Global Design Dialogues:
Trends for Tomorrow
Empowering Business Value Through Design
Theme: Empowering Business Value Through Design
25 April 2025 (Friday)
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
sky100, 100/F, International Commerce Centre (ICC),
1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
HIGHLIGHTS
Global Design Dialogues: Trends for Tomorrow, a prestigious half-day conference designed to elevate the cooperation and competitiveness of Hong Kong’s professional designers on a global stage. This exclusive event, funded by the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The conference theme this year is “Empowering Business Value Through Design”. It offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into emerging global trends, innovative strategies, and industry best practices.
PROGRAMMES
9:00 am – 9:30 am
9:30 am – 9:40 am
9:40 am – 12:10 pm
12:10 pm – 12:30 pm
Reception and Networking
Welcome Speech
Conference Sessions
Networking
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
9:40 am – 10:40 am
Theme 1: Future Design: AI & Tech
Digital Future: Intersections of Art, Design and Advanced Technologies
Speaker: Mr. Pavel Mrkus - Head Curator of Signal Festival (Digital, Czechia)
Designing for Digital Transformation
Speaker: Prof. Thomas Kvan - Dean, School of Design, Southern University of Science and Technology (Interior, Denmark)
10:40 am – 11:10 am
Theme 2: Sustainability & Social Impact Design
Designing for a Sustainable Future: Global Perspectives and Local Applications
Speaker: Prof. Pradyumna Vyas - President - Elect of World Design Organization (Product design; India)
11:10 am – 12:10 pm
Theme 3: Design for Craftmanship & Preservation
The Wisdom of Panamanian Stitching: Preserving Identity Through Craft
Speaker: Mr. Tony Vergara - Founder of TONY VERGARA (Fashion, Panama)
Preserving Craftsmanship in Modern Design: Techniques and Case Studies
Speaker: Mr. Norito Shinmura - Founder of garden inc. (Graphic, Japan)
SPEAKERS
Mr. Pavel Mrkus
Mr. Pavel Mrkus is an audiovisual artist who works in the field of digital moving images and sounds often concerning specific spaces. He graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. His later study of Religious Studies at Charles University in Prague together with his four years of teaching position at Toyama City Institute of Glass Art in Japan led him to a unique mixture of cultural paradigms within his work.
After showing at the 50th Venice Biennial in 2003 he participated in many group and solo shows internationally. He was awarded Personality of the Year 2012 for his digital media-based exhibition Next Planet in The Brno House of Arts. Together with visual artist Daniel Hanzlik, they established a Time-Based Media studio at the Faculty of Art and Design at J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. Between the years 2015 – 2023, he served as a dean of the Faculty of Art and Design. He is a member of the Artistic Board and Doctoral Board of this Faculty, a member of the Doctoral Board at the Faculty of Art and Architecture at Technical University in Liberec and a member of the Scientific and Art Board at the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at T. Bata University in Zlin. Besides his fine art projects in digital and media art, he is also active as an architect and designer of permanent and temporal exhibitions for museums and galleries.
Since 2023 he has been active as a head curator of the Signal Festival in Prague.
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Prof. Thomas Kvan
Thomas Kvan is the founding Dean of the School of Design and Chair Professor at Southern University of Science and Technology. He is a Fellow of Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia, of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and of the Royal Society of the Arts, the former two were elected in 2005 and the latter in 2021, selected into the 2022 Stanford Lifetime Scientific Impact Ranking of the Top 2% of Top Scientists in the World.
Professor Kvan is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in design, design learning, digital environments, design management, and virtual heritage. He was the founding co-Director of LEaRN delivering multidisciplinary research on learning and architecture and was founding Director of AURIN that developed a national digital infrastructure of urban data to support research and decision making, both networks hosted at the University of Melbourne.
He has published over 200 publications in academic, professional, and popular channels and is on the editorial boards of leading journals. Professor Kvan received his Ph.D. in architecture from Open University, MArch in Computer Applications in Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles, MA, and BA from Cambridge University.
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Prof. Pradyumna Vyas
Prof. Pradyumna Vyas is a former Director of National Institute of Design (NID), India’s premier design institute. He is currently the senior Advisor for Design Promotion and Innovation at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and President-elect of the World Design Organisation (WDO).
Prof. Vyas acquired Masters in Industrial Design (M Des.) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and was awarded an Honorary Master of Arts degree from the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, United Kingdom in 2010.
Prof. Vyas has been at the helm of design affairs in India and globally, and his illustrious career has been marked with several national and international milestones and accolades.
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Mr. Tony Vergara
Tony Vergara is a Panamanian fashion designer who made his debut in 2008, blending professionalism and passion to create designs that merge tradition and modernity. His approach integrates knowledge of botany, art, and Panama’s rich culture, resulting in collections that tell personal stories through fabrics, colors, and textures.
In 2022, he was awarded the Talento Caribe prize for his contributions to fashion and culture, and in 2023, Bloomberg Línea recognized him as one of Latin America’s 100 Innovators. Since 2014, his namesake brand has stood out for exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail, drawing inspiration from Panama’s artistic heritage, biodiversity, and cultural legacy.
Tony Vergara’s collections are known for their elegant versatility and sophistication, establishing him as a key figure in Panama City’s Ready-to-Wear scene.
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Mr. Norito Shinmura
Graphic Designer Norito Shinmura was born in 1960 on Japan. After tenure Shin Matsunaga Design and I&S/BBDO, he established Shinmura Design Inc. The company name was changed to garden inc. in 2021. Major clients include SHISEIDO, MUJI, Tokyo Olympics Candidature File, Sapporo Breweries, etc.
Awards received include New York Art Directors Club Awards_Silver and Bronze Prizes, New York Type Directors Club Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, International Biennale of Graphic Design in Brno Award_Gold Prize, China International Poster Biennial Award_Second Prize, International Poster Triennial in Toyama Award_Bronze Prize, Warsaw International Poster Biennale Award_Silver Prize, Taiwan International Poster Design Award_Silver Prize, Ningbo International Poster Biennial_Gold and Bronze Prizes, Design for Asia Awards_Gold Prize, Tokyo Art Directors Club Award, etc.
He is now Member of JAGDA and Tokyo ADC.
ORGANISER
FUNDED BY
SUPPORTING ORGANISER
This material/event is funded by the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material/any event organised under this project do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the Vetting Committee of the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme.
CONTACT US
Hong Kong Designers Association
Official website：www.hkda.hk
Email：info@hkda.hk
Phone：2527 3968 / 9291 8896
WeChat：16620966288 (ID: HKDA_Official)
Address：9/F, 1 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong