30 June 2021

Cross-disciplinary discussions redefine the service economy at KODW 2021

Eight guests on stage at the KODW 2021 opening ceremony.
Source: HKDC. Guests at the opening ceremony for KODW 2021 included (from left) Lofai Lo, Director and GM, ViuTV; Dr Lay Lian Ong, Principal, Hong Kong Design Institute & Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education; Victor Tsang, Head of Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Professor Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre; guest of honour The Honourable Edward Yau, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Victor Lo, Chairman, KODW Steering Committee of Hong Kong Design Centre; Professor Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design, and Dr Edmund Lee, Executive Director of Hong Kong Design Centre.

Over 50 global entrepreneurs and industry experts were tapped to inspire audiences during Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2021, a week-long event in June. Themed Reimagining Service Economy, the annual event is organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and Institute of Design Knowledge (IDK), co-organised by Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design), together with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the lead sponsor.

At the Innovation for Future Service forum Clive Grinyer, Head of Service Design, Royal College of Art (UK) and one of the UK's leading service design consultants, defined service design: “That's what we call service design: we put the human at the centre – not the technology, not the business.” On what and who to design for, he said, “Let's design what is preferable, not just possible. Let's design for people, old and young.”

Tim Stock, the Co-founder & Managing Partner of US-based scenarioDNA and co-inventor of a patented methodology of culture mapping added, “We need to better examine the relationship between feasibility and desirability.”

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Those who missed the live simulcast can register online to revisit the on-demand sessions free, with unlimited access for 2 weeks.