Dezeen School Shows: a project promoting local agriculture through community initiatives is included in Dezeen's latest school show by Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Also included is a project proposing sustainable approaches to the milk tea industry in Hong Kong and another exploring issues within the digital age and media.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Institution: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
School: School of Design
Courses: BA (Hons) In Advertising Design, BA (Hons) In Communication Design, BA (Hons) In Digital Media, BA (Hons) In Environment and Interior Design, BA (Hons) In Social Design, Integrated Designpreneurship (InD) under BA(Hons) Scheme in Design and Master of Design
Tutors: Chun Hei Charis Poon, Prof Peter Hasdell, Kam Fai Chan, Sandy Ng, Jonathan Yu, Dr Sylvia Liu, Susan Evans, Step Cheung, Dr Amelie Chan, Fei Pang Wong and KC Tsang

School statement:

"PolyU Design has been a leading hub of design education and research in Hong Kong since 1964 – the school empowers students to develop their design expertise while gaining a nuanced understanding of industry and society.

"The school's unwavering commitment to design theory, research and application, as well as the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration, have consistently placed it among the top 20 in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world university rankings by subject – art and design.

"Across bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels, the diverse academic programmes at PolyU Design cover a wide range of disciplines.

"The student projects featured in this school show span these areas, from advertising campaigns and communication design works to immersive digital media narratives and experimental environment/interior design.

"Many of these projects also tackle community-driven challenges with empathy and creativity, reflecting PolyU Design's commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and social impact.

"Rounding out the showcase are entrepreneurial design projects that exemplify the school's focus on cultivating the next generation of design innovators.

"These works demonstrate the students' prowess in blending business acumen with design thinking to develop sustainable, commercially viable solutions.

"Collectively, these remarkable student endeavours underscore PolyU Design's position as a global leader in design education, where the design pioneers of tomorrow are honing their skills.

"Click here to view the showcase in full."

To Save, Saving, Saved by Hoi Yan Zoe Kwok

"Regaining control over our attention in the information age: the proliferation of communication tools and media has transformed the information landscape.

"Digital media and technological breakthroughs have made information more accessible while giving rise to the attention economy – within which, companies compete and profit by capturing and monetising our limited attention.

"The project To Save, Saving, Saved aims to spark reflections on information consumption and highlight the need to regain control over our attention.

"The project is divided into three parts: 'save', a website with a mobile plugin that introduces an alternative information consumption experience focused on preserving and sharing meaningful content, 'saving', a publication visualising how Hong Kong youth allocate their time across various media platforms, providing insights into attention patterns, and 'saved', publications documenting the information encountered by fifty Hong Kong youth, concealing the emotions and thoughts provoked, to encourage deeper reflection on the impact of information consumption.

"By offering alternative experiences, data visualisations and introspective frameworks, this project challenges the current attention economy and empowers people to take back control over their attention in the information age."

Student: Hoi Yan Zoe Kwok
Course: BA (Hons) in Communication Design
Tutor: Chun Hei Charis Poon

Re-Flat by Pui Yi Pansy Fung, Nga Yiu Teresa Lam and Sze Yu Nat Wong

"Rearranging subdivided units to reimagine life – subdivided units (SDUs) in Hong Kong present a persistent challenge that significantly impacts residents' quality of life.

"Recognising this, a team of social innovation design students collaborated with a local social welfare organisation to devise a systematic approach for engaging SDU residents.

"Over a year, the team visited ten SDU households in Tsuen Wan, deeply understanding residents' living needs and spatial constraints – despite the limited space, they observed residents' creativity in utilising their homes, such as neatly hanging kitchenware on windows.

"Inspired, the team developed a comprehensive research and communication method to assist residents in redesigning their living spaces for more efficient use – the project's goals went beyond improving living conditions; it also aimed to encourage residents to envision possibilities beyond current constraints.

"The collaborative efforts between designers and social workers led to optimised space utilisation plans that enhanced living conditions and strengthened family relationships and the project shed light on persistent issues within SDUs with the potential to raise social awareness – the team plans to continue collaborating with its partners to provide funding and invite interior designers, demonstrating the advantages of cross-disciplinary innovation to enhance residents' quality of life."

Students: Pui Yi Pansy Fung, Nga Yiu Teresa Lam and Sze Yu Nat Wong
Course: BA (Hons) in Social Design
Tutors: Kam Fai Chan, Sandy Ng, Chun Hei Charis Poon and Jonathan Yu

We-Wave by Ka Chun Chan, Yin Wah Rachel Lee and Kwan Long Issac Wong

"Reviving Aberdeen's coastal community through participatory ecosystem building – after nearly a year of research in Aberdeen, a coastal district on the southern side of Hong Kong, the We-Wave team has recognised the persistent yet difficult-to-remedy development issues plaguing this seaside community.

