HONG KONG — Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) premiered last September 24 on ViuTVsix, gathering a powerhouse cast of over 40 field experts, entrepreneurs, and creatives from around the world who explored timely design topics that are shaping new models for the future. KODW is a major annual event organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), co-organized by Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) and School of Design, 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.
Themed “Regeneration by Design,” KODW 2022 consists of four program pillars: Regenerative Design for Our Ecosystem, Regenerative Design for Social Good, Regenerative Economy, and The Future of Regenerative Culture.
Following the first episode and opening ceremony that took place at M+ last September 24, KODW Saturday Talk will continue to air on October 08, October 15, and October 22 on ViuTVsix (Channel 96), with a one-hour Cantonese highlight program on ViuTV (Channel 99) on November 12. The panel discussions are also streamed online on bodw+ and on social media platforms, offering full access to viewers all over the world. To facilitate in-depth exchange on the topics with an international audience, interactive live chats are hosted on bodw+.
From conference to primetime television: What to expect at KODW 2022
Across the coming weeks, KODW 2022’s televised panel discussions tackle some of the most pressing trends and issues today, including architecture, material innovation, food systems, healthcare, mobility, Web3, and more. This year sees the first edition of KODW as a television program created as a real-time virtual production, using powerful XR technologies to provide an immersive virtual setting where speakers interact.
Among the key panel sessions that were broadcasted in the opening episode and will be broadcasted the coming weeks are:
Keynote: Sustainable Leadership (September 24) – Environmental entrepreneurs Matt Reid (CEO and Co-Founder of KIN Food Halls, HK) and Malcolm Wood (Group Managing Director, Steelhead Group, HK) share their journey to sustainability in the smart food ecosystem, and how they are offering an alternative model of urban dining.
“The mission of KIN [Food Halls] is to create technologies to change the way we eat. And that’s a very clear mission. The reality is we’ve spent the last nearly 20 years in luxury dining. But the largest consumption of food is done in fast food – quick, fast, casual. If we can change the way that it’s done, we have real impact,” said Matt Reid.
Rewilding Urban Spaces (September 24) – How can cities continue to thrive and become more livable for their residents? Betty Ng (Founder of Collective, HK) moderated a conversation around sustainable urban expansion with Niels de Jong (Partner and Creative Director of Kossmanndejong, The Netherlands), Bryant Lu (Vice Chairman of Ronald Lu & Partners, HK), and Jiang Ying (Co-Founder and Principal of O-office Architects, Mainland China).
According to Bryant Lu, “We need new infrastructure because there are needs of basic sanitary health, light, and air, and even perhaps technology. But at the same time, we need to take care of the old cultural heritage and sensitivity and striking that balance. It’s where the regenerative design aspect comes in.”
Keynote: Food Industry (October 8) – “How can we now design our consumption patterns so that it’s not affecting so much of our planet, or getting from our planet without replenishing it? How can we take good care that all the people in our value chain are actually benefiting from that? I really want to challenge that everything that we do, even in redesigning our food systems, it is really about working with nature, rather than against it,” said AGREA Founding Farmer/President and CEO of AGREA Cherrie Atilano, who delved into the possibilities of urban farming and addressing food security, with moderator Peggy Chan (Founder, Zero Foodprint Asia, HK).
Keynote: Circular Design (October 15) – Following generations of living in a linear economy, can circularity change the way we live and consume?
Joe Iles (Circular Design Program Lead of Ellen MacArthur Foundation, UK) said: “Take, make and waste is a linear economy – resources in at the beginning, waste out at the end. While it’s important to acknowledge that this model brought great prosperity to billions of people, things have started to go wrong for the linear economy because it doesn’t make good use of resources and energy. The time has come for our circular economy to evolve to move from linear to circular. And the good news from the past decade is that many are setting ambitions to help us build a more circular economy. Design helps turn that ambition into action.”
Unlocking the Future of Web3 (October 15) – How will Web3 transform cultures and communities? Benny Ho (Head of Business Development of Animoca Brands, HK), Suresh Balaji (Founder of Web3 Marketing Association, HK), and William Ip (VP and Head of Digital Commerce, APAC, of Fiserv, HK) introduce us to the definitions and possibilities of the metaverse in a conversation moderated by Darren Chuckry (Managing Director of HK Initiative, HK).
“Web3 is the new generation of the internet. If we were to think about Web1 as reading receiving information from the internet, but Web2 was about reading and writing, what Web3 goes into is an extra layer of reading, writing, and ownership. You begin to have true ownership of your data, and true ownership of your content,” said Benny Ho.
This year, HKDC celebrates its 20th anniversary under the theme “Design for Sustainable Community.” As one of HKDC’s flagship events, KODW joins hands with Strategic Partner, the Netherlands, and its platform for creative pioneers, CreativeNL; Strategic Regional Partner, Guangzhou Design Week; and Strategic Cultural Partner, M+, Asia’s new museum of global visual culture and the site for this year’s physical events, including the opening ceremony for KODW 2022 last September 24.
KODW talks will be live streamed for free on bodw+, the digital design knowledge platform envisioned to become Asia’s leading online design portal, with evergreen year-round content that facilitates conversations on Design, Innovation, and Brands for a global community.
In addition to the televised programs, KODW 2022 comprises eight workshops and masterclasses running from now until October 28. Held in hybrid formats, these sessions are led by global experts based in Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the UK.
Register for bodw+ membership, and for free access to the live video, live chat, and early-bird discounts for KODW workshops and masterclasses at kodw.bodw.com.
