XN000022-1975-01-24 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1975.

HONG KONG DESIGNERS BECOMING MORE ORIGINAL

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HONG KONG IS GRADUALLY GETTING AWAY FROM BEING A PLACE THAT JUST MANUFACTURES TO OTHER PEOPLES' DESIGNS AND SPECIFICATIONS, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. DAVID JORDAN, SAID TODAY.

THIS TREND WAS EVIDENT FROM THE WINNING PRODUCTS IN THE RECENT +GOVERNOR'S AWARD» COMPETITION, HE TOLD THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE GIFTWARE DESIGN EXHIBITION FROM JAPAN AT THE CITY HALL.

MR. JORDAN SAID THERE WAS NOW A LARGE AND INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO RECOGNISE THE GROWING NEED IN ORIGINAL WORK, AND HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE INCREASING ACTIVITIES OF THE DESIGN COUNCIL AND BY THE DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

THE POLYTECHNIC, HE POINTED OUT, WAS OFFERING A THREE-YEAR FULL TIME HIGHER DIPLOMA COURSE AND A ONE-YEAR FULL TIME ASSOCIATE- SHIP COURSE IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN. DOTH OF OUR UNIVERSITIES.+ HE ADDED, HAVE EXTRA-MURAL COURSES ON INDUSTRIAL DESIGN. THE MORRISON HILL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE PROVIDES A FULL TIME DESIGN COURSE ON FURNITURE AND THE DESIGN CENTRE ITSELF OFFERS A CERTIFICATE COURSE ON INDUSTRIAL DESIGN.

MR.

JORDAN NOTED THAT TODAY'S EXHIBITION AT THE CITY HALL COVERED, DEL I BERATELY, ONLY A LIMITED FIELD, BUT IT WAS ONE IN WHICH THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SCOPE FOR HONG KONG, HE SAID.

+I HOPE THAT STUDENTS, PRACTISING DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS ALIKE WILL GAIN PRACTICAL BENEFIT FROM STUDYING THE PRODUCTS HERE- AND THAT OUR BUDDING DESIGNERS WILL ALSO STAND BACK A LITTLE TO CONSIDER THE OVERALL APPROACH OF THE JAPANESE DESIGNERS WHO PRODUCED THE ITEMS, HE SAID.

+COLLECTIVELY THEY HAVE SOMETHING WHICH WE HAVE NOT YET MANAGED TO ACHIEVE A UNITY DERIVED FROM A DISTINCT AND READILY RECOGNISED JAPANESE APPROACH TO DESIGN.

THIS OF COURSE IS APPROPRIATE AND INDEED POSSIBLE ONLY IN SOME FIELDS. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THEM - AND I THINK IT OFFERS AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE TO OUR DESIGNERS TO DEVELOP A RECOGNISABLE HONG KONG STYLE, WHICH COULD BE IN ITSELF A POSSIBLE SELLING POINT,+ MR. JORDAN ADDED.

MR. JORDAN EMPHASISED THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT DESIGN, AND NOT ABOUT THE ADDITION TO AN EXISTING PRODUCT OF IRRELEVANT +STYLING.

*THE EXHIBITION AND THE ASSOCIATED SEMINAR SHOULD BE MORE HELPFUL TO THE PRODUCTION OF BETTER DESIGNED - AND AGAIN I USE THIS TERM IN ITS WIDER SENSE HONG KONG PRODUCTS IN THIS SECTOR.

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+THIS IS OF GROWING IMPORTANCE IN THESE DIFFICULT DAYS. AS I SAID TO OUR EXPORTERS A FEW WEEKS AGO, 1975 IS GOING TO BE A YEAR IN WHICH THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND SELL AND OUR MANUFACTURERS AND DESIGNERS HAVE TO SEE THAT THEY HAVE WELL-DESIGNED, GOOD QUALITY PRODUCTS TO SELL,* MR. JORDAN SAID.

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