Walter Chan
KCR Tourist Guide printed in December 1988. Courtesy of HKDI Graphic Archive.
An image showing passengers using ticket for entry to station from MTR Magazine (Hongkong Standard on May 10, 1982, p. 16). Courtesy of HKDI Graphic Archive.
An illustration instructing passengers using ticket for entry to station from MTR Guidebook (6th Edition, p. 10). Courtesy of HKDI Graphic Archive.
Annotation of signages in MTR stations from MTR Guidebook (6th Edition, p.14). Courtesy of HKDI Graphic Archive.
Walter’s research investigates how graphic design facilitated the communication of information for wayfinding and connectivity of urban life from the 1940s to the 1980s. Alongside Hong Kong’s growing population, economic development and urban expansion into areas further from central business districts, ever more complex networks of public transport have been established to move people around different parts of the city. Beyond the increase of transport vehicles and introduction of new means such as the MTR in the 1980s, information had to be delivered effectively and efficiently to various readers, from local Chinese to citizens of diverse cultural backgrounds, from educated people to those who could barely understand a word. Forms, media, and agents of infographics had been adapted and/or invented, not simply to pinpoint the routes, but also to offer guidance in emerging systems, including navigational directions within new transport premises such as MTR stations, connectivity among train lines and bus routes, the purchase of tickets, and furthermore, the etiquettes and rules on movements and behaviours, promoting reliability, efficiency, safety of movement as qualities of modern urban life.
Walter’s research investigates how graphic design facilitated the communication of information for wayfinding and connectivity of urban life from the 1940s to the 1980s. Alongside Hong Kong’s growing population, economic development and urban expansion into areas further from central business districts, ever more complex networks of public transport have been established to move people around different parts of the city. Beyond the increase of transport vehicles and introduction of new means such as the MTR in the 1980s, information had to be delivered effectively and efficiently to various readers, from local Chinese to citizens of diverse cultural backgrounds, from educated people to those who could barely understand a word. Forms, media, and agents of infographics had been adapted and/or invented, not simply to pinpoint the routes, but also to offer guidance in emerging systems, including navigational directions within new transport premises such as MTR stations, connectivity among train lines and bus routes, the purchase of tickets, and furthermore, the etiquettes and rules on movements and behaviours, promoting reliability, efficiency, safety of movement as qualities of modern urban life.
- 2025
- Fellow: Walter Chan
Walter Chan is a researcher in arts, heritage and visual culture based in Hong Kong. He studied English and archaeology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and University College London respectively. He founded Libertas Culture Studio to serve local communities by providing consultancy on research, and facilitating public workshops on arts, culture, and somatic practices. Walter formerly worked at Hong Kong museums and institutions such as University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong, where he curated exhibitions featuring visual and material culture, including Buddhist art and Chinese ceramics. In partnership with professional conservation practitioners, Walter co-directed cultural and historical research on rural livelihood at Yin Kong village, and published "The Swallow Comes Home: The Heritage of Yin Kong".
Design Trust Graphic Archive Research Fellowship examines the origins, emergence, and development of the graphic design profession in Hong Kong and the region between 1945 and 1985. Design Trust proudly partners with HKDI to support this fellowship which will culminate in an exhibition planned for 2028.
From 2024 to 2026, three fellowships will be awarded consecutively to conduct a portion of the research project under an overarching theme, focusing on the different aspects of or sub-themes of graphic design. Attached to HKDI’s Graphic Archive for six months, each Fellow will work independently on their assigned sub-theme, but also with HKDI staff and students, with opportunities to be mentored by a panel of world-renowned experts on the subject.