Design Trust

23/08/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT: A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer‘s Disease International highlights dementia as a public health priority, projecting global cases will reach 110 million by 2050. This public health problem is a challenge faced globally. project “DementiaLand from Hong Kong and beyond” led by Ire Tsui and Yanki Lee, addresses this pressing social challenge through cross-disciplinary design and empathetic engagement.

Co-created with over 300 young citizens alongside 100 older adults living with dementia and their carers in 2019, the project explored the intersection of design, medical care, and social service. By developing physical design objects and empathetic tools, the initiative enables the public to directly experience the daily nuances of living with dementia, moving beyond the perception of the condition as mere memory loss.

The project participated in over five civic engagement events, including Copenhagen’s Culture Night, Dutch Design Week, and the Dementia Lab Conference. Reaching over 10,000 global citizens, these international showcases facilitated vital knowledge transfer between European communities and the Greater Bay Area, illustrating how design processes can cultivate empathy, inspire open-mindedness, and drive social innovation.

世界衛生組織（WHO）與國際阿茲海默症協會發表的一份報告將失智症列為全球公共衛生的重大挑戰，預計至2050年全球病例將達到1.1億。面對這項嚴峻的社會挑戰，徐巧詩與李欣琪於2019年進行的信言設計大使專題資助計劃項目「DementiaLand from Hong Kong and beyond」，透過跨領域設計與同理參與作出回應。

該項目與300多名青年市民、100位失智症長者及其照顧者共同創作，深入探索設計、醫療護理與社會服務的交匯點。透過研發實體設計物件與同理心工具，項目讓公眾親身體會失智症患者的日常細節，打破將此疾病僅僅視為記憶力衰退的刻板印象。

項目參與了超過五個公民參與活動，包括哥本哈根文化之夜、荷蘭設計周及失智症實驗室會議。這些國際展示觸及逾萬名全球市民，促進了歐洲社區與大灣區之間關鍵的知識交流，展現出設計過程如何培養同理心、啟發包容思維並推動社會創新。

Design Trust Marisa Yiu Enable Foundation Ire Tsui Yanki Lee

19/08/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT: project ”Unidentified Acts of Design“ led by Brendan Cormier and Luisa E Mengoni, investigated design intelligence across Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta (now known as the Greater Bay Area) in 2015, revealing how design acts take shape in unconventional forms and unpredictable environments.

Through an examination of historical and contemporary phenomena—ranging from 1980s construction methods that enabled rapid urban growth to DIY technology platforms, Shanzhai manufacturing, DJI Drones development, and digital ecosystems such as WeChat—Cormier and Mengoni offer an expanded reading of the region’s layered development of technology and manufacturing industry.

First presented at the 2015 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB), the research served as a foundational test ground for the V&A Gallery at SeaWorld Culture and Arts Center in Shekou, Shenzhen. By introducing new actors and objects into the regional narrative, Unidentified Acts of Design fosters meaningful dialogue on how design intelligence drives societal and technological evolution.

由Brendan Cormier和Luisa E Mengoni帶領，信言設計大使專題資助計劃項目「Unidentified Acts of Design」，於2015年對深圳及珠江三角洲（現稱粵港澳大灣區）的設計智慧進行了調查，揭示了設計行為如何在非常規形式和不可預測的環境中形成。

透過剖析歷史與當代現象——從1980年代推動城市快速增長的建築工法，到自製科技平台、山寨製造、大疆（DJI）無人機研發，以及微信等數位生態系統——Cormier與Mengoni為該地區科技與製造業的多層次發展提供了更廣闊的解讀角度。

此研究項目於2015深港城市\建築雙城雙年展（UABB）首次亮相，為位於深圳蛇口海上世界文化藝術中心的V&A展廳奠定了堅實的研究基礎。透過將全新角色與物件引入區域敘事，此研究項目促進了深遠對話，深入探討設計智慧如何驅動社會與科技的演進。

🔗Read more and watch the research documentaries via the link in bio
造訪主頁連結閱讀更多研究紀錄

[1-3] Exhibition display at 2015 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB), photographs by Lard Buurman, courtesy of Brendan Cormier.
[4-6] Research process documentation, courtesy of Brendan Cormier.

Design Trust Marisa Yiu Brendan Cormier UABBHK Victoria and Albert Museum

16/08/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT: design research “Public Parasols: Stories of Shade in Subtropical Hong Kong” by Chang Su, is currently on display at the “A Temporary Exhibition of Temporal Public Spaces” at Taiwan Design Museum, until Sunday October 4th, 2026.

