Appointment of Chair Professor of Industrial Design and Dean of School of Design

We are pleased to announce that Professor Kun-Pyo LEE has been appointed Chair Professor of Industrial Design at PolyU Design, and will concurrently be the new Dean of the School.  Prof. Lee will be on board with us on 27 December, 2018. Prof. Lee graduated from the Chung-Ang University with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree.  He then received a Master’s degree of Science in Design from the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in USA where he was only one of the two Korean scholars selected nationwide for the Scholarship Program of the Korean Ministry of Education.  He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Design from the University of Tsukuba in Japan. Before joining our University, Prof. Lee has a long term relationship with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) where he joined KAIST as a Lecturer in 1988 and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1991, Associate Professor in 1995 and then Professor in 2001 in the Department of Industrial Design.  He was appointed as Head of the Department of Industrial Design in KAIST from 2003 to 2010 and then from 2014 to 2017.  He is also the Director of the Human-Centered Interaction Design Lab, KAIST and the President Emeritus of the International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR).  During 2010 to 2013, Prof. Lee left KAIST for a few years and set the highest marks of achievement in industry through his leadership as the Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer in the Corporate Design Center of the LG Electronics in Korea where he heavily promoted the advancement of user experience design and design research.  He received the highest academic recognition by being the first in Asia to be appointed as Honorary Fellow of the Design Research Society (DRS) where he is also one of the 10 Honorary Fellows in the long history of DRS.   Prof. Lee is an internationally renowned and prominent scholar and his research is focused on human-centered design.  He has published extensively in more than 80 international and domestic journal publications and has more than 200 successful conference submissions.  He has also established or headed numerous academic societies for the development and scholarship of design research.  Most notably, he was the co-founder of IASDR and had served as the President of the Korea Society of Design Science and the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility, as well as the Vice President of the Ergonomics Society of Korea.  Prof. Lee is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Archive of Design Research, as well as the Editorial Board Member of top tier journals such as Design Studies, International Journal of Design, She Ji, and Journal of Design, Business & Society.         

Summer Programme 2018 “What Design?” 「設計搞邊科」2018

PolyU Design holds a Summer Programme every year for students from S.4-5 to learn about “What Design” is by exploring different design disciplines through workshops. This year, 100 students spent one day with us on 11 July.   WELCOME PolyU Summer Programme 2018 organised by the Secondary School Relations Section (SSRS) is always popular among secondary school students. There were 100 participants attended our PolyU Design Summer Programme to learn about design.   ICE BREAKING SESSION Participants were asked which design discipline they liked most and how they thought about it. Mr. Francis Hung, Scheme Leader of BA(Hons) Scheme in Design was impressed by many sharings by the participants.   INTRODUCTION TO EACH DISCIPLINE Before we started the workshop, each tutor gave an introduction on the related discipline.  Mr. Benny Leong, Programme Leader of Product Design was giving an introduction.   WORKSHOPS O  Advertising Design  - Water. No colour, no taste, no smell. How do you make it more desirable than other drinks? Participants were asked to choose a bottle and promote it in different ways. Mr. KC Tsang, Programme Leader of Advertising Design was commenting on their proposals.   O  Communication Design - Ms. Anneke Coppoolse, Assistant Professor from Communication Design introduced participants to some of the key aspects of communication design by using basic elements of design. Each group needed to create an animated GIF with eight images by drawing or collage.     Animated GIF created by participants.   O  Environment and Interior Design - Participants were given different themes from a novel named ‘Invisible Cities’ and were required to study them.  By using paper and stapler, participants needed to create a city with the theme provided and presented to the rest of class. Mr. Horace Pan, Assistant Professor from Environment and Interior Design was commenting the cities designed by different groups.   O  Product Design - Dr. Tulio Maximo, Assistant Professor from Product Design explained how important 3D sketching is to design.  Participants learnt how to draw perspective through the workshop while Mr. Scott Chin, Teaching Fellow from Product Design was sharing the technique with a smaller group.   POLYU DESIGN ANNUAL SHOW GUIDED TOUR Guided by our experienced student ambassador, the participants learnt to appreciate the creative and innovative design exhibits through the tour.  (PolyU Design Annual Show 2018)   THANK YOU! At the end of the day, we would like to thank you all participants who joined the Summer Programme and we hope to see you again in the coming future!   Facebook Album For details, please visit HERE.  

