Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2022 Concludes Immersive ‘Regeneration by Design’-Themed Talks, with Key Learnings on Design, Culture, Technology and Sustainability from Global Voices

A powerhouse roster of over 40 field experts, entrepreneurs, and creative leaders from around the world joined the Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2022 talks, which concluded on 22 October following a series of four panel discussions aired on ViuTVsix (Channel 96) starting in September, as well as hybrid workshops held from August until October. A 1-hour Cantonese highlight programme is slated to air on ViuTV (Channel 99) on 12 November, featuring some of the most inspiring moments of the talks.

 

KODW is a major annual event organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), co-organised by Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design), together with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor. This year’s edition is supported by Strategic Partner, the Netherlands, and its platform for creative pioneers, CreativeNL; Strategic Regional Partner, Guangzhou Design Week; and Strategic Cultural Partner, M+, Asia’s new museum of global visual culture.

 

For the first time, KODW was transformed into a television programme created as a real-time virtual production, using innovative XR technologies to provide an immersive virtual setting. Visionaries and design leaders discussed successful projects, case studies, and inspiring creative possibilities in their respective fields under the theme ‘Regeneration by Design,’ during the programme, which was organised into four programme pillars: Regenerative Design for Our Ecosystem, Regenerative Design for Social Good, Regenerative Economy, and The Future of Regenerative Culture.

 

In the panel Redesigning Food Systems, Jack Moy (CEO, Sustenir Group, Singapore), whose company aims to strengthen food resilience in megacities through indoor vertical farming, shared his thoughts on sustainable food innovation: ‘Our role is beyond growing food locally – we could have a broader impact on the circular urban economy. We want to enable every citizen to eat well and be healthy to the age of 100. That's our vision. We do not just need to design fantastic farms that grow productively and efficiently. But it's also very important for us to plan a multi- stakeholder approach that lives to our purpose to nourish people and planet, one leaf at a time.’

 

In recent years, the pandemic has emphasised the inequalities and challenges in healthcare systems around the world, particularly for the ageing population and those with disabilities. The discussion on Inclusive Wellness explored how design can offer more equitable living standards for all. Queenie Man (Founder and CEO, Project Futurus, HK) said, ‘Awareness building is very important and it has to be done through education, advocacy… People fear ageing. But in fact, if you look into the industry today, there's a lot of integration of technology in elderly care. It's important that we start changing by opening this conversation and really changing the mindset of how aged care is defined today.’

 

Added Dr Sanjay Batra (Hardware Research Manager, Google, US): ‘When we're talking about inclusive design, we are not designing one thing for everyone, we are designing a diversity of ways for people to participate in an experience. There are a lot of myths [that] it's hard to design inclusively. We've had designers say, when you design something for someone with a disability, the design will become ugly. Well, those are myths. We found that when we actually apply inclusive design into our design process, we get beautiful solutions.’

 

In the keynote M+ Special – Nurturing the Arts Ecosystem, Suhanya Raffel (Museum Director, M+, HK) reflected on the successes of the museum since its opening and its role in bolstering Hong Kong’s cultural landscape, sharing, ‘When you think about the word “regeneration”, it is also about coming out of times that have been very challenging for us. We need to think, optimistically, into the future. As a museum, we have very particular skills and knowledge areas, but also a very beautiful relationship with place and people that we can really cohere in terms of regeneration, and an art ecosystem that has now given birth to something extremely beautiful.’

 

Another highlight of the programme was the special appearance by iconic Dutch craftsman Piet Hein Eek (Director and CEO, Piet Hein Eek BV, the Netherlands), who was interviewed exclusively for KODW. Celebrated for his use of recycled materials in projects of various scales, from furniture and textiles to buildings, he shared, ‘I see opportunities. A lot of people think something is ugly, or rough, or not usable… I often take advantage of what’s possible there. I respect the materials around me which are available. Everything is possible. The world provides what you want to execute your idea. If you design, you have to take care of all the valuable parts in the process.’

 

In the closing panel, entitled Cultural Placemaking, speakers discussed the importance of paying tribute to cultural heritage and its role in inspiring and empowering communities. ‘It is our responsibility to leave a legacy behind our future generations. Museums and artists are an integral part of our culture, allowing us to reconnect with our roots, discover our past and see the heritage in a new light,’ said Levina Li (Co-Founder, Art Partners, HK).