The design prototype “Public Parasols” is featured among fifteen selected practices across East and Southeast Asia in the exhibition exploring how a new generation of Asian design practices addresses the rapid evolution of contemporary cities and public realms through critical inquiry and material innovation.

Chang Su’s research introduces an ethnography-driven, climate-sensitive framework tailored specifically to the high-density, subtropical context of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, and proposes adaptive, umbrella-like structural systems designed to provide shade, facilitate microclimatic ventilation, and respond to heavy subtropical rainfall and urban runoff. The project was previously exhibited at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in spring 2026, and will continue to engage the communities in its following regional showcase.

由蘇暢帶領的信言設計大使種籽資助計劃項目「公共陽傘：亞熱帶香港的遮蔭故事」，目前正在台灣設計館的「臨時公共空間展」展出，展期至2026年10月4日。

「公共陽傘」設計原型與來自東亞和東南亞的十五個精選項目一同亮相。是次展覽旨在探討新一代亞洲設計者如何透過批判性研究與材料創新，回應當代城市及公共領域的迅速演變。

蘇暢的研究提出了一個以民族誌為驅動、具氣候敏銳度的框架，專為香港及大灣區的高密度亞熱帶環境而設。項目構思出具適應力的傘狀結構系統，旨在提供遮陽、促進微氣候通風，並應對亞熱帶的暴雨與城市逕流。該計畫曾於 2026 年春季在哈佛大學設計研究院展出，並將於接下來的巡迴展覽中繼續與各地社區互動。

[1] Poster courtesy of Taiwan Design Museum.
[2-3] Exhibition photos courtesy of Su Chang Design Research Office.

Design Trust Marisa Yiu Su Chang Design Research Office Harvard Graduate School of Design 台灣設計研究院（TDRI ） 台灣設計館 Taiwan Design Museum Fu Yun YONA Trinity Kao 采薇 Chang Beven / 飛 Frankie Au Huen

12/08/2026

On International Youth Day, Design Trust celebrates the growth of emerging designers and scholars of our community across Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and internationally, and their contributions to advocating the positive role of design.

Through our Grant, Fellowship schemes and flagship programme Design Trust Futures Studio, our organisation has been providing flexible grant and mentorship benefitting the youth community.

Over the years, we have proudly witnessed many early-career grant recipients, fellows and mentees evolve into established design leaders, steering impactful initiatives on global stages, and we continue to nurture long-term development and community impact.

Discover how Design Trust supports the next generation of design leaders.
👉Swipe to see our highlight data

適逢聯合國國際青年日，信言設計大使慶祝香港、大灣區乃至全球範圍內新興設計師和學者們的成長，以及他們為倡導設計的積極作用所做出的貢獻。

透過我們的種籽、專題資助、研究資助計劃，以及旗艦計畫「未．共研社」，信言設計大使一直為年輕群體提供靈活的資助和指導。

多年來，我們欣喜地見證了許多職業生涯早期資助得主、研究員和學員成長為傑出的設計領袖，在全球舞台上引領著具有影響力的計畫，我們將繼續致力於他們的長期發展和社區影響力。

了解信言設計大使如何支持下一代設計領袖
👉滑動查看我們的焦點數據

Design Trust Marisa Yiu

09/08/2026

DESIGN TRUST COMMUNITY NEWS: The International Union of Architects (UIA) World Congress of Architects 2026 in Barcelona, featured sharing from Design Trust Grant recipient Leyuan Li on his project “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room” in a conversation with the panel host and Design Trust International Advisory Council member Eva Franch, exploring the greenhouse typology structure as a facilitator for social interactions and community engagement.

The Congress also featured Design Trust Grant research “Scaffold and Memory: Bamboo and the Disappearing City” by Raffaella Endrizzi presented as part of the “Local Learning Studio” programme, and Grant recipient Vanessa Ma’s presentation on “Rethinking Competitions as Visibility Systems in the Digital Age” in the session “Architectures of Information: Systems, Visibility, and Digital Territory“.

