Design for living

Before there is construction, there is design. The seed from which great architecture grows, design is the visionary blueprint for all that follows and sets the standard for how a project can enrich the space it occupies.

Born to a successful furniture businessman in Hong Kong, Ricky Wong has been enriching spaces for over three decades. A renowned architect and interior and product designer, Wong established Ricky Wong Designers (RWD) in 1996, with an ambition to provide world-class interior design services for high-end clients.

He quickly succeeded and hasn’t stopped since. Today, RWD is one of the most well-known and highly sought-after interior design firms in the world, and its innovative work extends to architecture, environmental planning and a variety of other sectors to form a rich portfolio that’s as impressive as it is elegant and as considerate as it is creative.

That’s all by design, Wong tells The CEO Magazine.

“Design is the driving force behind how we experience our living spaces,” he says. “But I believe it’s not just about improving physical spaces; it also involves uplifting people. This applies to everyone in the industry – interior designers, home designers and others.”

The efforts of Wong and his team to take RWD to the heights it enjoys are driven by the philosophy of using their advantages to help others.

“Ultimately, design is about creating spaces for human life and that includes considering the thoughts, definitions and awareness of the professionals working in this field,” he says. “Our vision is steadily being realized, and I’ll continue to push forward.”

Connecting the dots

Much like in his pioneering and inventive interior design work, Wong finds unconventional ways to achieve his goals.

“One of our biggest achievements of the past five years has been successfully integrating the ‘Enlightening Star’ program, which connects designers, the design industry and traditional design firms in a more structured way,” he says.

“We’ve been working on redefining how our industry interacts with related fields, ensuring that as we face future market challenges, we can engage with them in a more proactive and creative manner.”

There’s also Wong’s refined way of answering the increasingly urgent call of sustainability, heard so loud and clear across the industry.

“This profession requires a balance between emotion and rationality to make healthier and more sustainable choices,” he says. “This includes using eco-friendly materials, reducing pollution and incorporating recyclable materials. In this area, we’ve made notable progress.”

As Deputy Director General of World Green Design Organization, Wong actively promotes green design engineering, sustainable construction standards and interior design regulations.

“Spreading the concept of green design and integrating it into regulations is something I find personally fulfilling,” he says. “Although these past few years have come with challenges, especially the post-pandemic economic shifts and recovery, we’ve remained steadfast in our plans and achieved significant milestones. It’s something I find very rewarding and encouraging.”

Nurturing new talent

And while the company has made strides to outpace a turbulent past, there’s always one eye on the future, particularly when it comes to ushering in the next generation of interior designers.

“We’ve been nurturing young talent in mainland China,” Wong says. “We’ve been able to provide them with more resources and support. For example, we’ve partnered with universities, offering masters and doctoral students opportunities to engage with industry professionals earlier in their careers.

“This has helped them gain real-world experience and prepare for industry challenges.”

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Wong has been honored for his efforts in this regard. In 2020, he received the International Contribution Award and the Green Senior Engineer certification, as well as being recognized as the ‘001 Mentor’ to further spread his ideas. And continue he has.

“In January this year, we completed our third Green Design Organization Summit in Brussels,” he says. “This summit further deepened and implemented standardized green and recyclable practices in architecture and interior design.”

Problem solving

Elsewhere, RWD’s strong partnerships with external stakeholders persist and grow because, as Wong says, there remain problems to solve.

“The reason our industry is so dynamic is that service design isn’t just about professional expertise, it’s about solving problems for people,” he says.

And those problems are best solved through the collaborative efforts of the industry’s best. StoneArt China, for instance, makes it possible to use unique Chinese marble and other quality stone products in RWD projects.

“Services can’t remain stagnant. They need to adapt to different times and different regions,” Wong says. “We want to ensure lifelong learning in service design so that it remains valuable over time.”

That means drawing from a variety of trusted partners to realize a shared vision, a process that benefits greatly from long-term relationships.

“We need to maintain and strengthen our partnerships using rational decision-making and emotional communication,” he adds. “A successful partnership isn’t just about providing a single service; if it’s just a one-time service, it loses its value. By aligning goals, we create a win–win situation.”

Internally, RWD is constantly evolving to meet the times. This includes changes in business management and talent development within its project design teams, Wong says – a tidy flow on from its talent nurturing efforts.

“We must continue bringing in new generations to fuel innovation and transformation within RWD,” he explains.

“Even though we live in an AI-driven era – and I believe digital construction is definitely the future trend – design remains fundamentally human-driven. AI helps improve efficiency and speeds up processes, but human creativity and intent remain essential.”

On a personal note, Wong hopes to continue advancing his own skills and talents, even after 30 years of sculpting new from old.

“The next step is to further expand and improve living environments to meet the growing demand for green and healthy spaces,” he says. “If I have the ability, I would love to continue doing this for another 30 or even 60 years, because this is life itself.”