• KODW 2020 Goes Virtual Meeting Global Experts to Explore the New Normal

    28 July 2020

    The pandemic has catalysed the rapid adoption of digital technologies to keep businesses going, information flowing and peoples connected. As life returns to normal and economies begin to slowly revive, technologies must be interweaved with human-centred design to reimagine and reinvent a better future and society.

    Hong Kong Design Centre’s (HKDC) major annual event, Knowledge of Design Week (KODW), will make its debut as a virtual event for international audiences this year. With Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor, and under the theme “Designing Digital Futures”, KODW 2020 will be held from 26 to 29 August 2020 to explore how digital transformation and human-centric design can help us navigate uncertainty and thrive in the pandemic world.

    More than 40 local and international speakers will share their views and critically relevant insights about emerging cross-industry trends, with an emphasis on the post-pandemic outlook and how design can shape change with empathy, creativity and resilience. In addition, KODW participants can automatically join a free community and networking platform which enables them to connect with speakers and start conversations with others in the KODW community, offering a unique networking aspect to the virtual event.

    Throughout the 4 days, 15 free virtual thematic sessions of talks, conversations and discussions and 4 interactive virtual workshops will explore the value of design, innovation and technology relating to these key themes: Global Health and Wellbeing; AI, Big Data and Ethics; Creativity and Design Leadership; Smart Cities and Liveability; Future of Work; Brand Resilience; Retail Experience and eCommerce; Content Creation and Media; and Gen Z. Simultaneous intepretation in English, Cantonese and Putonghua is provided for most sessions.

    KODW 2020 – Event Details

    Date: 26 – 29 August 2020

    Format: Virtual

    Language: English, Cantonese and Putonghua (with simultaneous interpretation)

    Registration: www.kodw.org/

    KODW 2020 – Key Speakers

    • Eric Quint, Chief Brand and Design Officer of 3M Company (US), showing how to navigate change and ambiguity to drive progress and brand relevancy by collaborative creativity
    • David Chow, General Manager and Partner of Global Business Services of IBM (Hong Kong), helping organisations drive AI-powered innovation and define next-gen business model through the concept of cognitive enterprise
    • Romeo Durscher, Senior Director of Public Safety Integration of DJI (US), exploring how drones, AI and data-driven insights can help save lives in times of emergencies and disasters, from wildfires to the coronavirus pandemic
    • Tatiana Gomez, Workplace Consultant of Herman Miller (Hong Kong), offering a sneak peak at workplace strategies and trends after Covid-19
    • Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT Senseable City Lab and Founding Partner of Carlo Ratti Associati (US/Italy), world-renowned architect and innovator who will introduce CURA, an open-source project to convert shipping containers into plug-in intensive care pods for the Covid-19 pandemic
    • Sean Carney, Chief Design Officer & Head of Healthcare Transformation Services of Royal Philips (The Netherlands), reimagining healthcare at the intersection of emerging design and health tech and why there is a need for decentralised healthcare
    • Tim Stock, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of scenarioDNA (US), trends analysis expert discussing how to make sense of an elusive world and stay ahead in these complex times
    • Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder of Sybarite (UK), unpacking luxury store design in the new-normal context
    • Wes Ng, CEO & Co-Founder of CASETiFY (Hong Kong), Hong Kong-based global tech accessories brand partnering with NASA, DHL and Coca-Cola, sharing insights on connecting with millennials and Gen Z around the world through creative collaborations, customisation and the power of social media
    • Alan Chan, General Manager of Group Branding Centre of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (Hong Kong), discussing a predicted shift from product centric to people centric marketing strategies and how brands can increase relevancy
    • SK Lam, Founder of AllRightsReserved (Hong Kong), Hong Kong-based creative studio which successfully launched its e-Commerce platform,who will explore the future of creativity, content curation and exciting possibilities for experimentation amid changes
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