Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) 2020 officially opens today (26 August) as a live, free and virtual event for the first time in KODW’s history. Organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor, KODW 2020 gathers over 40 local and international speakers to explore the transformative role of user-driven design and innovation in helping us create a better future for business and society, amidst the wave of uncertainty and increasingly digital world brought on by Covid-19.

From 26 to 29 August, 15 free virtual thematic sessions of talks, conversations and discussions and 4 interactive remote workshops will be held to explore design, innovation and technology from a post-pandemic perspective. Globally acclaimed design experts and industry leaders will share their insights on topics ranging from AI, Big Data & Ethics to Global Health & Wellbeing, Future of Work, Creativity & Design Leadership, Brand Resilience, Retail Experience & eCommerce, Content Creation & Media, Smart Cities & Liveability and engaging Gen Z customers, under the theme “Designing Digital Futures for the New Normal”.

The event’s Guest of Honour, The Honourable Edward Yau, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, stated in his virtual speech: “While the Covid-19 pandemic is raging and turning the world upside down, it is more imperative than ever to continue promotion of human-centric design to help businesses and societies to Reset, Rethink and Reinvent. These KODW 2020 topics are highly pertinent to our future even before Covid-19. But with what has been going on in the past few months, their importance and urgency have become more critical now than ever.”

Prof. Eric Yim, JP, Chairman of HKDC said in his welcome remarks, “With KODW, we are committed to building a global community of people who aspire to lead change through user-driven design and innovation. The new normal is here to stay, but we can navigate uncertainties and shape meaningful change with human-centred design and innovation.”

Livestreamed from Hong Kong, the crossroads of East and West where global perspectives collide, KODW 2020 sessions provide simultaneous intepretation in English, Cantonese and Putonghua for international audiences. Participants also get free access to an online networking platform, where they can meet and start conversations with speakers and other like-minded participants in the KODW Community.

Among the 15 free thematic sessions, some not-to-be-missed ones include:

• Collaborative Creativity: Navigating Change and Ambiguity to Drive Progress (26 August at 10:15 GMT+8) – Brand visionary Eric Quint, Former Vice President, Chief Brand and Design Officer of 3M Company (US), explores how design can spark positive change, and how to navigate the challenges we all face with collaborative creativity as we work to drive progress and brand relevancy.
• Better Business through Digital Influence (26 August at 13:00 GMT+8) – Wes Ng, CEO & Co-Founder of CASETiFY (HK), Winnie Lee, Co-founder of Spread-it Limited (HK) and Tammy Wu, Exective Director of Lady M Hong Kong (HK) share insights on how brands are leveraging digital platforms and storytelling to grow their businesses, and to reach and stay connected with the increasingly digital and socially conscious new generation.
• Rethinking Digital Transformation: The Role of Design (26 August at 16:00 GMT+8) – Clive Grinyer, Design Consultant of Clivegrinyer and Head of Service Design Royal College of Art (UK), David Chow, General Manager and Partner, Global Business Services of IBM (HK), and Selena Xu, Service Design Director EY wavespace™ (HK) discuss how we can leverage and accelerate digital transformation to design better human experiences, businesses and cities, and tackle global challenges of today and tomorrow.
• Branding in the Changed New World (27 August at 13:00 GMT+8) – Alan Chan, General Manager of Group Branding Centre, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group (HK) and Mason Cheng National General Manager of Marketing Center, Internet Commerce Department (Mainland China) will join the moderator Prof. Viveca Chan, Chairman & CEO of WE Marketing Group (HK) to discuss how marketing strategies are shifting from product centric to people centric, and the keys for brands to build relevancy.
• 5G and The Future: How it Changes The Way We Live (28 August at 12:30 GMT+8) – Anna Yip, Former CEO of SmarTone (HK), Jens-Peter Brauner, CEO of Siemens Mobility Limited (HK) and Gary Yeung, President of Smart City Consortium and CEO of Techture Limited (HK) will explore the possibilities 5G can bring to future mobility experiences and the design of liveable smart cities.

KODW 2020 also features 4 paid remote workshops with limited seats:

• Creating Brand Resilience Through Extraordinary Design (28 August at 10:00 GMT+8) – Hosted by Jonathan Cummings, President, Greater China of Landor & FITCH Group (HK), the workshop allow participants to learn how to address changing consumer behaviours and needs in this challenging time and how design can drive response to these changes.
• X Thinking – The Key to Creating Experiences for Brands Entering China (29 August at 10:00 GMT+8) – Dr Michael Lai, Senior Partner of TANG UX and Dean of X Academy (Mainland China) will share his insights on key considerations for brands to enter Mainland China market from an experience perspective.
• Exploring Complex Challenges in The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Dialogue (free introductory session on 27 August at 10:30 GMT+8) – Per Kristiansen, Partner of Trivium (Denmark), one of the two original master trainers for The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP), will facilitate six workshops in which participants can learn about LSP as a “creative hands-on” approach to accelerating innovation, promoting team growth and enhancing business performance through building with LEGO bricks.
• Masterclass: Open Sourcing Leadership (29 August at 16:00 GMT+8) – Hosted by Rama Gheerawo, Director of The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art (UK) and Ninela Ivanova, Innovation Fellow of The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art (UK), this masterclass explores how the three key values of empathy, clarity and creativity inspire creative leadership and innovation and bring us benefits on personal, professional and organisational levels.

For registration and programme updates of KODW 2020, please visit the official website (https://2020.kodw.org/pr) or follow its Facebook page (Knowledge of Design Week 設計智識周) and WeChat page (KODW 设计智识周).

Please download the high-resolution images at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p9sp6koajfxub2y/AABqsRAwsm8Th6KSd0YacENUa

	The Honourable Edward Yau, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, stated in his virtual speech: “While the Covid-19 pandemic is raging and turning the world upside down, it is more imperative than ever to continue promotion of human-centric design to help businesses and societies to Reset, Rethink and Reinvent. These KODW 2020 topics are highly pertinent to our future even before Covid-19. But with what has been going on in the past few months, their importance and urgency have become more critical now than ever.”
	Prof. Eric Yim, JP, Chairman of HKDC said in his welcome remarks, “With KODW, we are committed to building a global community of people who aspire to lead change through user-driven design and innovation. The new normal is here to stay, but we can navigate uncertainties and shape meaningful change with human-centred design and innovation.”
	Globally acclaimed design experts and industry leaders will share their insights on topics ranging from AI, Big Data & Ethics to Global Health & Wellbeing, Future of Work, Creativity & Design Leadership, Brand Resilience, Retail Experience & eCommerce, Content Creation & Media, Smart Cities & Liveability and engaging Gen Z customers, under the theme “Designing Digital Futures for the New Normal”.

Knowledge of Design Week
Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) is an annual flagship event organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government). It is a week-long event that fosters cross-disciplinary learning and exchange through forums, roundtables, case studies and workshops, and also offers participants unique business networking opportunities.

Launched in 2006, KODW offers an exciting and premier global knowledge platform connecting local and international designers, brand strategists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, educators and visionaries to share industry insights, trend analysis, creative solutions and game-changing innovation to transform individuals, businesses and the society.

Learn more about KODW at https://2020.kodw.org/pr

About Hong Kong Design Centre
Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a non-governmental organisation, and was founded in 2001 as a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being, with the aim of advancing Hong Kong as an international design centre in Asia. Learn more about us at www.hkdesigncentre.org

About Create Hong Kong
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the HKSAR Government in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors the HKDC to organise KODW and other projects to promote Hong Kong design. CreateHK’s website: www.createhk.gov.hk.

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