Cubic Journal - a platform where global scholars exchange on topics covering design disciplines

CALL FOR PAPERS Cubic Journal, in conjunction with Cubic Society, is an academic platform for the publication and dissemination of design enquiry and design related research. Operating from within The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design, the platforms aims to draw together global scholars in order to generate, exchange and discuss contemporary questions within the pursuit of advancing knowledge through and within a number of design disciplines. As online open source peer reviewed journal Cubic is open to a wide audience, allowing for the disciplinary crossover between various design positions, discourses and mediums, theoretical argument or through praxis. Moreover, With the geographic nexus of Hong Kong, the journal wishes to fuse Asian and Western knowledge to inform scholarly, technical and critical enquiry within the research fields of Design Social, Design Economies and Design Making. The Cubic Journal will be published twice annually. Special editorials and thematic issues will be published outside the standard publication schedule. Cubic Journal follows a double blind peer review process relevant to each disciplinary formats and approaches. Contributions within the ‘traditional research’ format are equally encouraged in relation to research of artistic or experimental endeavours. Proposals are meant to critically engage with the various topics, based on the requirements of each issue. Call for papers was made internationally. The first issue has 13 contributions of which 50% is from PolyU Design and 50% from across the globe.  Read online now: http://www.cubicjournal.org/wp/       

Launch of 'ilolo' — game for autistic children

[PolyU Design Research] 'ilolo' is a 2D drawing, exploration, and life simulation game with mechanics that change based on how you play. The game is designed for children with autism and aims to help them to better express themselves. It is good for those with self-stimulatory behaviour and for those who wish to interact with virtual beings. After all, people are often horribly complicated to figure out! The game is now available to download at Apple Store. It is the outcome of 'Digital game development principles and design considerations for autism and special education' project completed earlier, funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission, and conducted by our Assistant Professor Dr. Hanna Wirman. Download now (iPad and iPhone): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ilolo/id1370237793?mt=8

Advertising Design student wins recycling bin design competition

Congratulations to Miss Lau Cheuk Yan Sharon, our year-2 student in Advertising Design's winning the Clean Recycling - Two Plastic Containers Recycling Bin Design Competition organised by YMCA. Her winning design and others of the competition will be used for the recycled bins in all YMCA venues and centres. Report on Oriental Daily, 6 May 2018

Exhibition Highlights: 'Roadate' 始於觸下 — 觸感展

The 'Roadate' Exhibition launched on 23 April 2018 (Mon and will end on 29 April 2018 (Sun).  Audience wil experience the culture of Hong Kong through avenues, streets, alleys and paths. Click HERE for more details. Here are some hightlights from the opening and exhibition: Avenues 道 Streets 街 Alleys 巷 Paths 徑 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Facebook: fb.me/roadate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roadate/ ------------------------------------------------------------------- A project by BA(Hons) in Communication Design Year 3 students Credits: Amelia Lau, Ann Chan, Antony Wong, Charlotte Li, Claudia Yip, Connie Lau, Eagle Chan, Erika Jean Ho, Kayla Lau, Kest Cheung, Kiki Cheng, Kiki Lam, Mandy Lam, Matthew Yung, Mike Leung, Russell Pun, SinYi Lau, Susi So Project Leader: Amy Chow

Exhibition Highlights: 'Unmute — The Sound of Hong Kong' Exhibition 無意聲展

The Unmute’’ Exhibition launched on 23 April 2018 (Mon) and will end on 29 April 2018 (Sun). The exhibition presents the Hong Kong community through the aspect of sounds and voices (“unmute”). Click HERE and the photos below for more details. Here are some hightlights from the exhibition: Re-captivation 洞曉 Unfamiliar Familiar 陌悉 Buried Bonding 湮沒的關係 Unrevealed Stories 深聲   Facebook: fb.me/unmutehk Website: unmute.hk ------------------------------------------------------------------ A project by BA(Hons) in Communication Design Year 3 students Credits: Alice Wan, Astrid Li, Ava Chan, Brenda Hui, Chan Hin Yung Chan Ka Man, Connie Chan, Happy Lai, Ho Shan, Jacky Ho, Lee Nicole, Lokki Chau, Poon Ching Chloe, Sara Ng, Thomas Chan, Tiffany Lau, Tong Wing Yi Ivy, Victoria So Project Leader:  Anneke Coppoolse