"The unique cultural identity that once defined Aberdeen has gradually faded, with many long-standing local businesses and community relationships disappearing.

"We-Wave takes the local Aberdeen stakeholders as its starting point, aiming to support unrecognised residents and revive community participation – these local stakeholders form the core of the initiative and We-Wave is attempting to connect them and reactivate the coastal community by collecting and leveraging its diverse assets.

"Recognising the limitations of a top-down, efficiency-focused approach, the We-Wave initiative has set out to address the problem through a bottom-up, community-driven approach – by empowering local residents, the project seeks to restore Aberdeen's unique cultural identity and foster a more inclusive and sustainable future for the seaside town.

"We-Wave hopes to create a participatory ecosystem that can serve as a model for revitalising other communities facing similar challenges."

Students: Ka Chun Chan, Yin Wah Rachel Lee and Kwan Long Issac Wong
Course: Integrated Designpreneurship (InD) under BA(Hons) Scheme in Design
Tutor: Kam Fai Chan

Single or Return by Ka Ching Alexching Chau, Wing Lam Nico Lo, Sze Hang Vicki Ng, Tsz Ning Tsang, Yinam Tina Wang and Shun Man Ray-wong Wong

"On a surreal train ride home, a neglected 16-year-old birthday girl and her workaholic father struggle through memories.

"Single or Return is an animated film exploring the father-daughter relationship in a one-parent family – Tilly, who is celebrating her 16th birthday, always wants her Dad to spend more time with her, however, her workaholic father is constantly called into work and instead always leaves her with a gift of a tiny wooden bear.

"The story begins with Tilly and her father getting on a train which magically transports them back through their memories – the father revisits his daughter's sixth birthday and realises Tilly treasures his time with her more than the gifts of wooden bears; her feeling of neglect has only grown with every year – Tilly also enters the realm of memories and learns that her father was making an effort to show his care for her with the annual birthday gift of a toy bear and did not neglect her in his heart.

"In the end, they resolve their misunderstandings and return to the real world, their relationship on the path to healing.

"Join us on our journey to healing the relationship with Tilly and her father!"

Students: Ka Ching Alexching Chau, Wing Lam Nico Lo, Sze Hang Vicki Ng, Tsz Ning Tsang, Yinam Tina Wang and Shun Man Ray-wong Wong
Course: BA (Hons) in Digital Media
Tutor: Step Cheung

Redemption by Kwai Hee Wiki Chan, Yeung Lam Cherry Kwok, Ching Yeung Eric Ng, Yuk Hei Marco Tang and Kai Sum Sum Yeung

"Confronting ethical dilemmas in a dystopian world, Redemption is a short film of the drama, thriller and dystopia genres – the story is set in an era of severe food shortage, where Jeffrey and his alter ego, Tyler, collaborate to survive and begin killing people.

"However, one day Jeffrey kills an innocent man, breaking his long-held principles and feeling guilty for the victim; he then meets a woman and he takes care of her, hoping to seek redemption through the relationship, but does not anticipate developing feelings for this woman and also discovers her identity.

"The core lesson of the film is that there are no excuses for committing a crime, even in the direst of circumstances.

"Ultimately, Redemption delivers a powerful message – that even in a dystopian world on the brink of collapse, individuals are still held accountable for their decisions and the consequences of their criminal actions.

"Through this thought-provoking exploration, Redemption leaves a lasting impact, urging viewers to reflect deeply on the moral complexities of the human condition."

Students: Kwai Hee Wiki Chan, Yeung Lam Cherry Kwok, Ching Yeung Eric Ng, Yuk Hei Marco Tang and Kai Sum Sum Yeung
Course: BA (Hons) in Digital Media
Tutors: Dr Amelie Chan and Fei Pang Wong

Ugly but True Friends by Wai Sum Cindy Pong

"On the one hand, technologies improve our lives and the world is getting closer to perfection – on the other hand, perfection may sound unreal and even hypocritical, as there are people who prefer things that are flawed but genuine.

"This sentiment applies to friendships as well – people may become friends due to their appreciation of each other's good qualities and strengths, but most of the time, true friends accept and appreciate each other's flaws instead of seeking a perfect model.

