2. Research Themes
Research at the School of Design is grounded in an understanding of design as a social activity that: [a] involves collaboration and sharing among diverse people, [b] is embedded in societies and cultures, [c] gives expression to ideals and values of society, [d] critically explores and interrogates issues in society and [d] goes beyond the design professions.
The school's research has gravitated towards exploring these social dimensions of design within three distinct realms:
a) Design Intelligence | 智能設計
Design Intelligence integrates human creativity, data insights, and emerging technologies to enhance design processes and outcomes. It investigates how AI, computational thinking, and cognitive science inform decision-making, drive innovation, and tackle societal challenges. By bridging design theory with digital tools and analytics, it empowers designers to create adaptive, user-centred solutions. The framework emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical considerations, and continuous learning to advance intelligent design practices responsive to evolving industry, societal, and environmental needs.
b) Design Wellbeings | 福祉設計
Design Wellbeings focuses on design's transformative role in promoting holistic health, happiness, and quality of life for individuals and communities. It examines how design interventions—across products, environments, services, and systems—enhance physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Emphasising user empathy, inclusivity, and sustainability, it employs evidence-based and participatory methods. Through collaboration with healthcare, social sciences, and technology sectors, it creates impactful solutions addressing contemporary wellbeing challenges.
c) Design for Virtue | 美德設計
Design for Virtue explores how design cultivates ethical values, moral responsibility, and positive social impact. It examines the intersection of design with philosophy, ethics, and cultural studies to embed virtues like honesty, empathy, justice, and sustainability into processes and outcomes. The framework promotes critical reflection, stakeholder engagement, and co-creation to ensure solutions contribute to the common good. Fostering virtue-driven innovation, shapes designers who are both skilled creators and conscientious global citizens.
Each theme is based on the established experience and expertise of the School of Design and its researchers. Each embraces an essential facet of relevant contemporary design research approach.
This work happens in the School’s research centres and research labs:
POLYU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre
The PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre, established in 2023, represents a pioneering collaboration between The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) School of Design and NVIDIA, dedicated to serve as a collaborative academia-industry research platform fostering interdisciplinary research in the fields of culture, art and technology.
PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology
PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology (CAT) is a University-level Research Centre housed in the School of Design.
In line with the mission of the University, CAT is committed to serving as a collaborative platform for academia-industry research, with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary studies in the realms of culture, art, and technology. Through leveraging the strong connection between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA), CAT endeavours to foster partnership between the outstanding researchers, designers, artists and creative practitioners, incollaboration with prominent corporates, organization and institution. The joint efforts aims to cultivate a thriving environment of artistic and creative activities, while also expanding market opportunities.
Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility
The Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility represents a vision of Interdisciplinary, Cutting-edge, STEAM (STEM+Art & Design) and Innovative Design Approach Emphasising on Living, Caring and Well-being under various scenarios of mobility.
The Centre is determined to tackle the ‘wicked’ real-world challenges such as the future caring in transportation, transit UX, communication and integration of personal information in mobility, automobile cybersecurity, smart city fluidity & liveability; UX in emerging transport modes such as versatile & on-demand transport, wellbeing aspects in connected and autonomous vehicles. Benefits by such a unique vision, this Centre will be first in the world to focus on blurring various mobility related boundaries to vision the future of ‘caring-moving 關愛移動 ’, the research and design outcomes will significantly contribute to Hong Kong, GBA, and the region.
Contact: Prof. Stephen Jia WANG, stephen.j.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Research Institute of Design-driven Entrepreneurship
The Research Institute of Design-driven Entrepreneurship (RIDE) was established in October 2024. It is the university’s first interdisciplinary platform driven by design thinking, dedicated to technological innovation and business transformation across industries.
RIDE centers on the core domain of “design-driven entrepreneurship”, focusing on bridging the gap between technological innovation and commercialization.
