Meet the people behind PPP and learn about their expertise

With his academic background in industrial and product design and research interests in public design, participatory design and inclusive design, Paul has been doing research and design for 20 years and his hard work has been widely recognised.  
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Since the Public Design Lab of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University was established in May 2007, he has participated in most design research projects while the lab has received over 20 international design and invention awards. The awards include Red Dot Award (Germany), D&AD (UK), Good Design (USA), the Grand Industrial Design Prize and Gold Medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva (Switzerland), the Innovation of the Year and Best Design Award at the British Invention of the Year Awards (UK), the JIPA Award for Best Invention in Industrial Design (Japan), the Best Invention Award and Gold Medals at ITEX (Malaysia), Runner-up at the Crystal Cabin Awards (Germany), the Diamond and Platinum Awards at the Successful Design Awards (China) and the Trophy of Perspective Awards (HK). One of the participated design (Chess.*®) for the visually impaired has been officially accepted as China’s National Standard for chess competitions.

With a passion to spread his knowledge, Paul has published papers in leading journals, including Applied Ergonomics, Communication Design. He has also held teaching positions in multiple higher education institutes including :

• School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK
• Hong Kong Design Institute, Vocational Training Council, HK
• Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, HK
• School for Higher and Professional Education, HK
• Birmingham City University, UK

Dr. Elaine Yi Lin Wong is a design researcher and educator. She has been teaching design, art and design education, and research methodology in PolyU and HKBU after receiving her PhD. She is experienced in conducting design research studies and workshops across different age groups, especially children, and with the deprived such as persons with invisible disabilities and visually impaired persons. Her research interests include design psychology, inclusive design, participatory design, waste management, public design, creativity, and design education.

Based on different frameworks of design and creative thinking processes, Wong has developed a model of creative design process to explain the role of creative thinking involved in the design process. She has also developed a model of Socially Inclusive Design Cube to address the importance of social aspect in inclusive design.

With more than 10 years of experience in project management, Audrey has driven numerous unique projects and led effective teams in both the public and private sector. During her time as a Public Relations Officer for Leisure and Cultural Service Department, HKSAR Gov, she handled the promotion and publicity programme of over 30 art exhibitions and heritage and cultural events budgeted up to 6 million, including the first Exhibition “Hong Kong Museum of Art: A Lofty Retreat from the Red Dust: The Secret Garden of Emperor Qianlong Special Exhibition Gallery (2012)” and the “Hong Kong Heritage Museum: PICASSO-Masterpieces from Musée National Picasso, Paris (2012)”.

She then worked in Hong Kong Design Centre and PolyU Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation to manage design, cultural & social programmes, budgeted from 3 to 7 million, including the World Design Summer Camp 2012, annual local design event DETOUR 2013, Design for Well-being Award 2014, Hong Kong Social Innovation Documentaries, and Social Innovation Festival 2015.

For the past years, she has had the experience of conducting research and designing products. Combining research and design help her to generate innovative ideas, especially for the smart products.

She believed that product design is not only about the product, but also the interaction with the user and environment. A good product is based on strong research which leads designers to explore and see the real difficulties in life. For her, problem solving is one of the most interesting things in the world. She aims to make effective solutions through creative thinking. Design always drives her to imagine a better world all the time and try to make it happen.

She participated in different competitions/exhibitions, including:

1. Innocarnival 2016 Exhibition
2. The design of ‘Smart Airer’ was reported by the media such as Yahoo, am730, Sing Tao Daily, On.cc etc.
3. Nomination of The 1st Greater China Smart Home Appliances Design

Sandy alway curious about the relation between culture and design, with two years experiences in studying Image Product design, she understands the future design should be more personal instead of identical, especially in the age with overwhelming information, humans are more thirst after their personal identity, the importance of personal  and cultural product is greater than ever.

Sandy’s design focus on expressing humans' personality and current culture in an aesthetic way and strengthen their own identity. When Personalized Design comes across Public Design, it is a challenge for her to integrate contemporary Culture and Personality with Public Design.

She participated in different competitions/exhibitions, including:

1. Polyu Design Show 2020
2. Conair and Thei Collabrate Projects Design Award 2018 - Gold Award
3. in Personal Care Appliance
4. Solidworks 3D design contest 2018- Champion (project member)
5. Nomination of The 2nd Greater China Smart Home Appliances Design
6. Honourable Mention for the Joint-School Design Exhibition 2017 Collaboration Nominee
7. 2017 YOUNG GENIUS (HK) CONVENTION - Gold Award
8. Student Group in the 33rd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Design Competition- Finalist

Curiosity towards spatial operation, urges her to investigate the relationship between humans and the environment. Space operates in functional and aesthetical ways, which leads to the completion of a pleasing environment. She is enthusiastics in material application and structure forms. To learn more about that, she engages in various local social campaigns and competitions. Nonetheless, she worked in IKEA HK as an interior designer, where she learnt various design styles, and to actualise her thoughts and present to the public in joyful ways. Meanwhile, to obtain more design knowledge, she travels around the world to explore. To learn about the traditional and modern handicraft techniques, culture and visual elements; to get in touch with nature and urban space, further to develop the mindset of combining the old and new. In the future, she will keep applying the theory-based knowledge and practical experience in her projects.

Design is fluid. Design is chase. Experimentalism towards space and multi-medium is always the focus of her design journey.

She participated in different competitions/exhibitions/scholarship, including:

• M Moser Scholarship(2020)
• Polyu Design Show 2020
• HKT Smart Living Award(2018) -semi-final
• Joint University Eco-Business Innovation Award(2018) -2nd runner up
• The Hopemakers Scheme(2018) -Top6
• PolyU HKCC Young Entrepreneur Scheme(2017) -Judging Award