Peppy designs

Shu Hilchy, 24, and his partner Zoey Lai Lai-yee, 21, are participants of the Innovative Factory programme.

Shu, a design graduate, has come up with T-shirts with cartoon characters and logos he created based on his family members and friends. Bookmarks with encouraging messages will be sold together with the T-shirts at about $100.

Lai says they hope the positive messages will cheer people up.

Shu says he acquired valuable business knowledge from the programme. 'I've thought about setting up my own brand and shop, but the costs are too high,' he says.

'This will be a good chance for me to test [the marketability of] my designs on an affordable budget.'