Contact: Prof. Sylvia Xihui Liu, xihuiliu@polyu.edu.hk
Asian Ergonomics Design Lab
Asian Ergonomics Design Lab focuses on ergonomics and human factors in design application, ranging from physical ergonomics to cognitive ergonomics within the Asian context. Asian Ergonomics Design Lab works closely with other institutes locally and internationally to advance the knowledge in ergonomics. Asian Ergonomics Design Lab has created the first-ever digital database (SizeChina project) of Asian head and face shapes which can be used by designers and manufacturers internationally.
Contact: Prof. Yan Tina Luximon, (852)2766 5493, sdtina@polyu.edu.hk
Asian Lifestyle Design Lab
What are the lifestyle trends that drive Asian economies and design? Asian Lifestyle Design Lab provides research service to and generates critical knowledge for designers and industries creating innovative, sustainable products and services for the Asian lifestyle. It also engages in fundamental and historical research, develops appropriate methodologies for fieldwork and analysis, and seeks collaborations with industrial and academic partners
Contact: Prof. Brian Lee, (852)3400 8270, brian.yh.lee@polyu.edu.hk
Creativity and Design Education Lab
Creativity and Design Education Lab considers creativity from multiple angles. Apart from examining the role of design education, the Lab looks at improving creativity in the workplace. Its aim is to design environments that increase intrinsic motivation. Its mission is to help the design industries of Hong Kong to increase their potential for economic growth.
Contact: Prof. Henry Ma, (852) 2766 4739, henry.ma@polyu.edu.hk
Information Design Lab
How to make wayfinding easier through graphic design?
The Information Design Lab (IDL) researches how to make information accessible, understandable, usable, and visually engaging. Focusing on how people perceive, process, and remember information, IDL applies user‑centered methods across media, contexts, and audiences. Its work develops theories, models, and methodologies while advancing information design as a distinct field of scholarship and practice. Through practice‑led projects, consultancy, and knowledge transfer, IDL explores innovative approaches to effective communication and advocates for the value of information design in Hong Kong and beyond.
Contact: Prof. Brian Kwok (852) 2766 5441, sdbriank@polyu.edu.hk
Interaction Design Lab
Interaction Design Lab is an applied research and consultancy facility at the School of Design. Established in April 2004, the Lab is endowed with the mission to promote the viability of interaction design in design and in Hong Kong industries at large.
Its aim is to develop new knowledge in interaction design and to explore new interaction design paradigms that help in designing more pleasurable and meaningful user experience. The emphasis is on user-centred design research, but the lab’s methods are solidly constructive, ending up in functioning demonstrations.
PolyU-WUT Joint Laboratory on Ship and Marine Aesthetic Design Technology
The PolyU-WUT Joint Laboratory on Ship and Marine Aesthetic Design Technology” (香港理工大學—武漢理工大學船海美學設計技術聯合實驗室) is a collaboration with Wuhan University of Technology.
Public Design Lab
Public Design Lab was established in May 2007 with a mission to promote public design in order to serve new and changing urban needs. It is the first ever Public Design Lab that its work strikes a balance between basic research and applied design research.
Contact: Prof. Michael Siu, (852)2766 5455, m.siu@polyu.edu.hk
Joint-Research Centre for Inclusive Environment
This Research Centre is established in collaboration with School of Architecture and Design, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT).
Contact: Prof. Michael Siu, (852)2766 5455, m.siu@polyu.edu.hk
Research Laboratory for Advanced Social Robotics
Founded in 2025, the Research Laboratory for Advanced Social Robotics represents the confluence of three antecedent institutions: the Center for Advanced Media Research Amsterdam (CAMeRA, 2007-2012), Services of Electro-Mechanical Care Agencies (SELEMCA, 2011-2015), and the Social Robotics Pop-up Lab (ROBOpop Foundation, 2015-2020).
Contact: Prof. Johan Hoorn, johan.f.hoorn@polyu.edu.hk
