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Design Labs
As an extension to the PolyU Design’s history, the following research units summarise the various research incentives to date.
Design Research Laboratories
Asian Lifestyle Design Lab
Asian Ergonomics Design Lab
Interaction Design Lab
Information Design Lab
Public Design Lab
Digital Entertainment Lab
Creativity and Design Education Lab
Research Centres
POLYU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre
Research Centre for Future (Caring) Mobility
Asian Ergonomics Design Lab 亞洲人體工學設計研究室
How does Asian ergonomics differ from Caucasian ergonomic systems? Do your products fit an Asian population? Do your products work properly in an Asian cultural context?
The Asian Ergonomics Design Lab focusses on Asian ergonomics and anthropometrics through a series of research projects.
Recent projects have focused on office chairs and the anthropometrics of female Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese office and factory workers, SizeChina, and more recently, studies of soft tissues around the head. The SizeChina.com project has created the first-ever digital database of Asian head and face shapes for use by manufacturers and designers internationally.
The Asian Ergonomics Design Lab works on consultancy projects for industries that want to create the perfect fitting and products for the explosive Asian markets. The lab encourages visitors to come by to visit its facilities and discuss their requirements.
Research Postgraduate Students:
Kimberly Anne Sheen, Qingchuan LI, Parth Bharat Shah
- Luximon, Y., Ball, R.M. and Chow, E.H.C. (2016). “A design and evaluation tool using 3D head templates”, in Computer-Aided Design and Applications, 13(2): 153-161. DOI:10.1080/16864360.2015.1084188.
- Sheen, K. A., & Luximon, Y. (2015). “Relationship between Academic Discipline and User Perception of the Future of Electronic Textbooks”, in Procedia Manufacturing, 3, 5845-5850. DOI:10.1016/j.promfg.2015.07.841.
- Luximon, Y., Cong Y., Luximon, A., and Zhang M. (2015). “Effects of heel base size, walking speed and slope on centre of pressure trajectory and plantar pressure for high-heeled shoes”, in Human Movement Science, 41:307-319. DOI:10.1016/j.humov.2015.04.003.
Location: V711-V712, 7/F, JCIT
Contact: Dr Yan Tina Luximon (852)2766 5493, sdtina@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website
Asian Lifestyle Design Lab 亞洲生活形態設計研究室
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.
The Lab undertakes both broad and focused people-centric and user-centred research that explores those trends that have relevance to design-driven businesses serving Asian contexts, and it investigates the social, cultural, historical and environmental drivers of lifestyle change. It works in collaboration with several industrial and academic partners.
The lab conducts ethnographic studies of everyday experience in urban China. Its current emphases are middle-class consumption, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable micro-production, related design research tools, and Chinese traditions of design thinking/ making.
The lab is also involved with the establishment of supportive networks such as LSDER-China.
Research papers and publications:
- Leong, B.D., & Lee, Y.H., [2016]. "‘Sustainable Make, Act, Do’: Promoting Sustainable Lifestyle via SMAD". In Daichi Iwase (Ed), DESIS Lab Network (pp.21-23). Tokyo: Tokyo Zokei University Publishing.
- Leong, B.D., & Lee, Y.H., [2014]. "Learning the Unlearned: Product Design for Sustainability". In ‘Product-Service System Design for Sustainability’ edited by Vezzoli, C., Kohtala, C., Srinivasan, A., Xin, L., Fusakul, M., Sateesh, D. and Diehl, J.C., UK: Greenleaf Publishing.
- Leong, B.D., and Lee, Y.H., [2011] "Smarter All: Design and Design Research at the People Centric Era for China", Asian Design Journal, 6(1),12-43.
- Leong, B. D., Lee, B. Y. H., & Chow, K. K. N. (2018). Collective Play Versus Excessive Use: an Insight into Family-Focused Design Intervention for Mobile Phone Overuse. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 1-16. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-9966-9)
- LEONG Benny, LEE Brian, CHOW Kenny. (2017). A Multidisciplinary Initiative of Intervening Mobile Addiction via Family-focused and Gamification-enhanced Design, Asia - Design Engineering Workshop (A-DEWS), Seoul National University, Dec 11-12, 2017 (best presentation award)
- CHOW Kenny, LEONG Benny, LEE Brian. (2017). Designing intervention with technology for healthy mobile use - Personal and home approach. The First Asia Pacific Conference of Addiction Professionals (APCAP), HK, May 18-19, 2017
Recent project(s):
- In Search of Placemaking Strategies Adopted in the Public Art Project City Dress Up: Seats.Together
- A Multidisciplinary Initiative of Intervening Mobile Addiction via Family-focused and Gamification-enhanced Design
Location: V713, 7/F, JCIT
Contact: Dr Brian Lee (852)3400 8270, sdlee@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website
Creativity and Design Education Lab 創意及設計教育研究室
How can Creativity and Design Education practices be transferred?
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 creative industries of Hong Kong to increase their potential for economic growth.