【信言設計大使社群動態】
在巴塞隆納舉行的2026年國際建築師聯盟（UIA）世界建築師大會上，信言設計大使資助計劃得主黎樂源分享了他的項目「你的溫室即是你的廚房、即是你的客廳」。

他與小組討論主持人、信言設計大使國際顧問委員會成員 Eva Franch 展開精彩對話，探討了溫室的建築類型如何促進社交互動和社區參與。大會還展出了 Raffaella Endrizzi 的信言設計大使資助計劃研究成果「棚架與記憶：竹與消失的城市」，該研究成果作為「本地學習工作室」項目的一部分進行展示；

此外，另一位信言設計大使資助計劃得主馬昌靈（Vanessa Ma）在「信息架構：系統、可見性和關鍵性的演講領域」環節中，以《重新思考數碼時代作為可見性系統的競賽》為題發表了專題演講。

[1] UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 talk, Images courtesy of JXY Studio.
[2] Project Installation “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room”, courtesy of Leyuan Li.
[3] Documentation of Bamboo Scaffolding workshop with ETH, courtesy of Raffaella Endrizzi.

Design Trust Marisa Yiu UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona eva franch i gilabert 黎乐源 Office for Roundtable JXY Studio raffaellae Project: As If ______ v̲a̲n̲e̲s̲s̲a̲ ̲m̲a̲ Leroyv̲a̲n̲e̲s̲s̲a̲ ̲m̲a̲gLeroytCommunity

05/08/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT: research project ‘The Power of “Industrial Design” and “Design-Driven” in Beijiao’ by Demo Studio explores how design-led methodologies can revitalize the small household electrical appliance manufacturing sector in Beijiao, Foshan. Facing global economic shifts and technological evolution, the research team conducted intensive onsite inspections and stakeholder interviews in 2020 to address industry bottlenecks, including product homogenization and lack of fundamental ergonomic and market research. By engaging with local enterprises, independent designers, and academic institutions—such as the Qinghua Design Institute and the China Ergonomics Research Lab—the project developed sustainable operational models that bridged the gap between design education and industrial ex*****on. The project was published in Demo Magazine July 2020 Issue and presented at Design Spring Fair 2020. Swipe to read the research article from Demo Studio.

由 Demo Studio 帶領的信言設計大使種籽資助計劃研究「北滘的方法論：工業設計與設計驅動的力量」，探索了以設計為主導的方法如何振興佛山北滘的小家電製造業。面對全球經濟格局的轉變和技術的快速發展，研究團隊於 2020 年開展了深入的實地考察和利益相關者訪談，以解決包括產品同質化、缺乏基礎人體工學和市場調查等行業瓶頸問題。透過與當地企業、獨立設計師以及學術機構（如清華設計研究院和中國人體工學研究中心）的合作，該計畫開發了可持續的營運模式，彌合了設計教育與產業實踐之間的鴻溝。該項目已發表於 2020 年 7 月的《Demo》雜誌，並在 2020 年春季設計展上展出。滑動閱讀 Demo Studio 的研究文章。

[1-5] ‘The Power of “Industrial Design” and “Design-Driven” in Beijiao’ published on Demo Magazine July 2020 Issue.
[6] Field research documentation, courtesy of Demo Studio.

Design Trust Marisa Yiu DEMOstudio

02/08/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT:
Reflecting on how technological empowerment and adapted business models support social innovation in community, we look back to experimental project “Shenzhen Ready Made Design to World” led by Vicky Xie.

Investigating the profound impact of the Pearl River Delta’s robust hardware supply chains and manufacturing ecosystems, the research examines the e-commerce phenomenon of “Taobao Villages” to explore how exporting specific open-source mindsets allow emerging makers in developing economies to bypass conventional developmental hurdles. Through field testing conducted at Change Hub Kenya, and the Kumasi Hive makerspace in Ghana 2020, the initiative applied prototyping and web development alongside technology education to equip vulnerable communities with accessible hardware components. These long-term experiments culminated in a comprehensive toolkit of design guidelines and educational materials, enabling female makers to unlock untapped potential, and demonstrate design as a powerful catalyst for social transformation.

