March « 2012 « Hong Kong PolyU Design Blog

We need you to join the Peer Mentorship Program

Editor

SD’s 2012 Common Orientation Program (COP) will be held September 14.
As has been the case every year, PolyU wishes to recruit student Peer Mentors. Peer Mentors will work from Sept 2012 to Jan 2013 with PolyU Staff to help instil a collegial spirit of caring, inspire Year one students, and ensure transition between cohorts on the campus.
PolyU’s Student Affairs Office (SAO) will train Peer Mentors to take care of freshmen during the period and on the COP.

Recognition
Students joining and completing the programme will earn:
– Maximum 1000 points – pardon my ignorance
– Co-curricular Achievement Transcript (CAT) Record
– Awards for Outstanding Peer Mentor and Team
– Certificate
– Co-Curricular Graduation Requirement hours (CCA)

Join the Programme! We look forward to seeing you enroll and help us meet the demand of the 2012 cohort.

For enrollment, click HERE.

Click www.polyu.edu.hk/sams or call 2766 6800 for more information.

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29.03.12 | No Comments »

“DesignDirect: How to start your own microbrand”, new book by Roger Ball

Editor

Roger Ball, Associate Professor of PolyU Design and the Leader of SizeChina project, announced the publication of his new book DesignDirect: How to start your own microbrand. Written with Heidi Overhill, with an introduction by design historian John Heskett, this book assembles thoughts on small-scale design entrepreneurship, and the new era of personal opportunity that is opening up in an age of Asian sourcing, 3D printing, and ‘long tail’ marketing on the Internet.

DesignDirect is a subject taught by Roger and Dr Ernesto Spicciolato for our BA(Hons) in Design and Master of Design students.

Visit www.designdirect.com.hk — the first chapter can be downloaded there.

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16.03.12 | No Comments »

SizeChina, Finalist of the World Design Impact Prize

Editor

SizeChina, a project led by Dr Roger Ball, Associate Professor of PolyU Design, was nominated as one of the seven finalists from around the world.

The World Design Impact Prize is a biennial designation created to recognize, empower and stimulate socially responsible design projects around the world. Established by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid), the World Design Impact Prize will honor and reward industrial design driven projects that are making a positive impact on our social, economic, cultural and/or environmental quality of life.

By drawing from the expertise of Icsid’s network, the World Design Impact Prize creates an exciting opportunity for members and the general public to play an active role in recognizing and honoring projects, and project partners, that create a better world through design. Furthermore, the establishment of a prize specifically for industrial design driven projects will produce tangible examples, best practices and socially responsible industrial designs that will help shape the future of the profession. The winner of the World Design Impact Prize, Community Cooker project from Kenya was announced on 2 February 2012.

SizeChina was nominated as it set the start of a new age of Asian anthropometrics. It was launched to assemble data from a representative cross-section of people from the Chinese mainland to create the first-ever digital database of Chinese head and face shapes. It met the design need for accurate data by creating a practical, sophisticated design measurement database for use by industries developing the next generation of Asian-fit products. Seeing others taking up the challenge as well, with a SizeIndia and a SizeAfrica, the project will ultimately lead to the creation of a universal anthropometric “shape library” of the entire human race.

www.sizechina.com

www.worlddesignimpact.org

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08.03.12 | No Comments »

Design students sweep championships at 2011 Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge

Editor

Following ATB AutoArt’s success last year, two student teams from PolyU Design won the championships at the 2011 Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge (HKSEC), a social venture business plan competition organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship of The Chinese University of Hong Kong encouraging students to employ a creative entrepreneurial approach to solve real world social issues.

One of the winning teams, Woof, took the 2011 HKSEC Championship as well as the Award for Best presentation. Members included PolyU’s MDes (Design Strategies) student Anita Lam and graduate Margaret Lok, and the Hong Kong Baptist University’s MVA in Art Administration student Amy Chan. They proposed a social enterprise named Woof aiming to raise human compassion and empathy for and change attitudes towards animals, through the sales of chiengora accessories which are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Also, through its Wooferine canine animal welfare educational projects, Woof intended to raise awareness among the public of the plight of animals, and the need to respect all life. The team was supervised by Rémi Leclerc, Assistant Professor of PolyU Design throughout the process of competition.

Another team of champion came from the subject SD377 “Current Issues in Art & Design Education” of BA (Hons) Art & Design in Education. Joyce Chu, Keziah Law, Irix Leung and Wong Ka Ki formed the group Oops! to transfer surplus and wasted materials from the interior design industry to visual arts students in secondary schools for materials exploration in their creative works. With the incubation cash award Oops! will soon help to reduce waste from the interior design industry and set a standard for HK’s creative industry on social innovation. Mr Patrick Chan who taught the subject supported the team as advisor. Last year’s champion ATB AutoArt was also from this part-time BA program.

The champions’ innovative ideas and business models backed up by strong design and presentation skills excelled over 650 contestants forming more than 180 teams from 22 institutions in Hong Kong. There were in total 6 finalists including other 3 teams from CUHK and 1 from the HKUST. Each member of the winning teams received an incubation cash award of around HK$50,000.

(Above) The Champions and guests at the award presentation ceremony (courtesy: HKSEC)

(above) Accessories by Woof (courtesy: Woof)

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06.03.12 | No Comments »

What is Communication Design about at PolyU Design?

Editor

A document introducing Communication Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design specially for the 2012–13 intake:

3-year program – for A-level JUPAS and non-JUPAS applicants
BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communication Design)
4-year program – for DSE JUPAS applicants
BA (Hons) in Communication Design

Download HERE

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05.03.12 | No Comments »

Public Design Lab’s Smart EV Charging Station won bronze prize from Spark Concept Award

Editor

The Smart EV Charging Station (SEVCS) created by the Public Design Lab of PolyU Design won Bronze Award from the 2011/12 Spark Concept Award. The results of the Award were announced on 21 February. 26 audacious designs from corners of the world have taken top honors.

The SEVCS is an interdepartmental design project led by the Public Design Lab, in collaboration with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Facilities Management Office and Industrial Centre, of PolyU. It is a smart charging station for electrical vehicles. The Public Design Lab is led by Professor Michael Siu of PolyU Design.

The charging station overcomes the inflexibility and practical deficiency of current charging stations. It provides different connectors which cover different electric vehicle charging standards for different countries. Its sun-tracking PV panel is environmental friendly that it supports the energy for the lighting and UI operating system. The materials of SEVCS can be recycled. Its special ergonomics consider the needs of people with special needs, e.g., wheelchair-users, older people.

Supported by the PolyU and the Council Chair, a simplified version of the charging station without sun-tracking function has been installed in the car park of PolyU. It is mainly for the charging of MyCar designed by PolyU.

Winners will have their work displayed at San Francisco’s Autodesk Design Gallery and at the Guangzhou Design Week in early December. All winning work and full details on the Spark Awards are at: http://bit.ly/x3HBpJ

Congratulations to Professor Michael Siu and the design team!

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05.03.12 | 1 Comment »