The Lab will systematically build its research from inquiry-based learning, case-based studies by building on the studio-based approach typical to design. The lab works closely with the master’s program in design education.
Research Postgraduate Students:
Chan Yuet Kai
Research papers and publications:
- Ma, H., (2016), “A Study of Blended Learning Strategies for Project-Based Studies”, in Asia Pacific Journal of Contemporary Education and Communication Technology. Vol. 2 Issue 1: pp.50-57.
- Ma, H., (2016), “Past and Future: The Development of Animation Education in China”, in International Journal of Psychology and Counselling. Vol. 8 Issue 2: pp.13-17.
- Ma., H., (2015), “Creative Culture – Motivation in Open Sources Innovation”, in Cultural and Technological Innovation Symposium (Shenzhen), 2015. pp. 92-109
Location: V912, 9/F, JCIT
Contact: Dr Henry Ma (852) 2766 4739, henry.ma@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website
Digital Entertainment Lab 數碼娛樂研究室
How to scientifically design media and entertainment for consciousness?
Digital Entertainment Lab aims to bring people together to create new experiences in digital entertainment. The Lab delves into artificial intelligence and consumer robotics. It is trying to understand the mind-body relationship to produce experiences that people want.
The Lab has its origins in the Multimedia Innovation Centre, a leading-edge think tank and research center focused on digital entertainment that was established in 1999. As an associate professor and program leader of Master of Science in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology, Dr Gino Yu looks at the application of media technologies to cultivate creativity and consciousness as a design resource.
Research Postgraduate Students:
Andrew Wang, Mubarak Marafa, Sathya Naidu
Research papers and publications:
- Cai, Z., Goertzel, B., Zhou, C., et al., (2011), “Dynamics of a Computational Affective Model Inspired by Dörner’s PSI Theory”, in Cognitive in Systems Research (2011), Vol 17-18, pp. 63-80. DOI:10.1016/j.cogsys.2011.11.002.
- Yang L., Yan, L., and Chaoguang, W., et al. (2015), "Multimodal Modeling and Analysis Informed by Brain Imaging—Part I", in Autonomous Mental Development IEEE Transactions on, vol. 7, pp. 158-161. ISSN 1943-0604.
- Wang, C., [2015), The relationship between player’s value systems and their In-game behaviour in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, in Digital Entertainment Lab, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
- Yu, G., Martin, J.A., Chai, P., (2015), Shifting Worldview Using Video Game Technologies, Digital Entertainment Lab, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Location: V920, 9/F, JCIT
Contact: Dr Gino Yu (852) 2766 5070, mcgino@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website
Information Design Lab 信息設計研究室
How to make wayfinding easier through graphic design?
Information Design Lab is a research and consultancy unit dedicated to investigating what makes the design of information accessible and understandable. The work of the lab primarily focuses on the processes that underlie how humans recognise, make sense of, process, remember and learn various types information in everyday life.
The lab sees information design as a distinct and valuable field of scholarship, study and practice. Its aim is to investigate what makes information usable and effective and to generate theories, models, processes and methodologies for information design.
Past and current projects have focused on bilingual typography in Hong Kong, ‘wayshowing’ and spatial representation, tourism, and medical information.
Location: V512, 5/F, JCIT
Contact: Brian Kwok (852) 2766 5441, sdbriank@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website
Interaction Design Lab 交互設計研究室
How does new manufacturing techniques be used for interaction?
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 intuitive and enjoyable user experience. The emphasis is on user-centred design research, but the lab’s methods are solidly constructive, ending up in functioning demonstrations.
Location: V611-V614, 6/F, JCIT
Contact: Dr Kenny Chow: (852)2766 5454, interaction.design@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website
Public Design Lab 公共設計研究室
How to design public spaces and furniture in Hong Kong with a specific interest in the ageing population and disabled users.
Public Design Lab was established in May 2007 with a mission to promote public design in order to serve new and changing urban needs. Its focus is on public furniture and facilities, and its aim of to promote and develop public design as a design subdiscipline.
The lab builds on the assumption that public spaces should be accessible to all, including disabled and deprives people. It also promotes inclusive design to policy-makers, consults public organisations and the government, and promotes interdisciplinarity in public design.
Research Staff: Chun Hong CHEUNG, Yihua HUANG, Kun LIU, Paul Chi Hang LO, Yi Lin Elaine WONG, Jia Xin XIAO
Research Postgraduate Students: Albee CHEN, Giovanni Jesue CONTRERAS GARCIA, Yihua HUANG, Alex King, Angelina LO, Paul Chi Hang LO, Satyakam SHARMA, Oluwole SOYINKA, Kaman TSANG, Weijia (VJ) WANG, Jia Xin XIAO, Penny Mingjie ZHU
Recent project(s):
Location: V616, 6/F, JCIT
Contact: Prof. Michael Siu (852)2766 5455, m.siu@polyu.edu.hk
For more information, please visit SD Plus website