Benny C.H. Leong

Leong practiced design in Asia and Europe after his graduation from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) and the Royal College of Art in the 80s and 90s respectively. Leong specialized in industrial design, Strategic Design, lifestyle design research and Design for Sustainability (DfS). Before and after he joined the School of Design Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Leong practiced as an industrial designer and strategic design consultant in China, Asia and Europe for various companies, such as Philips, HP, Alessi, Huawei, Canon, Suzuki/Haojue, Hanssem, Cuckoo, Samsung Design, UBS, etc. on various pioneer projects. His distinguished designs such as the ‘Things East-West’, ‘E-light’, ‘Vision of the Future’ and ‘Philips-Alessi kitchen range’ have won him numerous awards, recognitions, publications and especially museum collections at the San Franciso Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in the USA, and the Groningen Museum in the Netherlands.

Leong has been actively promoting lifestyle design research and Design for Sustainability (DfS) since 2005. He has co-found and found the first research network of ‘Design for Sustainability’ (together with Ezio Manzini), and the first design research network of ‘Lifestyle Design Research’ in China. He was also the leader of the Asian Lifestyle Design Lab at the School of Design HKPU. He was invited as an advisory member of the Korean Design Research Institute (KDRI), the Strategic Advisor of the Consumer Experience Design (CXD) Centre of Huawei Device Co. Ltd., the technical advisor of the SCORE (Sustainable Consumption Research Exchange) Programme, and then the chief external evaluator of the Learning Network of Sustainability (LeNs). He is now the chief external evaluator of the Learning Network on Sustainability international (LeNSin-China) programme in China, and the Advisory Committee Member of the Future Mobility Lab, KFDRI, Korea.

For his years of design and research practices, Leong has lead and engaged in over 20 projects directly or indirectly related to lifestyle design research and sustainable lifestyle design. His latest research interest is also on developing physical designs (and related system) to facilitate social well-being and sustainable lifestyle. Two corresponding projects that he has led and co-led recently were the “Mobility Lifestyles and Scenarios of Gen-Z in China (2020-2030)” (funded by the Hyundai Motor Group, via the KFDRI in Korea), and the “Lamb-Lamp: an Innovative Measure to Facilitate Family Fun Time and Mediate Mobile Phone Addiction Problem (2018)” (funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club via the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals).

Leong is also the author and contributor of number of national/ international publications, such as the first Design for Sustainability book in China entitled “Design Vision: The Sustainable Way of Living in China”, Design Issues, "Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Design" (USA), Asian Design Journal (Korea), Zhuangshi (China), “Product-Service System Design for Sustainability”, “System Innovation for Sustainability”, “China Design Now”, "Global Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion" (UK) Better by Design (Hong Kong), “Scenari del Giovane Design” (Italy), etc.

Design Product for Sustainability and Social Well-being, Lifestyle Design Research

Industrial/Product Design, Design-led Innovation, Integrative Design Thinking, Sustainable Product Design