The School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has a long history in providing design education in Hong Kong. Since 1967, the School has taken a lead in establishing a new, integrated and multidisciplinary design curriculum. Today they have over 80 full time and more than 80 part time staff. Encouraging and nurturing creativity and innovation remains the School’s central task, supported by the most technologically advanced design tools. The University’s Multimedia Innovation Centre (MIC) was integrated into the School of Design in 2005 to meet the opportunities and challenges of new, ever-changing digital media technologies. The School is actively involved in applied research and consultancy support to industries and the professions, and staff members also engage regularly in individual research projects. With a full range of academic programmes, the School has built a substantial international reputation as a meeting point between East and West.

Currently, the School offers a BA(Hons) in Design for Advertising, Environment and Interior, Industrial and Product, and Visual Communication, as well as postgraduate MDes and MSc Degrees and MPhil and PhD Research Degrees. It also offers a Higher Diploma on a foundation level.

Future leadership in design means thinking strategically and flexibly. The School believes that designers need to have both specialist knowledge and skills and wide-ranging knowledge of other disciplines, to have business and management skills and be capable of communicating their ideas through the effective use of information technologies. In the context of Hong Kong, four basic elements contribute to the new design approach: mastery of technique and technology of design production; understanding of the psychological, social, cultural and economical factors that affect the application and use of design; sensitivity towards the aesthetic appeal of forms; and awareness of the role of designers in the region.