“This is an era in which everyone can own their very own AI-powered design studio.” As statements like this are repeated time and again, many seem to have accepted that creativity is being democratized by technology, and that design itself is being redefined by computational power.

Yet one question remains worth asking: When AI is capable of generating countless “correct answers” at remarkable speed, will people continue to be inspired by those answers? Just as internet users once grew weary of the uniformity of the “influencer face,” might we eventually develop a similar aesthetic fatigue toward AI-generated creativity? Could the future bring a renewed desire for authenticity—a movement toward a more “de-AI-fied” aesthetic sensibility and a less homogenized approach to branding?

One thing, however, remains beyond doubt:
No matter how powerful computational systems become, the most valuable dimensions of human creativity remain irreplaceable.

Creation has never been merely about finding the right answer. It is about discovering new possibilities amid uncertainty. Serendipitous insights, intuitive instincts, emotional complexity, lived experiences, and a keen sensitivity to the spirit of the times together form the richest reservoir of creative potential. These are precisely the qualities that algorithms cannot fully replicate.

The publication of the book can be traced back to a solo exhibition held in 2015, titled Lau Siu Hong Determines Design. The exhibition itself was conceived as what the author described as “a midlife report card”—a reflective milestone in a designer’s lifelong journey.

As one of Hong Kong’s most acclaimed designers, Lau Siu Hong witnessed both China’s Reform and Opening-up in the early 1980s and the nation’s extraordinary transformation over the following three decades. Through this remarkable period of social, economic, and cultural change, he underwent not only professional growth but also a profound intellectual maturation—what may be called the coming of age of a designer’s mind. The era into which Lau was born, the challenges he encountered, the opportunities that emerged alongside them, and the unique cultural DNA of Hong Kong that runs deeply through his identity all contributed to shaping his creative path—from a young novice entering the design profession to becoming one of Hong Kong’s leading design figures.

Drawing upon his triple perspective as a witness to his era, an internationally recognized designer, and a Chinese creative practitioner, Lau guides readers into the intellectual landscape behind design itself. Through city branding projects, commercial identities, public art commissions, spatial interventions, and countless creative explorations, he reveals the thought processes that shape meaningful design. Through first-hand accounts of his works from different periods, readers are invited to follow the complete creative journey—from the birth of an idea and the formation of an initial concept, to the continual refinement of a project according to its people, place, and time. More importantly, Lau confronts some of the defining questions of contemporary design: