Design curriculum on sheet metal handicraft

What is it about?

This article is a case study on a design subject curriculum, assignment design and follow-up events, aiming to preserve and disseminate the knowledge and skills of traditional galvanised sheet metal handicraft to a younger generation of designers in Hong Kong. It was a collaboration of School of Design of The HK Polytechnic University, St James' Settlement, and a practising sheet metal handicraftsman.

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Why is it important?

This design curriculum achieved multiple-level objectives: the galvanised sheet metal handicraft being appreciated and inherited, the anonymous and forgotten blue-collar craftsmen being recognised as professional artisans, the birth of innovative products employing the material and the craft, as well as new job opportunities and markets explored for the profession in the contemporary world. From a pedagogical perspective, it also evaluates why the students found it a satisfying learning experience. The significance of the study is that it suggests a similar collaborative curriculum design could be applied to a broader scope of traditional handicrafts for cultural inheritance.