反思科技賦能與適應性商業模式如何支持社區的社會創新，回顧由 Vicky Xie 帶領的信言設計大使種籽資助計劃項目「深圳現成設計走向世界」。該研究深入探討了珠三角洲強大的硬體供應鏈和製造生態系統的深遠影響，並以「淘寶村」的電商現象為例，探索輸出特定的開源理念如何幫助發展中經濟體的新興創客繞過傳統的開發障礙。於2020年，透過在肯亞的女子監獄變革中心（Change Hub）及加納創客空間（Kumasi Hive makerspace）進行的實地測試，該計畫將原型製作、網頁開發與技術教育相結合，為弱勢群體提供易於使用的硬體組件。這些長期實驗最終形成了一套全面的設計指南和教育材料工具包，幫助女性創作者釋放未開發的潛力，並展現了設計作為社會變革強大催化劑的角色。

[1-3] Photo courtesy of grantee

29/07/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT: research project “The Mass Production of Cool: Remaking Tolix in the PRD” by Brendan Cormier, investigates the global proliferation of the iconic Tolix chair. Regularly found in cafes and urban spaces worldwide, this ubiquitous piece of furniture serves as a case study to explore how Chinese manufacturing networks and e-commerce platforms, actively shape the material language of modern design culture. Through three years of immersive fieldwork from 2019 to 2022, Cormier traced the chair’s economic trajectory from its historic origins at the Tolix factory in Autun, France, to the production ecosystems in the Pearl River Delta (now known as the Greater Bay Area). From site visits to manufacturing facilities in Foshan and the Le Cong Wholesale Furniture Market, alongside interviews with original brand executives, local designers, and production managers mapped how these regional networks interface and offer insights into how mass-produced objects circulate and define the global built environment.

由 Brendan Cormier 帶領的信言設計大使種籽資助計劃研究「時尚的量產：珠三角地區的Tolix重塑」，探討了標誌性Tolix椅在全球的廣泛傳播。這款隨處可見的家具遍布世界各地的咖啡館和城市空間，Tolix椅被用作案例研究，探索中國製造業網絡和電子商務平台如何積極塑造現代設計文化的物質語言。從2019年到2022年，Brendan Cormier 進行了為期三年的沉浸式實地考察，追溯了這款椅子的經濟軌跡，從其位於法國歐坦的Tolix工廠的歷史起源，到珠江三角洲（現為粵港澳大灣區）的生產生態系統。透過實地考察佛山和樂從傢俱城的生產設施，以及對品牌高階主管、當地設計師和生產經理的訪談，他描繪了這些區域網絡如何相互交織，並深入剖析了批量生產的物品如何流通，並定義全球建造環境。

🔗Read more on his research article “The Everywhere Chair” published in Disegno via link in bio.
造訪個人簡介中的連結，閱讀他在《Disegno》雜誌上發表的研究文章《The Everywhere Chair》。

[1] Tolix Chairs found in the back of Bibendum London, courtesy of Brendan Cormier.
[2] Taxonomy of Different Tolix Chairs in an Autun Warehouse, courtesy of Brendan Cormier.
[3] Inside a Foshan Factory Producing Tolix Chairs, courtesy of Brendan Cormier.

Design Trust Marisa Yiu Brendan Cormier

26/07/2026

DESIGN TRUST GRANT SPOTLIGHT: research project “New Silk Road” led by Nick Axel, unpacks the spatial, social, environmental, and political realities on the ground of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s transnational infrastructure initiative across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Following an extensive editorial introduction, presenting the larger BRI initiative, a series of essays commissioned from local researchers and practitioners from a wide array of backgrounds, from architecture and urbanism to geography, history, anthropology, critical media studies came together, to study the initiative’s impact on the ground.

由 Nick Axel 帶領的信言設計大使種籽資助計劃項目「New Silk Road」，深入剖析了「​​一帶一路」倡議（BRI）在亞洲、歐洲和非洲的實際空間、社會、環境和政治影響。作為中國橫跨亞洲、歐洲和非洲的跨國基礎設施倡議，研究以一篇詳盡的導言介紹「一帶一路」倡議的總體框架，隨後邀請當地研究人員撰寫一系列文章，並邀請來自建築、城市規劃、地理、歷史、人類學、批判性媒體研究等不同領域的從業者，共同探討該倡議在實地產生的影響。

🔗Read more on the editorial via the link in bio
造訪主頁連結閱讀更多內容

[2] Crossing Kyzylkum desert from Bukhara to Khiva, Uzbekistan. 2018. Image courtesy of Ștefan Rusu ©️ Insular Modernities
[3] Solveig Suess, AAA Cargo, 2018, video still.
[4] Film still from Algorithmic Island. Image courtesy of Tekla Aslanishvili, 2019.

Design Trust Marisa Yiu e-flux Nick Axel Merve Bedir Jamie Allen Äsän Solveig DRY MATTERS Tekla Aslanishvili

22/07/2026