HK PolyU School of Design

🧠 Beyond Average | Lecture Highlights + What’s Next

We are proud to have hosted Prof. Johan F. Hoorn’s lecture “Beyond Average,” which explored a key question: 👉 How do we measure what design actually cares about?

Johan introduced a developing research toolkit at the School of Design to measure ambiguity, observer stance, exceptionality, and divergence, using four unconventional methods based on theoretical science, respectively: Quantum Affect (Coppélia), Quantum Epistemics, the h* test-statistic, and the c_delta coefficient.

Through statistical insights and a mixed of hypothetic and real cases, the lecture examined how these tools help us study exceptional people and behaviours—in short, where innovation emerges beyond the “average.”

📊 These frameworks are grounded in published research and are evolving into tools for wider academic use.

✨ Missed it? A rerun for the broader PolyU academic community is coming soon.

Do you know an alum who inspires? Nominate them today!

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐔 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 – 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

We are pleased to invite you to nominate distinguished graduates for the 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐔 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬!

This award recognises PolyU Design alumni who have achieved remarkable success in their fields, supported their alma mater, and continue to inspire our community. Candidates can be nominated under one of the following achievement categories:

- 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Excellence and leadership in the design field.
- 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Outstanding enterprise and venture creation.
- 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Significant academic or impactful societal contributions.
*𝘈𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘯𝘪 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 35 𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘜 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘯𝘪 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥.

Do you know an alumnus who exemplifies our spirit of excellence? Nominate them today!
𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐔’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!

🔗 How to Nominate:
Click the link in our bio to find full details, categories, and eligibility criteria.

📬 Need Assistance?
Feel free to DM us or contact Ms Man Tsang at [email protected].

【一年一度的理大設計傑出校友獎現正接受提名】

理工大學設計學院誠邀各位推薦心目中的傑出校友，一同表揚他們在專業領域上的卓越成就、對母校的支持，以及對社會的積極貢獻。

獎項設有以下提名類別：
➤ 專業成就 – 於設計或相關領域展現卓越才能與領導力
➤ 企業成就 – 取得在創業、企業發展及創新實踐方面的傑出成就
➤ 學術成就 – 作出學術研究、知識傳播或推動社會發展方面的重大貢獻
*35歲或以下的校友，亦將自動納入理大設計傑出青年校友獎的評選資格

你身邊是否有一位一直啟發著你、值得被更多人看見的理大設計校友？
立即提名，讓我們一起表揚校友的卓越成就，並分享他們的故事與影響力！

🔗 提名方法
請點擊個人檔案（Bio）內連結，查閱提名詳情、獎項類別及參選資格。

📬 查詢
歡迎隨時 DM 我們，或電郵至 [email protected] 與曾小姐聯絡

🎲 Gameboarding Urban Systems and Strategies for Regional Planning Colloquium
GBAex Master’s Studio | Cycle 8

As part of the GBAex Master’s Studio, the Gameboarding Urban Systems and Strategies for Regional Planning Colloquium brought together an international cohort of students and academics to explore the complexities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) through strategic, scenario‑based thinking. The colloquium opened with welcome remarks by our Dean, Prof. Kun‑pyo Lee, setting the tone for cross‑institutional exchange and collaboration.

In its 8th cycle, over 60 students and academics from three institutions, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the National University of Colombia (UNAL), and PolyU, joined the Global Studio for an intensive two‑week programme. For many participants, this marked their first encounter with the spatial, social, and infrastructural challenges of a mega‑regional context of 87 million people.

The colloquium covered policy, urban strategies, regional planning, and complex spatial systems, providing the context for using gameboarding and scenario‑building as tools to test and visualise alternative futures. Through a GBA‑centred methodology, the Global Studio has developed 80 strategic scenarios, offering insights into the role of design‑led inquiry in long‑term regional transformation.

Programme contributors:
Host: Prof. Gerhard Bruyns (PolyU)
Co‑host: Prof. Peter Hasdell (PolyU)
Presenters: Dr Yixuan Peng (PolyU), Prof. Jiaxiu Cai (CUHK), Prof. Diego Sepúlveda (TU Delft), Prof. Camilo Pinilla Castro (UNAL)

🌏 Thank you to all participating students and faculty for an enriching exchange, and we hope the experience in the Greater Bay Area continues to inspire future work.

🚀ISD Capstone 2025–26 Launches: Designing the Future with Distinguished Industry Leaders

The Kick-off Session of the ISD Capstone Research Project (2025–2026) was successfully held on 8 May, marking the beginning of another dynamic cycle of academic–industry collaboration within the Intelligent Systems Design (ISD) specialism.

🤝 Industry Collaboration
This year, ISD partners with distinguished industry partners, including long-standing collaborators and valued friends of ISD—GAC, Huawei, NIO, and XPeng—as well as a new partner, EcoFlow, which brings fresh perspectives in sustainable energy, mobile power solutions, and intelligent product innovation.

💡Student Projects in Focus
A total of 16 project proposals from 8 student teams were presented, addressing key areas such as:
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Intelligent mobility
• Human–AI interaction
• Smart systems
• Future lifestyles
• Sustainable technology applications

🔍Industry Engagement
Industry partners actively engaged in discussions, offering feedback that highlighted the practical value and future potential of the projects for products, services, and intelligent systems.

