Professor Stephen J. Wang led researchers and students to A'Design Award and iF Design Awards

        Once again, good designs from PolyU Design have proved themselves on global platforms. This time the stage is set at the internationally well recognized A’Design Award and iF Design Awards 2023 where Prof. Stephen Jia Wang and his team of researchers and students won four professional awards.    ‘Sunflower’, an Interactive lamp developed under the Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility led by Prof. Wang, is the winner in the Wellness, Health Promotion, and Preventive Care Design category of A’Design Award. It is a health IoT product focus considering the circadian rhythm as the core element to monitor user's lifestyle. It engages users through creature-like movements, providing a brand-new organic and interactive experience. Heroes and heroines behind this project are Jiajuan Li, Stephen Jia WANG, Yangwu CAI, Yanjie Zhan, Sein JEONG, ZhengTao Ma, Sark XING and Le FANG. The iF winner ‘Motar’ is an AR-based outdoor educational system designed to encourage urban grade-schoolers (5-12 children) to go outdoors and stay in the natural environment by providing immersive real-world-based games. It is designed by Chenbei Gui under Prof. Stephen J. Wang’s supervision. Chenbei who is our MDes student graduated from our BA(Hons) in Product Design last year. Motar was her Product Design graduation project. Another iF and A’Design double award winner is ‘Mel:mory Cube’, designed by Xiang Yi and Felix Tsoi from MDes (Interaction Design) and supervised by Prof. Stephen J. Wang. The product aims to raise the awareness of Chinese amnesia, and further remind, rebuild and enhance the interest and memory development of Chinese characters through a multi-sensory and playful approach by translating Chinese characters (visual sensory) into distinctive melodies (auditory-driven) generated by a self-identified mechanism.    These projects would not be possible without our long-term client also collaborator, Huawei Technologies Ltd., leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices that is always supportive to researchers and young designers.    Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility: learn more Motar: learn more Mel:mory Cube: learn more  

【The Student Story】 Grace Moon’s PolyU Delegation Trip to South Korea

Grace Daeun Moon, a Year 3 Communication Design student from PolyU Design had the chance to accompany the university’s senior management in a visit to South Korea last month, taking up the role of the sole student ambassador. She sat down with us for a chat right after the trip, sharing the details of this eye-opening journey. The delegation was led by university’s Council Chairman Dr Lam Tai-fai and joined by President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng and Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) Prof. Ben Young to strengthen the university’s global academic partnerships, taking collaborations to the next level. During the 5-days visit, Grace had the privilege to immerse herself into a full-blown itinerary: touring around the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Seoul National University (SNU), and Yonsei University while interacting with fellow students on campus — an exclusive experience rarely given to undergraduate students.  "Each person I’ve had the opportunity to interact with only existed in photos and videos in my life until now. The PolyU senior management who I travelled with were real impact-makers who I had the chance to hold a conversation with!”  Grace exclaimed as she reflected on the trip that felt, in some ways, surreal. She explains that the chance to have real dialogue with the senior management, picking each other's brains, exchanging insights on what it means to learn and achieve was the highlight of her trip. She was also delighted to share her voice as a designer in a science, engineering and technology-rich university, and how her discipline could be weaved into this strong academic network and contributions to bring about a more interdisciplinary outlook in learning more about the world around us. "There were a lot of surprised looks since for most of the students, this was their first glimpse into university life in the city of Hong Kong." The Communication Design student also had the chance to share her first-hand experience at PolyU Design when the delegation paid a class visit at the Seoul International School, amongst other engagements. From covering undergraduate application essentials to her everyday life on campus, all the way to flying out to the Parsons School of Design in the United States for a semester abroad, she gave the inside scoop to the school’s design class. All the memorable moments, both of delight and of hard work, were shared vividly and passionately for the prospective international students, encouraging them to paint their own vision of what a fast-paced and exciting student life in Hong Kong could look like. Snapshots of the iconic HK skyline view from Grace's dorm room, her personal studio space, the ample opportunities to complete exchange and 8-week internship abroad showed left them in awe.   "I felt like a bridge (of cultures).”  When being asked of the most notable insight Grace gained from the trip, she responded by sharing with her new sense of belonging and identity. "I have always been the 'other'," she explained, "as a third-culture kid in Hong Kong.” She goes on to explain that her background as a Korean growing up in Malaysia (albeit in an international bubble) has excluded her from being fully immersed in all three cultural contexts. However, this trip helped her realise that instead of desiring to belong in one fully, she can be a three-way bridge figure—keen to introduce the HK culture and lifestyle to the Korean communities while ensuring her fellow HK delegates felt at home was certainly bizarre yet fulfilling experience.  

