Hong Kong Design Centre

(Hong Kong, 9 Nov 2015) To mark the final phase of Happy “D” Project, a special Installation Lighting Ceremony was held on 3 Nov at PMQ in Central. The project’s happy face sticker panels—previously seen throughout the city during the community outreach, Happy “D” Hunt—were combined into a single large installation called “Pieces of Happiness” on the design hub’s façade. Now combined, they revealed the project’s final message: “HAPPINESS IS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.” The design installation also includes an engaging, colourful pipe layout that symbolizes the importance of more communication in modern day life.

The community outreach project has been presented by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) with full support from Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL). As part of its ongoing 10th anniversary celebration, HKDL supported the project with HK$2 million in funding and design support from its team of expert Imagineers.

In October, Happy “D” Hunt reached out to 32 locations in 12 districts, from Tin Shui Wai to Shek O, the Peak and Hong Kong’s beaches. The mobile installations, which featured happy face stickers, attracted nearly 28,000 people who either were greeted by the Happy “D” Team or peeled off a sticker to reveal a positive message underneath. Key opinion leaders, the media and more than 10 community and venue partners showed their support for the project by spreading Happy “D” messages on social media platforms. Both offline and online, the total number of people reached out through the Happy “D” Project is over 2.4 million (as of date of release).

Mrs Janet Chu, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong, the guest of honour at the Lighting Ceremony, remarked, “Happy ‘D’ Project is first of its kind aiming at inspiring young talents to think creatively and connect local community with happiness through design and imagination. Through this project, we learn that by communicating and expressing a positive mental state, together we can make a happier Hong Kong.”

Dr Edmund Lee, Executive Director of HKDC, reinforced HKDC’s public mission in his speech “HKDC has been grateful to join hands with HKDL to advocate the mission of using design to nurture young talents and engage the public. This is an important value that aligns with the park’s focus on happiness. HKDC will continue to explore opportunities to promote design thinking through community engagement.”

Commenced in February, the objective of the Happy “D” Project was to inspire and nurture young talents and to bring happiness to the community through design and imagination. Ms Linda Choy, Vice President of Public Affairs of Hong Kong Disneyland, gave special thanks to the students participating in the Happy “D” project. She said, “Hong Kong Disneyland is proud to support this meaningful project. It has ignited the imagination of the students, inspiring them to take the message of happiness to the community through a co-creation process with well-established design masters. It is a process of dreams come true.” She hoped they would continue to spread happiness and instil positive energy in others across the city.

Happy “D” Project aspired to address the communication breakdown prevalent in our overwhelmingly digitised lives, and to get the public involved. “We’re delighted to take part in the Happy 'D’ Project as it’s a meaningful act that advocates happiness through design,” said Ms Kathy Wong, Executive Director of the Playright Children’s Play Association. “On the event day, families of children with special needs all engaged with the design installation and enjoyed peeling off stickers. We cherished every smile from every child.”

When the design concept finally came alive, the participating students were thrilled. Student Prisca Ho said, “It’s been a wonderful experience to be part of the team and witness the development of the design. The outcome is so overwhelming; it’s something I never could have imagined. The six–month’s co-creation process—working closely with design masters—was a remarkable episode in my life.” Student Winnie Lam said, “The smiles from the public have been so rewarding. As a project designer and practicing architect, I’ve gained confidence for my career. I hope the Happy ‘D’ spirit lasts.”

It does. The Happy “D” spirit will ripple through the city in form of a set of 10 electronic emojis for messaging apps and social media platforms. TV on 2,000+ buses will continue deliver the happy moments of the project in coming weeks. Public can keep track of the Happy “D” Project on its Facebook page.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HappyDProject

About Happy “D” Project To inspire young talents to connect the local community with happiness through design and imagination, Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) and Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) jointly launched the debut outreach programme Happy “D” Project in February 2015, with a HK$2 million grant from HKDL. Young talents from Disney ImagiNations have teamed up with local design and architect masters engaged by HKDC to create the Happy “D” Project.The curatorial team is co-led by Mr Kelly Willis, Director, Creative Development of Walt Disney Imagineering and Dr Edmund Lee, Executive Director, Hong Kong Design Centre.

About Hong Kong Design Centre Design for Society is the major undertaking of Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC). HKDC is a non-profit organisation and a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in developing Hong Kong as an international design hub in Asia. Since 2002, HKDC has been on a public mission to (i) champion strategic and wider use of design for creating business value and community benefits; (ii) promote and celebrate design excellence; and (iii) educate the professions and the community to be resourceful champions for sustained developments through design and innovation.

Media Enquiries
Jacky Chan	Wendy Wo
Tel: (+852) 3793 8478	Tel: (+852) 3793 8472
Email: jacky.chan@hkdesigncentre.org	Email: wendy.wo@hkdesigncentre.org

Images & descriptions:

Photo 1: Guests of Honour officiate the Installation Lighting Ceremony of Happy “D” Project. From left: Mr Kelly Willis, Director, Creative Development of Walt Disney Imagineering; Ms Linda Choy, Vice President, Public Affairs, Hong Kong Disneyland; Dr Edmund Lee, Executive Director, Hong Kong Design Centre; Mrs Janet Chu, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong; Ms Elina Lee, Director, Partnership, Marketing and Communications, Hong Kong Design Centre; and Mr William To, Director, Creative & Programme, PMQ.

Photo 2: Representatives from Hong Kong Design Centre and Hong Kong Disneyland, participating students, design masters, representatives from Hong Kong Design Centre’s Board of Directors, community and venue partners celebrate at the Installation Lighting Ceremony of the Happy “D” Project.

Photo 3: The design team of Happy “D” Project pose in front of the installation. Public can engage with the mouthpiece to communicate between any two storeys in PMQ.

Photo 4: The sticker panels were assembled to unveil a secret happy message.

Photo 5: A happy moment of the Happy “D” Project.