Exhibition header designed by the HKDCThe awards are claimed to be a selection of the best designs from 1,600 submissions from all over Asia-Pacific, in graphic, product, spatial and new media design categories. Since most winning entries were from Hong Kong, one could wonder how many of the submissions were from other countries. Considering Hong Kong is far behind Japan, Korea and even Singapore in terms of creativity and innovation, it is likely that the call for submission had a limited reach.
The claim of regional excellence only made the results that more surprising. Apart from a few exceptions in interior design and graphics, most entries were far from showing creativity or innovation. Apart from dated designs and recycled ideas, the most striking thing about the awards was the apparent lack of any strong rationale behind most designs. And since no justifications for the winning selections were provided, there was nothing to infirm this impression.
Interestingly, many winning entries were from designers who happened to also be on the executive committee of the HKDA or HKDC. For example, HKDA’s Vice-chairman Winnif Pang (Winnif Studio Ltd.) won multiple awards in product design, while HKDC Vice-chairman Freeman Lau’s (Kan and Lau Design Consultancy), won in many in other categories.
Following are a few examples of the winning entries for you to judge the quality of the winning entries by yourself.
Moody Disc
(Silver award, Electronic & Electric Appliance, Winnif Studio)
With a very 80’s style plastic techno design, this “2.1 Woofer-in Speaker” is a speaker with built-in FM radio tuner allows you to adjust the volume by repeatedly waving your hands on either side of the player. It also has white lights that can flash through the semi-transparent plastic. Since the motion-detection works only within a few inches of the machine, people would most likely quickly start using the volume adjustments buttons on the machine or on their MP3 player instead. The product also has a headphone jack, suggesting that people would want to put this device between their MP3 player and their headphone... only for the pleasure of adjusting the volume by waving their hands?
Relaxing Spa Light
(Silver award, Domestic Accessory, Winnif Studio)
This is basically a small round plastic casing around a red and blue light, and an electronic chip that can emit sound samples of waves, flowing water, insects or birds chirping. It can also float. The name suggests it can create a spa experience.See the poster
Pepper and Salt Vibrator
(Bronze award, Domestic Accessory, Winnif Studio)
Battery-operated and electric pepper or salt grinders have exist for a while. These can save people the strain of twisting repeatedly, which can be useful for professionals who cook a lot, or for restaurant waiting staff. But this award-winner is a shaker, designed to “automatically vibrate you salt and pepper out effectively and decently”.Redwhiteblue: here/there/everywhere
(Gold award, Publication category, Stanley Wong)
The gold award in the publication category went to the book “Redwhiteblue here/there/everywhere”, which was launched in 2005 and has been featuring in many other award, books and event in Hong Kong since. This is simply another application of the red, white, and blue theme the designer has been applying since 2000 to everything from posters to interior design, inspired by the same colored durable nylon bags often seen in Hong Kong.The designer, Stanley Wong, also happens to be a on the executive committee of the HKDA.
Best of the Best?
I don't know about you, but if this is not junk food, it nonetheless left me still hungry for something more aesthetically and intellectually nourishing. The awards simply highlighted Hong Kong’s lack of creativity and went to prove once again that there perhaps more than anywhere, it’s not what you know but who you know that counts. If that is the best Hong Kong has to offer, then you just wonder what would their junk actually be like?
