Enhancing Visitors’ Experience at the LegCo Complex 

The Legislative Council (LegCo) is the legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Over the past one and a half centuries, LegCo has undergone great changes, evolving from an advisory body to a legislature with powers and functions to render checks and balances on the executive authorities.

To strengthen the public’s understanding of the work of LegCo, guided tours are arranged for the public to visit the LegCo Complex. Participants include students and teachers, members of the public, tourists and visitors/visiting dignitaries of LegCo. In addition to the various educational facilities installed along the tour route, a souvenir shop is set up in the Main Lobby of the LegCo Complex that offers for sale a selection of LegCo souvenirs and publications to enhance visitors' experience.  The project is set to provide a memorable visiting experience through new visual communication concepts and an expansion of the current range of souvenirs.

The student team visited the LegCo Complex twice during their research phase, and conducted an in-depth research via interviews and observations to obtain objective evidence and insights leading to design aspects such as visual communication, a user-centred experience and ancillary products. The students identified three stages in the enhancement of the visitors' experience – promoting the guided tour with new visual aids; developing the LegCo’s visual identity and creating a better visitor experience on site; and designing new souvenir items that represent LegCo’s core values with the aim of creating a valuable sense of connection between LegCo and its visitors.

The students first worked on the LegCo’s brand identity, based on the core values of ‘openness’ and ‘public engagement’, by introducing new mood boards, font types and colour tones, and transforming the daily activities of LegCo into visual elements that can be incorporated into a poster, a website and other deliverables to promote the guided tour.  The students then worked on a new online booking system for the guided tour to enhance the visual identity and accessibility by using the conceptual design elements of the LegCo Complex as a design feature. The students also redesigned the wayfinding and signage to the LegCo Complex with clear steps to guide visitors to undergo security screening and store their belongings in the locker area before entering the Complex. Other visual design elements include a visitor pass and a commemorative information booklet for tour participants.

A few design concepts were also developed for souvenirs unique to LegCo to provide a more memorable experience for visitors. Students presented a few designs of souvenir items to the LegCo representatives, including a shoulder bag, a bookstand, a perpetual calendar and metal pins. Packaging designs and prototypes were also produced to complete the designs.

Several design concepts are now under review for potential licensing to The Legislative Council Commission for design adoption.

Participating students include —

Advertising Design Year 4 students

CHAN Yik Lam Elaine, LAU Siu Ying and TSE Tze Yung Ariel

Communication Design Year 4 students

CHAN Ho Ying, CHEUNG Long Wai and LI Pik Hei

Product Design Year 4 students

CHAN Wing Sang, CHIU Wai Yi, LI Yi Wah,
LIU Lok Yi, LIU Zeyu and TAM Yan Ying

Social Design Year 4 students

CHEUK Hiu Yan and SUEN Wing Yin

Project Tutors —

FUNG Ho Yin, Visiting Lecturer

School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Work-integrated Education in PolyU brings students together with real-world clients both inside and outside the classroom. Students’ fresh ideas, energy and passion lead to exciting opportunities for clients and collaborators. 
The Cooperative Project is undertaken as a compulsory subject in the first semester of students’ final year of study. Collaborators ranging from commercial enterprises to government departments and non-profit organisations work together with tutors to come up with design briefs that meet the needs of their target audiences.