The PolyU Design Degree Show 2020, organised by the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU Design), is open to the public until 25 October 2020. Going virtual this year given the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, the show has been specially designed to provide a 3D viewing experience, just like touring in person.
The annual show highlights student projects from both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes covering a wide spectrum of topics from various disciplines, namely Advertising Design, Communication Design, Environment and Interior Design, Social Design, Product Design, Digital Media, Interactive Media, Design Practices, Interaction Design, International Design and Business Management, Multimedia and Entertainment Technology, as well as Urban Environments Design. What’s new for this year is a section set up to showcase the work of doctoral degree students, making a total of about 150 projects on display in the show.
During the 3D virtual tour, visitors will see many creative and inspiring designs such as a future double-decker compartment for the ageing population, a mobile game for improving intergenerational relationships and a planter solution for sustainable living in densely populated areas, to name just a few.
The Dean of School of Design at PolyU stated that the show is a stellar highlight of the university’s teaching and learning, offering an invaluable opportunity to employers seeking the best designers; enlightening the public with world-class design, and inspiring secondary school students to pursue design as a career.
Enabling virtual viewing of different physical exhibits is unique among the world’s top design schools especially when students had to overcome a lot of challenges during this difficult moment under the pandemic.
Online guided tours are arranged with student ambassadors to walk visitors through the show and share the creative ideas of some selected projects. Several online activities are also scheduled for secondary school teachers and students who are eager to learn more about PolyU Design.
These include live online chat sessions with PolyU Design students and an online Info Talk on the bachelor’s degree programmes offered by PolyU Design. Interested schools and organisations are more than welcome to contact PolyU Design for tailoring different activities to meet their needs. In addition, a treasure hunt game has been organised with more than 3,000 souvenirs to be given away (on a first-come, first-served basis) to those who take the virtual tour.
According to another report, PolyU Design has been an important hub of design education and research for Hong Kong since 1964. The school thrives on its geographical position in bridging the East and the West, allowing its students to develop their design strengths with a uniquely international cultural awareness at both professional and social levels.
In the 2020 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject, the school is ranked world’s top 15 in the area of art and design.
The School nurtures around 1,100 students every year in a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, with more than 40 PhD candidates. For our undergraduate programmes, we offer a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Scheme in Design in five major disciplines. The Master of Design programme includes specialisms in Design Strategies, Design Practices, Interaction Design, International Design and Business Management, Urban Environments Design, while the Master of Science programme specialises in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology.
The show features projects which include furniture for micro-apartments, a film about a revengeful stuntman and a game about vertical farming are among the 18 diverse student projects in this school show by PolyU Design. The featured projects were completed by 25 students studying across the “wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes” at the PolyU Design school, which forms a part of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
