one were trained how to build their own seats, making Dr Maximo realise that design is not just about building products, but can also be about providing a service for the benefit of the community.   The Omni Study System   At PolyU, Dr Maximo is honoured to lead the multi-disciplinary ‘Omni Study System’ project, commissioned by the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation. This project comprises a low cost but systematic furniture solution including a folding table with divisor panel and integrated light; a seat that can be used on the bed, on the floor or on a stool; a tilt board; a storage bag; a set of cushions and a footrest to fit children of different sizes. The furniture system provides an optimal studying space for children in sub-divided flats to support their healthy development. The project won the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2022.   An enriching education Dr Maximo teaches his students ergonomics and inclusive design.   Ultimately, Dr Maximo wants his students to find their studies joyful and directed towards the well-being of others. He calls this ‘value-creation education’, a term originally coined by the Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and disseminated by the Japanese educator and philosopher Daisaku Ikeda. “I’m driven to provide happy and meaningful moments for my students, so that they leave my lessons feeling enriched and inspired,” Dr Maximo explains, as he strives to nurture the next generation of user-centric designers.   Article extracted from: “Dr Tulio Maximo - Design that makes a difference: fostering inclusion and empathy”, Excel x Impact

PolyU Design and Royal College of Art (UK) co-organised workshop on Human-Centred AI Design Methods

Workshop on Human-Centred AI Design Methods to Understand “Intelligent Systems Design empowered by Multisensory Experiences with Textiles” has been successfully held in collaboration between our MDes Intelligent System Design (ISD) programme and the Royal College of Art, UK (RCA).   Co-organising the workshop were Leader of the ISD programme and the Lab Studies subject (Intelligent Systems Construction), Prof. Stephen J. Wang, and RCA’s Textile MA tutor, Dr Elif Ozden Yenigun, and Research Associate Ms Lissy Hatfield. This workshop was to achieve the aims of co-generating tactile-based sensorial data for AI design tools and delivering the material centric design workshop to understand embodied ad tacit knowledge of the textile world.          Benefiting from the unique nature of ISD “Lab Studies” subjects, the purpose of the workshop was to understand human sensory experiences of textile materials, allowing students to explore the relationships between physical properties and characteristics and the subjective assessment of materials through the evaluation of textiles based on a range of physical gestures and actions that human adopted.          Guided by such experience, the ISD students brainstormed and developed ideas in groups around human-robot collaboration contributing to textile assessment at the end of the workshop.         PolyU School of Design’s Intelligent Systems Design (MDes) programme highly recognises data and intelligence-related technologies as critical components in nowadays’ industry and society. To develop students’ future-shaping creative design vision using the intelligent system, the transdisciplinary workshop, as a part of the ISD’s “Lab Studies: Intelligent Systems Construction” subject, has provided students with an opportunity to be involved in real-world research projects.         Prof. Stephen J. Wang emphasised that “this workshop is well aligned with ISD’s vision ‘to educate a new type of designer, one that has an in-depth understanding of data and intelligent technologies, system-focused thinking, innovative design skills, and engineering or technology mastery’. We should especially thank AiDLab management team, Research Associate Mr Zhengtao Ma, RCA Textile Circularity Centre’s Dr Chipp Jansen, and PhD students of PolyU Design Ms Yaqi Zhang and Ms Cong Fang for their assistance in the workshop’s preparation and operation.”

Vote for our student projects at UX Design Awards Spring 2023

Two outstanding student projects from PolyU Design have won the “UX Design Award | Nominated” Spring 2023 for the New Talent category. Organised by International Design Centre Berlin twice per year, the Awards is a global competition fostering the impact experience design has on shaping people’s lives.  Public Choice Award is now officially open for general public to show support to their favourite UX designs and designers on the shortlist. VOTE FOR OUR STUDENTS and their altruistic creations!    Pat-A-Pat | Community Fundraising Piggy Bank Tsz Shan Tam https://ux-design-awards.com/winners/pat-a-pat-community-fundraising-piggy-bank     Carebase Cheuk Yu Kelly Tang, Zhengtong Lin https://ux-design-awards.com/winners/carebase     The vote will be closing on 28 February 2023, and the winners will be announced on 1 March 2023. 

PolyU Design: Impact Report 2022

Dear friend,   Our warmest wishes for a happy new year!  As we look back on all that we have achieved and look forward to all that lies ahead, we hope 2023 brings you prosperity, growth, and good fortune.  We must also remain mindful of the challenges and trends facing the design industry. We believe that collaboration across different disciplines and innovation are key to tackling these issues, and we invite you to join us in this effort. We have recently published our first impact report, with a theme on the roles of designers in the modern world. We hope that you will take the time to read it and consider how it might inform your own education and research. Together, we can make a difference in the coming year. Wishing you a productive and successful Year of the Rabbit! READ NOW   Warm regards,  Prof. Kun-Pyo LEE, PhD, HonFDRS  Dean of School of Design  Swire Chair Professor of Design  Alex Wong Siu Wah Gigi Wong Fook Chi Professor in Product Design Engineering  The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

PolyU Design collaborated with Sino Group to design eco-friendly benches for the community

  A bench is more than a seat. It builds a community. PolyU Design collaborated with Sino Group on the Green Public Seating Design Project to utilize upcycled materials for making public benches. As part of the Cooperative Project in our BA Scheme, three groups of year-4 design students majoring in Product Design, Social Design, Advertising Design and Environment and Interior Design co-worked from start to finish, turning their ideas into concrete products.      The benches were later displayed in Lee Tung Street, giving a decorative touch to the public space, entertaining the pets, encouraging interactions among the community, promoting eco-friendly living and more.     Corporate collaborations are valuable opportunities for students to learn in practical situations and business operations. PolyU Design welcomes collaborations with companies from different industries in our Cooperative Projects of BA Scheme. We anticipate partnering with Sino Group and more corporates in the future.           

PolyU Design is now accepting 2 types of portfolios

Aligning with the reformed BA (Hons) Scheme in Design curriculum, we are branching out our reach to prospective students from more diverse backgrounds. Students with or without a design or creative background could apply by submitting either Creative or STEAM/Maker portfolios.