Hong Kong Design Centre

DMatters September 2022 Issue

Design and creative exchanges can connect people to each other, their neighbourhoods and their communities, creating shared values for a better place to live, work and play. As a citywide creative business and community empowerment programme under Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), BODW City Programme (CityProg) brings cross-disciplinary creatives and local stakeholders together to present a series of design-driven happenings. From the heart of the business district, the coolest neighbourhoods to the city’s ‘back garden’, CityProg 2022 will be staged throughout November to December with over 100 partners taking part to orchestrate more than 100 events around the city. Celebrating HKDC’s 20^th anniversary under the theme ‘Design for Sustainable Community’, the 2022 edition has named its theme ‘20s: Reflect ‧ Refresh ‧ Reset’, facilitating the massive weaving of creativity, collective values and effort from people from all walks of life into inspiring initiatives made for a sustainable community. 

Design and creative exchanges can connect people to each other, their neighbourhoods and their communities, creating shared values for a better place to live, work and play.

The café-cum-creative space openground will take the public on a unique design-music journey in Sham Shui Po.

Sham Shui Po is the go-to place for many fashion and design enthusiasts with its long, colourful history in trading of textiles and garment accessories, but there’s more to it. It is now home to a vibrant design scene, creative hubs and shops, infusing a lively vibe into its rich heritage and the generations-old neighbourhood with close-knit community roots. With such a diverse and interesting mix, it is the perfect place for HKDC to have it established as a creative district. Focusing on Sham Shui Po as a key hub, CityProg will host a range of activities in this district where the new and old collide, including a ‘Sensory Symphony’ experience, one of the programme’s Anchor Site Festivals, with café-cum-creative space openground. This unique design-music journey is exclusive to Sham Shui Po, featuring instrument making workshops with electronic parts found in the locality, music jamming with sound-making devices created by the public and artists, alongside special thematic exhibitions.

It (Sham Shui Po) is now home to a vibrant design scene, creative hubs and shops, infusing a lively vibe into its rich heritage and the generations-old neighbourhood with close-knit community roots.

Design studios Milk Design and kennifstudio aim to bring design and design thinking into communities through reimagining public spaces and defining a happy community space.

One of the best ways to explore a neighbourhood is not only on foot – but also through play. Jointly presented by Milk Design and kennifstudio as partners of CityProg’s Design EduVation programme, ‘Gaming Out’ aims to bring design and design thinking into communities through reimagining public spaces and creating games where everybody can join in. From discovering new public spaces and objects in Sham Shui Po, defining what a happy community space is to ideating games for fun, the experience will be more than just about play – it is about social cohesion, public enjoyment and collective wellbeing.

The experience will be more than just about play – it is about social cohesion, public enjoyment and collective wellbeing.

Mode of Design Alliance will organise a public tour around Sai Kung that features architectural walks, art and craft activities and workshops.

Take a ‘Tour around Sai Kung’, another gem in Hong Kong that mixes modern and historical elements, to learn about the role design plays in town planning and ecological sustainability. An Anchor Site Festival organised by Mode of Design Alliance, it features guided architectural walks, art and craft activities with a cultural twist, and workshops that utilise local resources such as seashells and ‘ugly’ cooking ingredients. Through appreciating design and creating something with their own hands, participants get a taste of how to apply design thinking in their daily life with the environment in mind.

Through appreciating design and creating something with their own hands, participants get a taste of how to apply design thinking in their daily life with the environment in mind.

  Central’s Walk DVRC will host a design competition to drive the change towards a casual-dress workplace and an eco-friendly lifestyle.  

A city's sustainable future depends on its walkability and liveability, and our work dress code plays an important role as it is commonly believed that people will walk more in comfortable outfits and even use less air con in the office. To drive the change towards a casual-dress workplace and eco-friendly lifestyle, Central’s Walk DVRC, an NGO that advocates for a healthier and more inclusive city by promoting walkability, will host a design competition ‘Walk to Wear’ in search of inspiring, good-looking ‘walkable fashion’. Aside from the competition, this Design EduVation initiative includes a fashion show and the production of a look-book and a shop smart guide sharing material science knowledge.

A city's sustainable future depends on its walkability and liveability.

Design and creative thinking are everywhere in our community – just come and see for yourself by joining CityProg 2022 events and concurrent programme Design !n Action, a design career discovery journey for primary, secondary and tertiary school students. Follow CityProg’s Facebook and Instagram for more event updates!