PolyU Design organises “Origami x Materials” exhibition

Through origami, even materials like paper, textile, blanket can be folded into everyday life housewares and installations, like furniture, chairs and light shades that bring us surprises — as showcased in the latest exhibition on The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) campus. Origami has hundreds of years of history. It is a folding technique changes the characteristics of materials, transforming two-dimensional materials into objects with three-dimensional attributes. Modern origami design is no longer a sculpting process, but a way of designing objects that are neither limited to materials nor folding methods. In the exhibition "Origami x Materials" organised by the Material Resource Centre under PolyU's School of Design between 3 and 18 April 2018, a group of designers and brands, as well as PolyU design alumnus and students, will showcase a variety of origami-inspired houseware designs and installations. Applying origami-inspired structures and folding styles on different materials, they have created many design works for daily life uses that bring us surprises and inspirations. The exhibition aims to enhance audience's understanding of origami, its structural principle, and the many possibilities of different materials as presented in origami form. Designers and inventors can thus be inspired to explore new, trendy and interesting materials in their future creations. The exhibition features two designers: Mr Kade Chan Pak Hei A professional origami artist and product/graphic designer, Mr Chanis also a graduate of PolyU's School of Design. He is the first Chinese receiving the Yoshino Issei Fund from Japan Origami Academic Society, the most prestigious award in the origami community. So far, Mr Chan has created more than 100 origami designs and organised more than 60 public events/exhibitions in collaboration with various brands and organisations. Mr Eric Tong Graduated from The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, Mr Tong is passionate about bespoke furniture and product design. He has worked for renowned architects Zaha Hadid and Future Systems before starting up his studio in Hong Kong. Highlights of Student Works The exhibition also highlights a collection from five groups of PolyU's design students. Their origami works attempt to provide practical solutions to different problems of our daily lives. Material Resource Centre of PolyU's School of Design PolyU's School of Design is committed to bring new sources of inspiration and creativity for innovation. The School's Material Resource Centre serves as a material library where staff, students and alumni of PolyU, and university partners can explore materials representing current trends in design, materials research and productions from all over the world. "Origami x Materials" Exhibition Exhibition Period: 3 April – 18 April 2018 Venue and Opening Hours (Free Admission): (1) 3/F, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, PolyU Monday to Sunday 10:00 – 19:00 (2) Room V510, 5/F, Material Resource Centre, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, PolyU Monday to Friday 10:30 – 18:00 Free Guided Tour Free Origami Table Lamp Making Workshop by Mr Kade Chan Pak Hei For public enquiry: Ms Man Tsang (Email: wman.tsang@polyu.edu.hk / Tel: 2766 7971) More about the exhibition

‘We go green! We stay green!’ – Digital Print Shop makes green pledge by joining the FSC Trademark Programme

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) happily announces that its Digital Print Shop has joined the FSC™ Trademark Programme for non-certificate holder with an FSC License Code FSC-N002782 to educate students on responsible use of forest products. Currently available to the users of its laser printing services are FSC-certified paper products complying with the FSC’s high environmental, social, and economic standards. Trial and errors are unavoidable and precious to all design students, and this leads to material consumption and disposal. Observing numerous used materials in the waste bins in the past, Digital Print Shop decided to take further steps to participate in environmental protection, minimize waste generation, enhance eco-awareness of the students, while well balance the purpose of learning and environmental friendliness. Since the beginning of 2017, the Digital Print Shop has gradually upgraded its service to fulfill the requirements of FSC programme and launched the ‘We go green! We stay green!’ campaign. FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council®) is a global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forest management around the world. The FSC certification scheme ensures that forest products are responsibly managed and harvested. FSC™ works to take care of the world’s forests for future generations – making sure we all have ‘Forests For All Forever’. As committing themselves to the ‘We go green! We stay green!’ campaign, students will not only devote themselves to preventing global deforestation by using FSC paper, but can also use newly launched recyclable form board to reduce unnecessary wastage. Students could be beneficial from the immediate reduced cost for presentations too. ‘We go green! We stay green!’ video:

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.