Understanding and nurturing creativity in design education: A case study of newspaper perspective in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, as one of the great metropolitan cities in the world, has been rapidly developing the creativity of its young people in many ways over recent decades. The Hong Kong Government fosters creativity in educational policy, especially in the curriculum of design education at secondary levels, since design education plays a central role in cultivating creativity in the next generation. However, there is no evidence to show that the concepts and theories in creativity research have become infused into society, even though creativity research has been expanding for a century. Under these circumstances, it might be worthwhile to investigate how the society perceives creativity. This paper primarily analyses how the Hong Kong mass media generally perceive creativity. Also, it discusses creativity in the relevant literature, and the close relationship between creativity and design education. Through understanding creativity as seen in newspapers, and by comparing the concepts and theories developed by researchers with the knowledge interpreted by society, it is possible to give insights on how creativity should be fostered in design education.