PolyU Design and PLD Capital signed Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership

We are thrilled to announce that PolyU Design and PLD Capital have entered into a strategic partnership through the signing of a MoU on 26th April 2023. The MoU sets out the framework for the parties to commercialize the innovations generated at PolyU within the Greater Bay Area region. The signing ceremony was successfully organized by SD Plus, and the MoU was signed by Prof Kun-pyo Lee, Dean of PolyU Design, and Dr KK Chan, Partner of PLD Capital Co. Ltd, witnessed by PolyU Design faculty including Design Lab Leaders and Research Centre Director and SD Plus Design Leads.   PLD Capital Co. Ltd is a young and dynamic Chinese venture capital firm founded in 2014, with teams of domestic and international experts located in various cities across China and Finland, focusing on projects with high-growth potential and "Hydrogen" related applications. PLD Capital prioritizes unbeatable investment returns for its investors while promoting sustainability through ESG policies. It joined the UN PRI in 2021and obtained a Trustee License, leading to the initiation of internationally recognized ESG policies in its portfolio projects. The company has achieved a record-high DPI 3.2 with three significant exits at the STAR board in Shanghai.   The MoU between PolyU Design and PLD Capital aims to facilitate further discussions between the parties for academic and cultural exchange, research collaboration, and project implementation in the Greater Bay Area region. The potential areas of collaboration include organizing an exhibition or developing a programme focusing on the concept of a cultural, design and digital future for educational purposes in the Greater Bay Area and connecting designers, entrepreneurs, and investors.   We are excited to see the outcome of this partnership and the positive impact it will bring to the Greater Bay Area region. ____________________________________________________________________________________ We welcome collaborations from various industries and businesses, find out HERE.  

Young design explorers gathered at PolyU Design for a jam-packed Taster Programme

The recent WHAT DESIGN? PolyU Taster Programme on 15 April 2023 welcomed a group of Form 4 to 5 secondary school students for a 1-day experience, fleeting but rammed with enlightening moments.   Served as a fun, social and creative outlet, the class of aspiring design explorers transformed into a 1-day university student at the world’s renowned design school, working alongside companions with similar passions. Creative ideas just keep flowing within the 30 mins intensive activity of the ‘Blow Water’ workshop as they came up with various human (and non-human) centered ideas, fascinating products as well as quirky catchphrases. These experience and knowledge learnt will continue to inspire thus encourage students to explore proactively!   Contact us at sdmktg@polyu.edu.hk if you would like to arrange design learning opportunities for secondary schools.

PolyU Design academic staff and student won merits from DigiCon6 ASIA Awards 2023

Teaching Fellow Step Cheung and Digital Media graduate Ho Tsz-ching won merits from DigiCon6 ASIA Awards 2023,  a prestigious digital content competition in Asia. The outstanding animation work by Step Cheung and Point Five Creations “Everywhere” won the Silver Award and That’s Entertainment—the award which does not guarantee a winner every year. Another exceptional winning animation project was Ho Tsz-ching’s “White”. The animated short film depicting a deer’s adventure won one of the Digital Creativity Awards.   This year, The 24th DigiCon6 ASIA Awards - Hong Kong attracted 79 applications. the Regional Gold Award, Silver Awards and Next Generation Award will be nominated to further compete for the highest awards in the Grand Final, which involved participation of 16 Asian countries/regions. Co-organized by The Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association (HKDEA) and Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc (TBS) for years, the award aims to identify and support potential creative talents in Hong Kong through promotions and recognition of their creative digital content.

PolyU Design to team with NVIDIA for the establishment of research centre on culture and art technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is collaborating with NVIDIA to establish a joint research center for the innovation of culture, art technology and interactive media with the goal of nurturing talents and conducting collaborative research. The School of Design of PolyU (PolyU Design) will team with NVIDIA for the establishment of CAT, which aims to become a leading research center in culture and art technology.   The joint Research Centre on Culture and Art Technology (CAT) is to be set up by PolyU and NVIDIA. It is NVIDIA’s leading global research center partnered with an education institution to facilitate art, design and media innovation.   Leveraging Hong Kong’s position in China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) with vibrant art and creative activities, CAT intends to become the hub of culture and art technology research internationally, driving creative innovation in the art-tech field. This academia-industry collaboration combines the strengths of NVIDIA technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and high-performance computing, and PolyU’s expertise in cross-disciplinary research and education, to promote and create impactful and creative research on art technology. CAT will provide a various training courses and sharing by NVIDIA for School of Design students and researchers to develop their technical skills and gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technologies, with the hardware and technical support from NVIDIA. Opportunities to connect and collaborate with industry professionals and experts from both PolyU and NVIDIA can be expected.   Prof. Henry DUH from PolyU Design and Dr Charles CHEUNG from NVIDIA AI Technology Center are appointed as  Co-Directors of the joint research centre to fosters knowledge exchange and potential industry partnerships, enhancing students' understanding of real-world challenges.    “PolyU always seeks for strong community engagement to produce timely and cutting-edge industry relevant research. By leveraging NVIDIA’s expertise in artificial intelligence, we will provide a collaborative platform for GBA culture groups and art communities to create new forms of arts,” said Prof. Henry DUH.

