The three-day event was organised by Design Asia Collective (DAC) and Asia Design Week – a platform for design creativity and innovation. Designed to be a creative disruption summit, the event began with a two-day conference featuring notable speakers from Malaysia and ASEAN-China nations. These include award-winning designers or experts from the respective fields and some who are actively leading transformations at influential research centres and on a global scale.
Dr Lim Teng Ngiom, the President of Design Asia Collective and Li Sheng, the CEO of Asia Design week, both welcomed attendees to the conference on both days and joining them on the first day was Prof. Teo Ee Sing, Executive Director of Sunway College. Azmi Abdullah, the Senior Deputy Director of International Promotion Division (Asia/Africa) at Tourism Malaysia, a_ended the second day of the conference as the special guest while Amirul Fadhli Che Ismail, Director of the Malaysia Design Council (Majlis Rekabentuk Malaysia) was the guest of honour.
“As designers and creators, we know that human creation works through the combination of elements where the results of synthesis are like magic. We are able to advance to where we are today because of our collective and individual creativity,” said Dr Lim.
“For the first time, visual creators from ASEAN and China have gathered together to kick off a journey of shared creativity that will last for many more years. This event is important because economic gravity is shieing Eastward, along with creaKve energy,” he added.
“Through this conference, we aim to contribute to building a stronger, more interconnected Asia. As we face global challenges – whether social, environmental or economic – design offers a unique and powerful tool for addressing these issues in ways that are sustainable, inclusive and human-centred,” said Li.
The ASEAN-China Design Convergence conference featured with an impressive selection of speakers on both days who talked about their innovative work and designs. They were:
Day 1
• Dato Lewré Lew, Malaysian shoe designer and founder of luxury footwear brand, Lewré Bespoke;
• Audrey Lim, contemporary fine art batik artist and the first Malaysian to win an award in the prestigious Arte Laguna Prize international art competition;
• Kaiyi Wong, product designer whose submission for the Synthesis Design Convergence competition was also on display;
• Wei Xin, an engineer, sculptor and designer who has been involved in 30 significant projects across China in public art planning, city branding, urban sculpture, and transit space art, including Beijing Daxing International Airport;
• Kamarul Izam, President of the Graphic Design Association Malaysia (mREGA);
• Ritchie Ned Hansel, Chairperson of the Indonesian Graphic Designers Association (ADGI);
Day 2
• Jeand Pua and Jehcob Tan of FrameMotion, a digital media advertising solutions provider known for crafting immersive experiences;
• Karson Wong, Industrial designer and President of the Macau Product Design Association (MOPDA);
• Yang Siong Yao, Founder and Art Director of 1983ASIA, and Executive Council Member of the Shenzhen Graphic Design
Association (SGDA);
• Praseuth Banchongphakdy, Principal and Founder of Blue Grass Design Group, Laos;
• Siam Attariya, award-winning graphic designer and Design Director of Pink Blue Black & Orange, Thailand;
• Kit Woo, the Malaysian fashion designer known for his contemporary approach and play on silhouettes;
• Hu Xiao, product designer and chairman of the International eXperience Design Committee (IXDC), China.
The ASEAN-China Design Convergence event also included an exhibition which showcased the top 100 designs from the Synthesis Design Convergence competition that opened for entries in February 2025. There was an open call to designers in ASEAN and China to join this inaugural contest where the objectives of the competition are to promote design innovation, foster regional cooperation and highlight emerging talent.
The competition received 900 submissions from product designers, digital artists, graphic designers and fashion and spatial designers. Jurors for the competition included prominent figures in the design industry, among which were Amirul Fadhli, Li Sheng, Kamarul Izam, Zafri Merican, the President of the Malaysian Association of Industrial Designers (PEREKA); Melisa Wong, Secretary of the Graphic Design Association of Malaysia; and Augustine Wong, Sunway College’s Director of Programme, Fashion Design Technology Studies.
For more information, please visit the ASEAN-China Design Convergence pages at Instagram
(www.instagram.com/aseanchinadesign) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/share/17oqkjv_F/)
About Design Asia Collective
Design Asia Collective is formed as a platform for Design Creativity and Innovation, bringing together design practitioners and academicians in the fields of Product Design, Graphic Design, Digital, Spatial Design, Fashion, Health, Food, Art, and Social. It aims to elevate the standard of Asian Designs and encourage discourse on design ideas among the members. Its current members are from China, Taiwan, Macao, Mongolia, Indonesia, India, Korea, and Malaysia.
About Asia Design Week
Asia Design Week (ADW) is an international design exhibition and event hosted by the Asia Design Week Organising Committee. Exhibitions and conferences are held annually to celebrate and promote development of Asian art and design fields in China and internationally. Asia Design Week receives works from nearly 25 countries and regions where exhibitions focused on different topics and themes are held annually to celebrate and promote the development of Asian art and design fields. The 2025 Asia Design Week will be held in November.
Issued by Xcess Communication on behalf of Design Asia Collective. For additional information or clarification, please contact:
Beverley Hon
Tel: +60 19 313 6011