Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng
Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 1987 with a BA in industrial design. In the same year, she received a special award in the Young Designers of the Year competition from the Federation of Hong Kong Industries. She was also the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Industry: Consumer Product Design in 1989 as head of the product design team at Lambda Industrial Limited. In 1995 Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng completed her master’s degree and began teaching product design at the Vocational Training Council. Later, she orchestrated the development of an international network of design-related organisations and schools.
After over 19 years in education, she left the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) to found Vivian Design in 2014. Since then, she has been providing consultancy services and working on her own jewellery and glass art collection.
Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng was the international liaison manager at the Hong Kong Design Institute and a member of the board of directors of the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) from 2002 to 2004. From 2013 to 2017 she was a member of the World Design Organization (WDO, formerly Icsid) board of directors, and since 2027, she has been the WDO’s regional advisor. Over the years, Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng has been a member of various government and NGO jury panels.
Red Dot in an interview with Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng
Red Dot: How would you characterise your jewellery?
Vivian Wai-kwan Cheng: My jewellery tells stories. No matter what I design, I think of a story or a journey that I experienced, and I embed it in my pieces. So, I think my jewellery in a way talks to the people who wear it and expresses itself.
What features does a product need to have in order to win you over?
The number one vital ingredient of good design is that it must have a role and position in society, a reason to exist. It should be able to achieve a particular goal. The next question is whether the design is well-thought-out in terms of function, operation, appearance, ergonomics, material selection, user friendliness, eco friendliness, production and market positioning.
What product could you not do without in your everyday life?
My cooking pan is the item I use every day for my breakfast, lunch and dinner. A good and welldesigned pan will be comfortable to use and bring pleasure while preparing your meal.