Around the Table: A Review
of Working in Hong Kong
Pedro “Adler” Jorge

Philips Design HK | [e-mail]

“What’s it like to do design work in Asia?” It’s a question I’m often asked.

advancing at a fast pace, but design is held back by subtle cultural nuances related to cost, features, and speed.”

To keep up with the pace, a number of designers, product planners, usability practitioners, Web developers, and managers from various user experience disciplines have been meeting informally to share and discuss their learning at work, and to present their thoughts and challenges.

In an attempt to give you a flavor of the design field in Asia, especially in Hong Kong, below is a review of these discussions in a roundtable format. The names are fictional, but the comments are not, offering an accurate representation of what it’s like to work in Hong Kong (HK).

July + August 2009

interactions

Hong Kong is a rather small territory with 7 million inhabitants. The city and surrounding area have generally accepted technology as a way of life; in Hong Kong the words “design,” “innovation,” and “experience” are used commonly in business conversation and are generally associated with worldwide fashion brands and the professions of industrial and interior design. The nature of the work and the challenges one faces vary a great deal, as do the individual designers’ skills and proficiency. Designers work not only in the Asian market but also on projects for countries outside Asia. While design has commonly meant “visual” or “skin” design, the notion that design can affect behavior and support goals is slowly dawning in Hong Kong, where local companies are beginning to hire interaction designers. The recent addition of a one-year interaction design program at Hong Kong Polytechnic University has helped raise awareness of this discipline.

Thus, when thinking about what it’s like to design in Asia, a common response is: “Asia is a very busy place that is

Work Environment and Struggles: How Quick Is “Fast”? Alexis: When I compare working in other countries with working in Hong Kong, the first thing that is surprising is the language; most of the dialogue is conducted in English, with a few Chinese words thrown in. One thing that I appreciate is that even if there is one non-Chinese speaker in the room, the meeting will be held in English. While the language is English, the working environment and the discussions

are much quieter here than in the West. There are many discussions, but the focus is on deciding, not on brainstorming or discussing different views. Although a quiet environment allows you to focus more on your work, dialogue is essential for communication and idea development.

Our clients are generally very diverse. The key differentiator is how much they understand the practice we offer and how much they are willing to trust our approach and the recommendations that come from it. I have had to do a considerable amount of preaching about the principals behind user experience to the majority of clients here—trying to describe how and why focusing on experience is important. It is advantageous when you have clients who know the value we bring to their online channel, yet who also challenge us. This has been helpful, as it keeps us on our toes and enables us to push our research and our designs further.

Kent: I see larger differences between companies, not between cities. The company culture will shape how workers behave and how colleagues work with each other. I have worked in Hong Kong with European companies as well as with Chinese-owned com-

Photograph by Amy Barker