From 26-29 November 2025, a delegation of Hong Kong designers successfully completed a four-day, in-depth design and business trip in Italy. The delegation was co-organized by WDO Member Hong Kong Designers Association, and a highlight of the trip was a dedicated exchange with fellow WDO Member Cappelli Identity Design.
Voices from Hong Kong Design: Crafting Tomorrow’s Designs with Technology, Tradition and Cross-cultural Innovation
Hong Kong designers and architects addressed this theme from various angles, including architecture, space, products, branding, and cultural storytelling, exploring the balance between technology and humanity.
The moderator of the delegation, Magic Kwan, smoothly guided the conversations. He demonstrated how to combine digital design with Eastern aesthetics, with the goal of instilling a deeper cultural spirit and human warmth into AI applications.
>Etain Ho stated from a humanistic standpoint that technology must serve our core sense of self. She believes its principal purpose is to engage with the fundamental question of ‘who we are’, underlying innovation in memory and identity.
Design is not limited to static environments. Stanley Kwok is dedicated to ‘weaving’ technology into daily life. He shared how smart textiles can make technology invisible in everyday use, reflecting a human-centered approach to product innovation.
Shifting to architecture, Manfred Yuen shared his community-focused approach. He demonstrated that design was about embedding human-centric values into everyday spaces. Meanwhile, Tat Lai Wong specialized in integrating art and architecture. He demonstrated how ARTA Architects’ design could go beyond physical function to become a key medium that stimulated community interaction, engaged the senses and emotions, and created shared memories.
In terms of shaping brand value, William Yeung emphasized the importance of brand storytelling. He builds a bridge between advanced technology and the public by creating clear stories that help people connect with brands. Furthermore, Kylie Chow analyzed how space subtly shapes human emotion and behavior. In the digital age, she emphasized that unique designs can build significant user connections.
Italy Design Narratives: Designing as an Endless Journey
During the meeting, Emanuele Cappelli (Designer, Founder and CEO) and Fabio Zanino (Head of Communication and External Relations) from Cappelli Identity Design, described their renowned Dynamic brand methodology as “an endless journey” of exploration, which is succinctly captured in their ethos: “We explore and design multidisciplinary projects using the Dynamic brand method. So, we design.”
The studio’s core message centred on returning the focus of corporate communication to the individual, advocating for a human-centric approach that designs not static logos but evolving dynamic identity systems. This method is applied in a wide range of industries, which includes cultural institutions, premium consumer brands, and major international cultural and art festivals.
This proven approach, as demonstrated across these diverse fields, has earned international recognition from prestigious awards such as the ADI Compasso d’Oro International, the World Brand Design Society, and the German Design Award.
From Gifts to Gathering: Solidifying a Creative Alliance
The WDO Member meeting concluded with a symbolic gift exchange that laid the groundwork for a lasting partnership. The Hong Kong Designers Association presented its 50th Anniversary Publication — a chronicle of the organization’s journey and its members’ outstanding work, expressing the hope that it would mark the beginning of a shared history. In return, Cappelli Identity Design presented its seminal Dynamic brand book set, which embodies the designer’s personal narrative and the studio’s core philosophy. This mutual exchange demonstrated a shared commitment to design excellence, with both parties looking forward to co-authoring future stories.
Following this meaningful exchange, the day culminated in a dinner hosted at Snodo / OGR. This setting highlighted the studio’s deep roots in the city’s ecosystem of technology and creativity. Over the shared meal, the Hong Kong delegation and Cappelli Identity Design team symbolically solidified the newly established partnership.
Beyond Meeting: Translating Inspiration into Collaborative Opportunities
Beyond the meeting with Cappelli Identity Design, the delegation engaged in a series of visits to Italy’s leading design institutions. The first day offered a comprehensive journey through three pillars of creativity: the delegation visited WDO Member POLI.design, the prestigious design school of Politecnico di Milano, and the Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, a master-level institution, drawing inspiration from both educational foundations and a legendary creative spirit. The day concluded at Armani/Silos, where the group gained insights into how a top brand transformed its historical archive into a contemporary language.
The next visiting day, the delegation engaged directly with the active market forefront. A central platform for this engagement was the ‘Think Business, Think Hong Kong’ symposium. Its in-depth dialogues on integrating technology with human-centric values paved the way for future cross-border collaboration. The dialogue with the Truly Design team, which has deep expertise in visual arts, sparked inspiration for potential collaboration on cultural and creative content, illustration, and cross-media design projects.
Highlight: Getting Hong Kong Design Seen
This successful journey to Italy did more than raise the profile of Hong Kong design; it also delivered tangible value. This act of collegial support within the WDO network was transformative. It allowed the delegation of award-winning Hong Kong designers to move beyond standard tourist itineraries and engage in deep, professional exchanges with WDO peers like POLI.design and Cappelli Identity Design.
Ultimately, this engagement opened tangible project opportunities and elevated the visibility of Hong Kong designers in Europe, solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a worldwide creative center. By merging technology, business acumen, culture, and personal caring, Hong Kong is prepared to provide meaningful solutions for the global market. This visit broadened professional networks, opened up new project options, and provided critical market insights, paving the way for long-term collaboration.