PolyU Design and Royal College of Art (UK) co-organised workshop on future shared autonomous vehicle experiences

On 23 April, the Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility (RC-FCM) of PolyU collaborated with the Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) from the Royal College of Art (RCA) to hold the Co-creation Workshop, guiding design students to come up with joyful, inclusive and intuitive shared autonomous vehicle experiences in the context of 2040’s city.    Led by Prof. Stephen J. Wang, Director of Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility of PolyU, Dr. Cyriel Diels, Deputy Director of Intelligent Mobility Design Centre, RCA, Ms Herin Haramoto, Mr Yichen Shu, Research Associates of IMDC, and Ms Yaqi Zhang, PhD Student, SD, PolyU, the workshop was designed to allow students to freely explore the possibilities of building novel relationship between a person and an autonomous vehicle.    Prof Stephen J. Wang emphasised that “One of the key themes of the workshop was the importance of designing for human-vehicle interactions and user experience. this workshop was well aligned with our Research Center (RC-FCM)’s vision ‘to tackle on the ‘wicked’ real-world challenges such as the future caring in transportation, transit UX, communication and integration of personal information in mobility, automobile cybersecurity, and UX in emerging transport modes, and wellbeing aspects in connected and autonomous vehicles.’   Multifaceted exercises and activities including bodystorming, user-journey plotting, and design evaluation were involved in the workshop. Students were fully engaged in the thinking process, from brainstorming to performing their results from bodystorming.   The workshop is part of a research project co-conducted by PolyU and RCA entitled ‘Design for Autonomous Mobility’. Funded by AiDlab, the project aims to explore the experience of future autonomous vehicles, which are in the absence of steering wheels and pedals and will be driven by themselves. The workshop has provided a valuable platform for participants to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and collaborate on innovative design solutions for autonomous mobility. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between the two world-leading human-centred Research Centres, the workshop has evidenced how such international collaboration could drive forward new approaches to designing for autonomous mobility and create a more user-friendly and efficient transportation system for the future.    

Communication Design student won Gold Award at The Muse Creative Awards 2023

Our Communication Design student Jina Ham has won the Gold Award from The MUSE Creative Awards for her packaging design titled “ATMO: Inclusive Barrier for All” (Tutor: Clive Ng & Edmund Chan).     To identify its skincare features, ATMO conveys the efficacy of its serum series through visual patterns and colors based on the user perception tests. The function, orientation and usage instructions are encoded in the embossed graphics. Together with the vibrant colours, the brand welcomes everyone, including the visually impaired, to enjoy the wholesome consumption experience.    To learn more about the design and award: https://bit.ly/3LgZrjp

PolyU Design and Thammasat University signed Memorandum of Understanding on academic collaboration

  The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony to mark our renewed academic collaboration with Thammasat University (TU) was successfully held on 11 April 2023. Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Prof. Asan Suwanarit, and our Dean, Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, signed the MOU, witnessed by Leader and faculty of TU's Design, Business & Technology Management (DBTM), Dr Archan Boonyanan, Dr Surapit Promsit, and Dr Jitiporn Wongwatcharapaiboon, and Innovative Business Design (IBD) programmes, Dr Sylvia Liu and Mr Benny Leong, joined by the visiting DBTM students, our IBD students and our alum who attended the exchange programme at TU back in 2020. "This is precisely what I wanted to see, Thai students getting to meet Hong Kong and other students from different nationalities through our collaboration," said Prof. Suwanarit. "We had a fruitful discussion with our partner institution and would like to extend the collaboration between DBTM and IBD to other programmes and levels," said Prof. Lee. The partnership will strengthen areas of collaboration in the exchange of knowledge, staff and students, and joint research and projects, aiming to nurture capable talent, transfer knowledge and steer research on topics relevant to the development of the "Belt and Road" area.

Associate Professor Brian Kwok's new book “Fading Neon Lights: An Archive of Hong Kong’s Visual Culture” is published

Our Associate Professor Brian Kwok’s new book “Fading Neon Lights: An Archive of Hong Kong’s Visual Culture” is published both in print and e-book versions.  The book is available for purchase online for a more detailed view of the collection of neon signs and the insights behind them. Click here: https://bit.ly/40mhcTw //Suspended above us with intricate patterns and flamboyant colours, the neon signs of Hong Kong easily guide us to local businesses, Chinese restaurants, bars, and department stores. Apart from marketing and advertising, these neon signs actually convey much more — and mean much more to those who view the signs as a part of their home. This book documents Hong Kong’s neon signs whilst taking on a historical, socio-cultural, and contextual study of visual culture around the city. It explores the inter-related components of neon signs, including each sign’s unique visual aesthetic and design, the history of craftsmanship and training, and how the streetscape relates to Hong Kong’s consumer culture. With an underlying theme of photographic conservation and an array of vibrant images, the author brings the everyday signage of Hong Kong to life.//