"The target client for this advertising campaign is a world-renowned brand in instant film and cameras, one that embraces the beauty of imperfection; with its unique instant film technology, the brand's products are able to capture moments authentically, showcasing the charm of unfiltered reality.

"By celebrating the inherent flaws and unexpected outcomes, the campaign encourages the audience to appreciate the imperfect aspects of life and find beauty in the unexpected.

"The campaign features copywriting in colloquial Cantonese, photography, a series of online videos and a party game kit for 'ugly photos', all aimed at promoting the Ugly but True Friends idea to its target audience, which is mainly from Hong Kong."

Student: Wai Sum Cindy Pong
Course: BA (Hons) in Advertising Design
Tutor: KC Tsang

Um, it takes time to understand by Ho Hin Tong

"Taste beneath taste – 'dead air' is an intermediate state; a blank period.

"In the eyes of strangers, dead air is negative – but uniquely among friends, dead air becomes a daily occurrence, a shared joke and even a shared taste.

"Silence, helplessness, numbness and ridiculousness – what does dead air truly signify?

"Um, it takes time to understand.

"Through a proposal for a beer brand that values time, a taste not everyone may understand, the designer would like to encourage young people to enjoy dead air among friends, savouring the subtle flavours within that time."

Student: Ho Hin Tong
Course: BA (Hons) in Advertising Design
Tutor: KC Tsang

Farming in Pat Heung: Farm Shuttle by Ying Nam Lau, Nok Ching Jane Lee, San Yin Leung and Sik Tat Ma

"A platform that connects farm tasks and participants to promote the development of local agriculture.

"Hong Kong's agriculture faces challenges like climate change, farmer isolation and unstable incomes due to labour shortages – low farmer incomes deter new entrants, while government disaster relief is insufficient, impacting farmers and reducing local vegetable supply.

"The Farm Shuttle initiative aims to revitalise Hong Kong's agriculture by fostering closer relationships between farmers and interested individuals – starting with pioneering, community and new vegetable farms in Pak Heung, located in the New Terriories of Hong Kong, the initiative uses a platform to increase mutual understanding and attract those interested in local agriculture.

"The platform allows farmers to find helpers to ease workloads, while users can participate in desired activities, solving labour shortages and spreading farm information.

"By facilitating information exchange, collaborative opportunities and community building, the initiative serves as a hub connecting farmers and agriculture enthusiasts, enabling farms to become task providers and participants to engage in agricultural activities – this approach aims to improve local agriculture in Hong Kong by strengthening farmer relationships."

Students: Ying Nam Lau, Nok Ching Jane Lee, San Yin Leung and Sik Tat Ma
Course: BA (Hons) in Social Design
Tutor: Kam Fai Chan

Grow Green: Low-Carbon Milk Tea by Lindan Chen, Nairui Guo and Kam Ting Wan

"Grow Green is a sustainable and innovative project that integrates the theme of environmental protection and health into Hong Kong's milk tea industry.

"The team creates a low-carbon recipe, product and culture to engage milk tea customers, adopts omnichannel marketing and organises online and offline carbon footprint exhibitions to communicate the importance and urgency of participating in a movement advocating environmental protection.

"This project is a deliverable from the Innovative Business Design (IBD) foundation subject delivered over seven weeks in semester two.

"The subject asked students to develop a business-viable concept and drive positive change for a better world."

"Watch the video here."

Students: Lindan Chen, Nairui Guo and Kam Ting Wan
Course: Master of Design (Innovative Business Design)
Tutors: Dr Sylvia Liu and Susan Evans

Para-site Room by Wing Lok Leo Lui

"Questioning how external things could possibly change and control the space – the project uses parasitic structures as a probe into the question of how external factors could possibly change and control the space, or conversely, challenge humans' autonomy in the built environment.

"The central question explored is whether humans can truly control a space; if not, the project aims to visualise what that might look like.

"Taking this as a starting point, the project developed a series of parasites installed in a drawing room, altering the working patterns and design process of the user.

"These parasites are driven by the weather conditions in the surrounding environment – they dynamically change the configuration and condition of the space, creating a dynamic and interactive environment where users might be confronted with unexpected and potentially disruptive changes.

"The drawing room thus becomes a stage for interaction, collaboration and conflict; it explores the eccentric synergies, symbiosis and unconventional control relationships in space, showing a different interpretation of a space, whilst also challenging traditional notions of how we design and experience our surroundings."

Student: Wing Lok Leo Lui
Course: BA(Hons) in Environment and Interior Design
Tutor: Prof Peter Hasdell

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.