Designing the path to success

The vibrancy of Hong Kong's creative industries is intensifying as the government continues its support of the sector, while the widespread influence of social media has attracted a broader spectrum of people to get involved.

"As part of its cultural policy, the Hong Kong government is committed to promoting arts and culture with more venues and better infrastructure to support continued creative development," says Grant Preisser, vice-president of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Hong Kong.

Government initiatives include the West Kowloon Cultural District near Yau Ma Tei and the Arts and Cultural Precinct redevelopment in Wan Chai, near the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

Social media, together with personal mobile electronic devices and creative applications, offer new ways of expressing creativity to new audiences who can appreciate them, Preisser says.

"[Local] youths are increasingly vibrant and eager to express themselves creatively. Grassroots arts initiatives like DeTour, and organisations such as Ambassadors of Design, both of which SCAD supports, focus on providing opportunities for youth arts and creativity," he says.

Wilson Yuen, deputy programme leader of the Master of Science in Multimedia and Entertainment Technology (MScMET) at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong's (PolyU) School of Design, thinks entrepreneurship among local designers has grown stronger, thanks to the popularisation of online private fundraising support, or "crowd-sourcing".