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KNOWLEDGE OF DESIGN WEEK (2O23) – ‘THE POWER OF DESIGN: INNOVATING FOR A CIRCULAR WORLD’

July 7, 2023

Knowledge of Design Week (KODW 2023) Concludes Today With Over 1,500 Attended the Three Day Event In-Person To Explore ‘The Power of Design: Innovating for a Circular World’ From 14 to 16 June in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, 16 June 2023 – Knowledge of Design Week (KODW 2023) concluded today after 18 forums, nine workshops, two masterclasses and a series of meet-the-speakers and networking sessions were held at Hong Kong Palace Museum and off-site premises under the theme ‘The Power of Design: Innovating for a Circular World’. More than 40 local and international creative and business leaders from pioneering brands, companies and academic institutions gathered to share insights on how to leverage the power of design to co-create a more sustainable future.
KODW: Reinforcing Hong Kong as Asia’s design hub to connect the world
With a vision to reinforce Hong Kong as Asia’s design hub to connect the world and the Mainland, particularly the Greater Bay Area, KODW 2023 has solicited support from Regional Strategic Partners such as Guangzhou Design Week, Macau Designers Association and Macau Design Centre, as well as its year-round Partner Country, the Netherlands – alongside CreativeNL, the country’s platform for its creative pioneers.
Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre, said, “The strategic importance of KODW in promoting knowledge exchange and collaboration comprises both international and regional aspects. In the international aspect, Hong Kong’s positioning as an East-meets-West centre for cultural exchange aligns with its crucial role in national development as outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan. In fulfilling this role, it is vital to foster the city’s design industry and economy, while continuously create valuable platforms for international knowledge exchange.” Prof. Eric Yim further commented, “On the other hand, regionally, KODW seeks to showcase the creative power of design from the Greater Bay Area to the world, and to strengthen the area’s networking and collaboration.”
Powerhouse discussion on ‘The Power of Design: Innovating for a Circular World’
KODW is a major annual design conference organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor. Back in full force this year with full physical events, over 1,400 participants joined the three-day event in-person to explore the power of design under the six programme pillars, namely Social Innovation & Wellness, Culture & the City, New Urban Models, Transformative Brands, Hospitality, and AI & Technology. Movers and shakers from diverse disciplines shed light on the impact of responsible and circular design, showcased innovative practices and application, and called for collective efforts from global communities to harness the power of design to build a more equitable and resilient society.
Dutch authorities in circular design and business Pieter van Os, Program Manager International of CIRCO, and Siem Haffmans, Strategic Consultant Circular Economy of Partners for Innovation, agreed that there is a business incentive for designing circular business models as they help reduce costs, anticipate the need for resources, standardise products, and extend customer loyalty.
‘Closing the Loop: Creating New Business Values’
In our current linear economy of ‘take-make-dispose’, many values are lost; circular business models, on the other hand, can be applied to capture these values. Dutch authorities in circular design and business Pieter van Os, Program Manager International of CIRCO, and Siem Haffmans, Strategic Consultant Circular Economy of Partners for Innovation, agreed that there is a business incentive for designing circular business models as they help reduce costs, anticipate the need for resources, standardise products, and extend customer loyalty.
Generative AI Industry experts Dr. Fan Ling, Founder & CEO of Tezign.com, Maggie Wong, CEO of Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong, and Fred Sheu, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Hong Kong Limited, acknowledged that AI is being used to boost efficiency, increase data and analytic skills, stimulate innovation, and tailor customer experiences.
‘Creative Power of Generative AI’
Generative AI Industry experts Dr. Fan Ling, Founder & CEO of Tezign.com, Maggie Wong, CEO of Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong, and Fred Sheu, National Technology Officer, Microsoft Hong Kong Limited, acknowledged that AI is being used to boost efficiency, increase data and analytic skills, stimulate innovation, and tailor customer experiences. Dr. Fan emphasised that with Generative AI will enable creators to transition from spending more time on effort to spending more time on ideas.
Sun Dayong, Founder & Chief Architect of Penda China, firmly believes that nature has much to teach about counteracting excess and building more resourcefully, and shared his creation of ‘transitional space’, an area from indoor to outdoor, weaved in harmony between nature and architecture through maximising decorations with green plants.
‘Designing for a Planet-Friendly City’
Sun Dayong, Founder & Chief Architect of Penda China, firmly believes that nature has much to teach about counteracting excess and building more resourcefully, and shared his creation of ‘transitional space’, an area from indoor to outdoor, weaved in harmony between nature and architecture through maximising decorations with green plants.
‘Dynamic Leadership: Embracing Creativity, Clarity & Empathy
Traditional models of leadership have proven to be inadequate for the unprecedented challenges we face in the 21st century. Rama Gheerawo, author of Creative Leadership: Born from Design, believes that in today’s world, empathy, creativity, and clarity are all essential qualities of creative leadership.
Rama Gheerawo, author of Creative Leadership: Born from Design, believes that in today’s world, empathy, creativity, and clarity are all essential qualities of creative leadership.
Local creatives Roger Proeis, Co-founder & President of Votion Studios, and Henry Chu, Creative Director of Pill & Pillow, showcased their recent interactions with technology, such as XR and the interplay of data and music, and shared how they work with brands and businesses to captivate end-users with intriguing narratives. During the panel, Chu and Proeis commented that storytelling is innately human and constitutes an important bedrock for the digitised world while technology served as a useful and complementary vehicle for execution.
Local creatives Roger Proeis, Co-founder & President of Votion Studios and Henry Chu, Creative Director of pill & pillow, showcased their recent interactions with technology, such as XR and the interplay of data and music, and shared how they work with brands and businesses to captivate end-users with intriguing narratives.
Experience KODW 2023 and the Power of Design from Anywhere in the World
For local and international communities who have missed the live events from 14 to 16 June, the events of KODW 2023 will be broadcast globally on 12 July on HOYTV, social media, and the interactive design knowledge platform kodw+ at: https://www.kodw.com/en/live.