Revolutionary design concepts such as planes custom-built for families, underwater bridges and an ambitious city re-development plan were among the highlights of Polytechnic University's School of Design's graduation show this year. Student Chan Ka-yee came up with 'The Family Flight', a more passenger-friendly flying environment for families. Seats could be arranged in groups, so that each family had their 'own corner'. Gyms and children's play areas are also provided. Timothy Jachna, assistant professor of the design school, said the increasing popularity of air travel demanded that it become more comfortable for travellers. Huang Jia-ping, Huang Ying and Lau Mei-ki designed a 'Kinetic Pond' that showed how bridges could work in the future. According to their model, bridges could be composed of several huge cubes below the water. The components would rise only if sensors detected that someone wanted to pass over it. Jenniefur Chung, a Year Three student, chose to focus on the redevelopment of Central. 'The pace of this city is too fast, so I wanted to re-develop it to make it more relaxing,' she said. Ms Chung built a comprehensive model of her new-look Central, paying particular attention to Queen's Road and Lan Kwai Fong which she suggested should have more cafes, parks and plazas for people to take breaks. PolyU is well regarded for its design programme which includes interactive design, Web design and animation. For further details about its design studies, visit the PolyU Web site. www.polyu.edu.hk
