Exhibitor’s Stories

DESIGN WITH SOCIAL IMPACT
The I’mperfect journey started from a tiny dot on a defective mug. In 2010, Eddy Yu and Hung Lam, founders of CoDesign were shocked that millions of products in a ceramic factory were discarded just because of a small defect. They realised that we were living in a culture obsessed by perfection – everything is scrutinised for the slightest flaw. This has created enormous pressure on us, to the detriment of our physical and mental health, and they felt an immense urge to change the deeply entrenched idea that imperfection should not be tolerated. In fact, imperfection is only natural as the world is imperfect. Our imperfections are where our uniqueness lies. So that’s why they started the I’MPERFECT project, which encourages a simple
and harmonious life.

Lam and Yu use the theme of imperfection to partner with other organisations to rethink projects and products. One campaign with Hong Kong ceramics brand Loveramics was to create distinctive, individual mugs. On another occasion they worked with a Hong Kong publisher to make premium gifts, and bring old books back to life by simply redesigning the book jacket. Instead of a typical cover design and title, the new cover describes the essence or contents of the book, and the goal is to encourage people to see beyond the cover.

The CoDesign studio specialises in holistic branding solutions, and their spinoff, CoLAB, is a collaborative platform for social innovation through design, which synergises forces for commercial, cultural and social entities. It promotes social betterment through creativity, and works with young designers to carry out projects and solve problems. For example, CoLAB was invited by the Art Promotion Office to practice the concept of I’MPERFECT in Oil Street Art Space (Oil!), which subsequently became I’MPERFECT XCHANGE. The space became an urban oasis where people could take a break from their busy lives and become more aware of themselves, the environment, and others around them. I’MPERFECT XCHANGE has a transactional barter system, and if you bring a tin of food, or any safely sealed produce, you receive a herb, such as basil or thyme, in return. Or you can write down your own imperfections in exchange for a cup of herbal tea. Through different exchange experiences, visitors learnt to embrace imperfection.