Knowledge of Design Week 2023 Presents ‘The Power of Design: Innovating for a Circular World’

Coming up very soon is Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2023, a 3-day event comprising forums, workshops, masterclasses, business networking and a CEO dinner — each as exciting as the next. From 14th to 15th June, the events will be held in the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the new iconic landmark located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, while off-site workshops will take place at a local partner’s studio on 16th June. It is graciously organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre with CreateHK coming in as its lead sponsor.

This year, KODW presents ‘The Power of Design: Innovating for a Circular World’ to spread the important message that good design can power positive change with its ability to drive sustainable development and social impact. At this upcoming international design conference, innovators in research, businesses, creatives and other fields are brought together to showcase their insights on harnessing the power of responsible and circular design to create eco-conscious solutions that change living patterns and pave the way towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

The entire programme is built on six pillars: Social Innovation and Wellness; New Urban Models; Hospitality; Culture and the City; AI & Technology; and Transformative Brands. Stepping on the scene to expand on each pillar is an impressive list of speakers. The following are just some of the many big names expected to present:

Rama Gheerawo
Director, The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design

Winner of the 2019 Design Week ‘Hall of Fame’ award and named a 2018 Creative Leader by Creative Review, Rama is a serial innovator in the field of Inclusive Design thanks to his consistent drive in addressing diversity through age, ability, gender and race. Apart from leading over 100 international projects with the business, government and third sector, he also runs highly acclaimed workshops in Creative Leadership and has a forthcoming book out on the subject too.

Richard van der Laken
Co-founder & Creative Director, What Design Can Do

Richard is an acclaimed Dutch graphic designer, creative director, entrepreneur, initiator and unlikely globetrotting ambassador for the social impact of design. He co-founded graphic design agency Designpolitie, graphic design collective Gorilla and design platform What Design Can Do, leading to notable collaborations, numerous awards and significant features — such as being a part of the permanent collections of Design Museum London and MoMa New York. He himself has been honoured with many awards and nominations for D&AD, Design Museum ‘Design Of The Year’, ADCN (Art Directors Club Netherlands), Dutch Design Awards, European Design Awards and more.

Maggie Wong
CEO, Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong

Maggie is a strategic leader with 18+ years of experience in devising creative business solutions for brands in Hong Kong, China and APAC. Previously a Managing Director at Publicis Worldwide and Leo Burnett Hong Kong, she excels at constructing multi-disciplinary agency teams and fostering robust client partnerships. Her expertise spans FMCG, telecommunications, finance and retail, and she’s recognised for her ability to orchestrate strategic solutions that drive business results and innovation in complex, multi-cultural environments.

Roger Proeis
Co-founder & President, Votion Studios

With a multidisciplinary background spanning both creative and corporate worlds, Roger is a creative entrepreneur who brings a unique perspective and approach to his projects. A hands-on leadership style is among the many qualities that has earned him a track record of being an invaluable asset to companies, from creative agencies servicing Fortune 500 companies to technology start-ups. His ability to think outside the box and bring innovative solutions to the table has helped him positively impact the industry.

Sean Dix
Director & Founder, dix design+architecture

For 25 years and counting, American-born Sean has been designing contemporary furniture and iconic hospitality projects ranging from archetypal chairs and high-concept Michelin-starred restaurants to flagship boutiques for Moschino and Furla. Dix’s clients are global, and his latest commissions see the studio creating new projects in Hong Kong, Manila, Shenzhen, Southern California, Ho Chi Minh City, Paris, London and Bangkok.

Siem Haffmans
Strategic Consultant Circular Economy, Partners for Innovation

As a strategic advisor, Siem combines his extensive network as well as knowledge of design, marketing, production, materials and recycling to support sustainable innovation projects. Having trained as an Industrial Design Engineer, Marketing Manager and Social Entrepreneur, he has been working on EcoDesign, Sustainable Packaging and Circular Economy for more than 25 years. Not just the founder of Ragbag (a brand for recycled bags made in India), he is also the author of Products that Flow (a book about circular business models and design strategies for fast-moving consumer goods).

J. Kim
Executive Director, LIVX Division of d’strict

At the LIVX division, L. J. Kim leads the creation of collaborative contemporary art experiences for broader audiences. Previously, as Chief Creative Officer at OVE, she developed a strategic plan to leverage emerging technologies to deliver art and cultural content. As chief curator and director of curatorial affairs of the Daelim Cultural Foundation from 2016 to 2021, she curated several unique exhibitions in Seoul, attracting over 1.5 million visitors.

