Title: Hong Kong Hackshops! Creative instant toy design workshops

Authors: Remi Leclerc

Addresses: Toy Design Lab, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract: Hong Kong (HK) is widely perceived as the world|s toy capital. In the past decade, its toy industry has outgrown its role as the world|s provider of cheap and flexible toys known under the label of |Made in Hong Kong| to become a global generator of play products. This brings the industry opportunities, but also challenges it to maintain its competitive edge. In this context, while HK designers are keen to demonstrate their creative potential, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), School of Design|s (SD), Toy Design Lab (the Lab) undertakes education, research and development programmes, helping foster a culture of creativity that embraces innovation, design and engineering. Among other projects it carries out |Hackshops|, where participants hack toys and use found materials to build working playthings to nurture creative toy design processes. This paper relates the Lab|s best toy design practice knowledge accrued organising, supervising and assessing Hackshop experiments since 2006.

Keywords: experimental research; toy design education; entertainment robotics; creative workshops; Hong Kong; toy design workshops; play products; working playthings.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2010.030494

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2010 Vol.3 No.1, pp.66 - 93

Published online: 18 Dec 2009 *

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