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The Future of Design: The Fusion of East and West

Throughout the ages designs that have changed the face of the world have originated in Asia. From Shen Nong's first set of herbal medicines in 100 BC to the invention of paper by Cai Lun in 105AD, Chinese designers have been pointing the way forward and creating products that are practical, beautiful, innovative and life enhancing.

Modern Chinese people are, themselves, sometimes surprised to realise that contemporary agriculture, shipping, astronomical observatories, decimal mathematics, paper money, umbrellas, wheelbarrows, multi-stage rockets, brandy and whiskey, the game of chess, and much more, all originated from China. Early Chinese travellers took these discoveries around the globe; today the influence of China on the western world is no less marked.

The reverse is also true. Asian people who have made new homes in far flung countries around the world are embracing western culture and ideals. They are merging their traditional values and heritage with western ideas, to create modern day solutions for the crucial moral and spiritual questions facing humanity.

Today the fusion of east and west is nowhere more evident than in Hong Kong, Asia's gateway city. Due in part to its colonial heritage, Hong Kong has long been a melting pot for a broad variety of activities, making mutual understanding and interaction between its different cultures a normal part of everyday life.

As the modern day world continues to look for inspiration in ancient Chinese traditions, multicultural Hong Kong is the ideal forum for this year's World's Outstanding Chinese Designer award. The Award aims to reach out to Chinese designers across the globe, creating a pool of shared knowledge and experience based on common origins. The organiser's vision is that a ripple started in Hong Kong will form a tide reaching every corner of the world where Chinese people are designing. This process will help identify role models who can inspire young Chinese designers wherever they may be.

Judging Criteria

Criteria was based upon three levels: personal, social and industry :

Personal
The winner should be an established figure in his discipline with a high quality of work, service and notable achievements. He must also demonstrate his long-term efforts and total commitment in the design field.

Industry
The winner should contribute to the design industry either through academic exploration or in-the-field applications, educational involvement or research studies. The winner must have demonstrated his commitment to design training at a national or an international level.

Social
The winner's design should have a positive social impact on everyday living and environmental concerns. He must demonstrate a social consciousness and responsibility; be human-oriented and possess a positive mindset for creating designs that enhance the welfare of people and society.

Judging Panel

Winner of World's Outstanding Chinese Designer 2004

Prof. KAN Tai-keung, BBS Professor, Dean of Cheung Kong School of Art & Design, Shantou University, China

The World's Outstanding Chinese Designer (WOCD) award was presented to renowned designer Kan Tai-keung, BBS, whose design work was considered by the judges, to stand head and shoulders above the crowd. The form and technique of Kan's work is built on a deep respect for the Chinese heritage, but adapted for the modern context, making it relevant and emotionally powerful for all. An overview of the promotional and educational design projects conducted by Kan in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and especially in the Mainland, has shown his dedication to raising the bar for Chinese designers, and bringing Chinese design into the international arena. His work is set to have a powerful influence on future generations of designers; training as an apprentice and tailor before studying design, his achievements will be an inspiration to many young people.

Download World's Outstanding Chinese Designer 2004 Brochure here (Size: 1.43 MB)