🎤 As noted by Prof. Stephen J. Wang, ISD Specialism Leader and ISD Capstone Subject Leader
The Capstone Project continues to serve as a vital bridge between academia and industry—equipping the next generation of designers to develop future‑facing, human‑centred solutions grounded in research and technology.

✨ The 2025–2026 Capstone has begun with strong momentum—we look forward to seeing these ideas develop into impactful outcomes.

☀️ Calling for Companies: Host a Summer Intern (2026)

We cordially invite your organisation to participate in the PolyU Design Summer Internship Programme by offering meaningful internship opportunities to our students and supporting the development of future design talents.

Discover inspiring highlights from our 2025 internship experiences, where students contributed to companies, gained valuable industry exposure, built new skills and grew through hands-on learning.

🌟 Featured Students:

🧑‍🎓 Janice Hu Ching Yin (Advertising Design) — “I learnt that professional design starts long before you open a software programme.” [Slide 2]

🧑‍🎓 Rachel Cheng Lok Yung (Information Design) — “These experiences shifted my focus from pure ideation to practical ex*****on, requiring me to balance creativity with technical feasibility and stakeholder needs.” [Slide 3]

🧑‍🎓 Xenos Cheuk Kei Shan (Media Design) — “Since I was already there, why not make the most of the time and learn as much as possible?” [Slide 4]

🧑‍🎓 Agnes Ho Cheuk Yan (Environmental Design) — “I gained a deeper understanding of respectful engagement with marginalised groups — a skill I had not fully developed in school." [Slide 5]

🧑‍🎓 Aysu Cheng Ho Ping (Interaction Design) — “Working in a rapidly changing environment, even for a short period, can offer rapid growth that is difficult to achieve through academic projects alone.” [Slide 6]

🧑‍🎓 Beatrice Perez Rodriguez (Product Design) — “Start loving feedback, even criticism.” [Slide 7]

🧑‍🎓 Maggie Wong Mei Kei (Social Design) — “The real world requires you to fully own your responsibilities before helping others.” [Slide 8]

💼 Recruitment: https://forms.gle/Jef8jHf7Ld9fZM3T7
✉️ Enquiry: [email protected]
🔗 Learn more and submit your application via the link in our bio.

👏 Thank you for partnering with us to shape the future of design.

🌟 PolyU Design Students Showcase at Milan Design Week 2026

We are incredibly proud to share that two capstone projects (2024/25) from our Social Design students were selected for the prestigious Interdependence 26 exhibition at Milan Design Week. Held at Fabbrica del Vapore from 16 to 26 April 2026, our students took their work to the undisputed pinnacle of the global design calendar.

Exhibiting alongside top global design schools is a monumental achievement. It is a wonderful honour that speaks to the world-class talent of our students and the impact of our studio-based learning environment.

🐃 Buffalo Envoy This project reshapes human-buffalo relations on South Lantau Island, pairing locals with specific buffaloes and reframing waste into a valuable resource through community compost-making. 🧑‍🎓🎓 Students: Betty LAM Wing-yee; Iris YEUNG Nga-sze; Haley YIP Hiu-lam

🦽 Wheel We Go A radical co-design framework that elevates wheelchair users as lead experts, generating vital 'access-knowledge' to break down physical, mental and cultural barriers. 🧑‍🎓🎓 Students: Arthur KEUNG; Alyson TSE Huen-hei; Ellen TSOI

👏 Congratulations to the students and the teaching team (CHAN Kam-fai; Prof. Sandy NG; Charis P**N; Jonathan YU) on this outstanding international recognition!

🎮From Concept to Reality: MScIME Capstone Approaching the Final Stage 💡

As MSc in Innovative Multimedia Entertainment (MScIME) Capstone Projects approach their final stage, students are transforming ideas into purpose‑driven, interactive experiences.

Across the cohort, projects extend beyond entertainment—using game design, gamification, AI, and data‑driven interaction as tools to address broader outcomes:
- Overcoming fear 🧠 through immersive experiences
- Reintroducing Vietnamese opera Chèo 🎭 through hybrid play (board games + AR)
- Supporting SEN children with sensory, AI‑enabled therapeutic play 🧸
- Exploring AI‑powered TCM 🌿companions for everyday wellbeing

These works reflect how interactive media can engage users of all ages 👦👨‍💼👵—shaping behaviours, experiences, and outcomes. The projects are strengthened by academic and industry guidance, including support from Tuyoo Games, bringing real‑world insights.

Projects will be showcased at PolyU Design Show 2026✨. Join us to explore and interact with these projects first‑hand.

🏆PhD student receives Innovation & Technology Scholarship

Bridging design and STEM, PolyU Design PhD student Tsang Ka Wing has been awarded the For Our Future Innovation and Technology Scholarship 2025/26 in support of his interdisciplinary STEM ⚛️research.

Selected from applicants across 14 institutions, Ka Wing is among just 10 awardees, and notably the first recognised from a design background, highlighting the vital role of design within STEM innovation.

🌟Currently pursuing his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Tina Luximon, Ka Wing’s project, Designing for Touch: Sensory Affordances of Companion Robot Dog Skin in Human–Robot Interaction, explores how the tactile qualities of robotic "skin" 🤖 can shape more meaningful human–robot interactions. Integrating design, robotics, psychology, and materials science, the study examines how touch influences user engagement and wellbeing in care‑oriented applications.

Learn more: https://polyu.hk/TzLII

👏 Congratulations to Ka Wing on this outstanding achievement.