HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach^[1] - 30 October 2020 - DFA Awards 2020 is pleased to announce its recipients for the year of 2020. Three design trendsetters have been recognised under the three individual awards, namely the DFA Lifetime Achievement Award (DFA LAA), the DFA Design Leadership Award (DFA DLA), and the DFA World's Outstanding Chinese Designer (DFA WOCD). In addition, 197 design projects have been recognised under the DFA Design for Asia Awards (DFA DFAA), and 16 young Hong Kong designers under the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA).

Organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre^[2] (HKDC) with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government as the lead sponsor, the DFA Awards aims to reinforcing the importance of designers within society. The awards also celebrates design leadership as well as exemplary designs and projects with Asia perspectives towards the globe, and since 2005 it has recognised the rising force of emerging Hong Kong designers.

Commenting on this year's awards, Professor Eric C. Yim, JP, Chairman of the HKDC, said, "This year, we have found ourselves in a world facing global challenges that demand a unified global response. We at the Hong Kong Design Centre believe that design can provide a way of helping the world to navigate through the storms and better adapt to the new normal. This year's awardees are all influencers in the design community. They have innovated to create humane designs that are able to solve problems, enhance our lives, connect our communities and sustain our cultures."

DFA Awards 2020 Press Kit + High Res photos: http://www.hkdc.hk/download/awards/DFAAWARDS2020_PRESSKIT.zip^[3]

In awarding the DFA Awards' highest and most prestigious design honours for the year, the judging panel recognised the extraordinary contributions to the design community of three design trendsetters:

DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 (DFA LAA)

Tim BROWN

Executive Chair, IDEO

The DFA LAA signifies the high respect of the design community for individuals who have made life-long contributions to the field. Tim Brown championed a design led, human-centered approach and has helped to shape the face of contemporary design, creating a legacy that is acclaimed by design professionals across the world.

DFA Design Leadership Award 2020 (DFA DLA)

Frank WANG

CEO and Founder, DJI

The DFA DLA recognises global business leaders who use strategic and innovative design to create successful and sustainable businesses. This year's recipient is Frank Wang, founder of DJI, a world-leading manufacturer of civilian drone. He has successfully demonstrated the important relationship between strong corporate leadership and design excellence in his business.

DFA World's Outstanding Chinese Designer 2020 (DFA WOCD)

Stanley WONG (anothermountainman)

Founder & Creative Director,

84000 Communications

The DFA WOCD honours Chinese designers who have made outstanding design achievements and won international recognition for their work. The winner, Stanley Wong, is responsible for creating numerous impressive communication designs drawing on Hong Kong culture, and is devoted to promoting design through educational, institutional and social involvement. Having joined the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) since 2004, he is a well-respected member of the international graphic design community and undoubtedly an important role model for young designers in Hong Kong and overseas alike.

(Please refer to Appendix 1 for detailed biographies of the winners.)

Recognition of exceptional designs: DFA Design for Asia Awards

Being a part of the flagship programme of the HKDC, the DFA Design for Asia Awards continues to acknowledge outstanding design projects that embody Asian aesthetics and culture, and that have inspired wider Asian design trends. This year, DFA DFAA received more than 1,000 entries from 20 economies by open entry. A total of 197 awardees were recognised, including 12 Grand Awards, 8 Grand Award with Special Mention and 177 category awards. These awards covered projects and practitioners from 23 categories in four major design disciplines: Apparel & Accessory Design, Communication Design, Environmental Design, and Product & Industrial Design. (Please refer to Appendix 2 for the complete list of winners.)

2020 is a year full of trials and the world is ready for some changes. In response to the unusual circumstances this year, innovative ideas have emerged for rebuilding people's relationship with the natural world, connecting the community, and fostering cultural sustainability. Some of the awarded projects promote the reconnection with nature through communication and environmental designs. Some stay on track with design thinking, providing designs and solutions for social problems, medical needs, industrial needs and more. Some praise the uniqueness of cultures and try to remind people the importance of cultural conservation through cross-media presentations. This year's awardees come from professional designing firms all around the world with projects in Asia. Japan was the biggest winner by economy, taking away 61 awards, followed by Mainland China and Hong Kong with 48 and 21 awards respectively. Other winning company locations included Denmark, Korea, Lithuania, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and more.

Fostering young creative talent: DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award

Since 2005, the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award has nurtured the development of emerging Hong Kong designers by providing them with valuable opportunities to gain overseas experience. The 16 awardees for 2020 are all Hong Kong design practitioners or graduates of 35 years old or under who have made refreshing contributions to Hong Kong's creative industries across a range of disciplines. The awarded apparel and accessory designers are the emerging new players on the global stage who bring in insights from overseas to Hong Kong's fashion industry. Communication designers create works with in-depth exploration on typography, visual identity, graphic designs, and also new design concepts such as story design, that have contributed to the society and the commercial world. Environmental designers have clear visions on achieving environmental sustainability, engaging social involvement on architectural projects, sustaining traditional cultures and values through innovative design ideas.

This year, 13 of them will receive a financial sponsorship amount up to HK$5,000,000 in total to undertake 6 to 12-month work experiences or 6 to 18-month study experiences abroad. Sponsored by CreateHK, the Hong Kong Design Institute and the School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, these young designers will have the opportunity to gain unique experience at world-renowned design firms or institutions. Over the years, the DFA HKYDTA has provided sponsorships to over 100 young talents, helping them to gain insights into the global design industry and return to Hong Kong as experienced design leaders for the city's creative businesses. (Please refer to Appendix 3 for the list of winners.)

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)
3. ^{^} http://www.hkdc.hk/download/awards/DFAAWARDS2020_PRESSKIT.zip (www.hkdc.hk)