Garett Hwang
Director, UNStudio

A key leader of UNStudio Asia, Garett’s experiences span across typologies and scales, often focusing on the integration and smart application of computation to benefit design, quality and control of complex building systems. Since joining UNStudio in Shanghai in 2011, followed by her move in 2017 to manage the Hong Kong office, she has worked on many significant Asia projects, such as Raffles City Hangzhou and the Lyric Theatre Complex in Hong Kong, looking at ways to re-interpret spatial relationships and create hybrid programmatic interfaces that benefit the user experience.

Jonny Moreland
Head of Design, Pirata Group

At Pirata Group, Jonny leads the restaurant group’s in-house design team from concept through to detail design and completion. Working directly with the culinary, operations and marketing teams, he creates immersive and unique dining experiences through design. The team have completed over ten restaurants in just two years, including their recent Spanish concept Calle Ocho, their largest Pici in Taikoo and the award-winning Pane e Latte and La Favorita. He is now working to consolidate these brands and lead further growth.

Teo Yang
Creative Director, Teo Yang Studio

Teo began his career by travelling and working in many vibrant cities, such as Amsterdam, Berlin and L.A., designing luxury interiors for boutique hotels and homes. After many years of learning and creating in these beautiful cities, he moved home to his beloved city Seoul. Focusing on translating Korean traditional heritage to modern language and understanding his own culture, his projects span from museums to restored residences. Teo Yang Studio has recently been featured in two Phaidon publications (By Design & Atlas of Interior Design), as well as been chosen in Year 2022- AD100 by Architectural Digest.

Sun Dayong
Founder & Chief Architect, Penda China

Dayong, a member of RIBA, founded Penda China with the “less is love” concept from an ecological standpoint. He stands up for feasible solutions that establish an agreeable rapport between individuals and their surroundings through designs integrated with art. He has also sat on a jury panel for international competitions such as eVolo 2018 and Dezeen Award 2020. In terms of accolades, the former director of the first council of the China Building Culture Research Association Homestay Industry Branch was selected to be Person of the Year by TRENDS HOME (2019) and Architect of the Year by Robb Report Lifestyle (2020).

Michel Chertouh
Managing Director, Regent Hong Kong

Michel is leading the transformation of the iconic IHG flagship property for its highly anticipated rebranding back to Regent Hong Kong. An accomplished global luxury hotelier with over two decades of management experience at IHG Hotels & Resorts on both property and regional levels, he combines international multi-brand experience in corporate, convention and resort properties, as well as opening and project management, with exceptional leadership and entrepreneurial skills. With a passion for innovation, creativity and continuous development, he inspires his team to reinvent and elevate the guest experience.

Dr.ir. Peter Joore
Professor & Chairman, Open Innovation Group at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Dr.ir. Peter Joore’s research focuses on the relationship between new incremental innovations on the one hand, and long-term societal transition processes on the other. In all his work, his main aim is the realisation of a smart, sustainable and inclusive society by means of concrete new design initiatives. He is also chairing the Network Applied Design Research, a network of about 30 Dutch research groups, all focusing on applied design research, in different fields of application.

Clint Nagata
Founder & Creative Partner, BLINK Design Group

Clint’s passion for travel, hospitality and design is the inspiration behind BLINK Design Group’s vision. With a multicultural background, he has spent a lifetime imagining concepts, delivering smart and considered spaces, and wowing guests in some of the world’s most desirable destinations. After 13 years with WATG in Honolulu, BLINK emerged in Thailand followed by an expansion in Asia. Here, he spearheads bold thinkers with an open-minded approach that nourishes collaboration and creativity. Under a philosophy he has dubbed ‘placemaking’, Clint steers projects based on big ideas rooted in a deep dive into the culture, people and design vernacular of a place.

Ling Fan
Founder & CEO | Director
Tezign.com | Tongji University Design AI Lab, PhD Supervisor

Dr. Ling Fan is a design technology scholar and entrepreneur who founded Tongji University Design AI Lab and Tezign.com, a technology unicorn with the mission of building next generation digital infrastructure for creative resources; Tezign has partnered with over 200 leading enterprises and 50,000+ creators worldwide. The former assistant professor at the University of California at Berkeley and China Central Academy of Fine Arts is also a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and an Aspen Institute China Fellow.

With such a riveting line-up of speakers awaiting eager listeners from all across the world, be sure to mark your calendars ASAP to quench your thirst for more knowledge of the design sphere.

For more information on Knowledge of Design Week 2023, please visit www.2023.kodw.org/en