Hong Kong Design Centre

(15 June 2016, Hong Kong) In the face of finite resources, cities must still ensure quality of life and sustainable development. Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2016 explores the theme of Design. Cities. Health in the New Economy by examining the role of design in the context of healthcare. This year, the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and partners, including major sponsor Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), have invited over 20 international speakers from various disciplines to discuss the evolution of design for health and wellness. The curtain was raised today at Hotel ICON in the presence of Officiating Guest of Honour – Mr. Gregory So Kam-leung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR, and HKDC’s newly appointed Chairman Mr Eric Yim.

KODW is an annual flagship programme organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) that provides an integrated perspective on the value of design in today’s world. This year, international and local industry leaders converge for five days of Forums and Workshops, using case studies to demonstrate how innovative designs and services can be applied to the health and related industries to create better infrastructure, services and interfaces, reimagine patient and customer experiences. 

“Design, and how we design the spaces around us, can improve quality of life, education and the entire community. In fact, the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over is projected to rise from 15 per cent in 2014 to 36 per cent in 2064. This puts tremendous pressure on our healthcare systems, but design and design thinking can help governments tackle health and wellness concerns. Design lends a human touch to technology, helping us take our healthcare capabilities further. Today is an excellent opportunity to explore the transformative power of design. I am very pleased to see that KODW 2016 has chosen the theme of healthcare, and I anticipate great things to come.” Mr. Gregory So said during the opening remarks.

“It goes without saying that each and every one of us needs healthcare at one point. This year we have invited over 20 speakers from around the world to speak on ways that a user-centred approach can be applied to designing for health and wellness in an ageing society,” said Mr Eric Yim, Chairman of the HKDC. “The Forums will be divided into 3 interdisciplinary sub-themes: Shaping Healthy Cities, Designing Future Care, and Innovating Health Experience . ”

KODW 2016 runs from 13 – 17 June at Hotel ICON in Tsim Sha Tsui. Boasting a strong line-up of over 20 speakers from the healthcare, business, architectural and technology industries, KODW 2016 comprises three half-day Forums as well as four full-day and two half-day Workshops.

Forum and Workshop speakers include Prof Yeoh Eng Kiong, Director of the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Professor of Design at the Royal College of Art; Mr Andrew Anderson, Centre Head, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre, Edinburgh; Ms Siegi Schmidmaier, Director, Strategy, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; Mr Paul Priestman, Designer and Director of PriestmanGoode and many more.

KODW also provides a valuable networking platform to pair up practitioners, business leaders, design users (such as those in the field of marketing, business development and strategic planning), SMEs start-ups, academics, design educators and technologists. Themes in past years included retail and hospitality (2014), inclusive design (2013) and many more. This year, HKDC is delighted to welcome participants from Hong Kong, Mainland China, South East Asia and overseas.

For KODW 2016 programme details, please visit: www.kodw.org.

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About Knowledge of Design Week (KODW)

KODW is an annual, weeklong flagship programme organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre that provides an integrated perspective on the value of design for aspiring designers and business executives by exploring the latest global trends, research and innovation. With this key initiative, the HKDC strives to build creative confidence and strategic activation, translating in-depth analysis into practical design knowledge and creating value in design for the business ecosystem.

About the Hong Kong Design Centre

Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2002 as a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as centre of design excellence in Asia. HKDC pursues its public mission of using design and innovation to drive the value creation of business development and improve the well-being of society by providing diverse exchange platforms, anchored by five major work directions: CONNECT, CELEBRATE, NURTURE, ADVANCE and ENGAGE.

HKDC’s flagship programmes include Business of Design Week (since 2002) – Asia’s leading annual conference and event on design, innovation and brands; the DFA Awards (since 2003) – the most recognised awards for design from an Asian perspective; the Design Incubation Programme (since 2012) – a two-year incubation programme that nurtures future design-preneurs; and Knowledge of Design Week (since 2006) – an annual thematic design knowledge-sharing platform on how design can solve the complex challenges facing our society.  

This press release is issued by Golin on behalf of Hong Kong Design Centre. For further media enquiries, please contact: 

Golin Clare Chan Tel: +852 2501 7960 Email: cchan2@golin.com

Toni Chan Tel: +852 2501 7913 Email: tchan@golin.com

 

Photo Reference

Photo 1: Officiating guests at the opening ceremony of 11 ^th  edition of Knowledge of Design Week 2016 at Hotel ICON.

(Back from left)

Mr Raymond Yip, Director, HKDC; Prof Cees de Bont, Director, HKDC; Mr Leslie Lu, Director, HKDC; Ms Elina Lee, Director, Partnership, Marketing, Communications, Events & Special Projects, HKDC; Mr Anthony Chan, Alternate Director, HKDC and Mr Kevin Yeung, Alternate Director, HKDC

(Front from left)

Dr Edmund Lee, Executive Director, HKDC; Dr Yeoh Eng Kiong, Director, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Mr David Lo, Vice Chairperson, HKDC; Dr David Chung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology, JP; Mr Victor Lo, Chair of the KODW Steering Committee (Board Director); Mr Gregory So Kam-leung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR; Mr Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre; Ms Fiona Lam, Alternate Director, HKDC; Ms Bonnie Chan Woo, Vice Chairperson, HKDC and Dr Edward Leong Che-hung, GBM, GBS, JP, non-official member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong

Photo 2: Mr Gregory So giving remarks at the opening ceremony

Photo 3: Mr Eric Yim giving remarks at the opening ceremony

Photo 4: Panel discussion with Forum 1 speakers