1. About the Forum
Design service and social innovation are not new topics, yet they continually evolve with fresh perspectives and expectations. Society has come to recognize the growing influence of cultural values and social dynamics on design challenges—issues that often cannot be resolved through the analysis of surface-level factors alone. Existing design knowledge and experience reveal clear limitations. We attempt to invite outstanding scholars and innovative practitioners to gather in Hong Kong through international forums, share experiences and best practices, and jointly explore how design services can solve complex and challenging problems, promoting sustainable development of society and multiculturalism.
One of the challenges we face is that the application of new technologies is changing the old model of design services, and technological tools are attempting to analyze humanistic and emotional needs through quantitative means. Designers are in a passive position to upgrade their service quality. Design services are not just about designing new products or service models, but more importantly, how to use innovative means to solve many complex problems arising from social development and achieve the long-term goal of sustainable human progress. Design services and social innovation are not about redistributing social resources and benefits or simply focusing on improving the quality of life for the public. The endless catering of design activities to consumption and the pursuit of quality of life has led to a narrow understanding of service and innovation as a means of subservient assistance to business. The social innovation we advocate aims to explore practical, sustainable development methods and energy consumption models that can maintain social fairness and justice. Prejudice, misunderstanding, and discrimination are significant factors that contribute to the isolation between diverse cultures, and they are also the primary root cause of design problems not being properly addressed. It is gratifying that the reflection and discussion on design research and social responsibility are increasingly receiving attention from colleagues in the academic community.
The forum adheres to the purpose of non-profit academic activities, implements rigorous academic admission and evaluation standards, and adopts an academic route that integrates theoretical research and design practice. The forum consists of three parts: the keynote speech of the main-forum, the oral report of the sub-forum, and the poster display. A "Design Night" exchange session will be arranged for participants to actively promote the new integration of academic research, industrial development, and social practice knowledge. The forum mainly focuses on design science, design criticism, social ethics of design, Artificial Intelligence and Design, vulnerable groups, and Sustainable Design. Our fundamental goal is to harness the transformative power of design research and service innovation, and towards a world of sustained prosperity and greater inclusivity.
2. Main topics
Scope of submission
New paradigm：Rethinking the Nature of Innovation
Cultural Identity and Design Criticism
Social Ethics in Design
Artificial Intelligence and Design
Sustainable Design and Environmental Justice
Due to the time constraints of the forum, the final number of accepted papers will not exceed 20. All accepted papers will be published free of charge in the Journal of Design Service and Social Innovation(JDSSI) and Journal of Architecture and Urban Design (JAUD).
3. Experts
Main-Forum
Forum chairman: Xiangyang Xin, Ph.D., Professor, Tongji University, Shanghai
Main Experts
Richard Buchanan, Ph.D., Professor, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
Stephen Boyd Davis, Ph.D., Professor, Royal College of Art, London
Fangwu Tung, Ph.D., Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu
Shashank Mehta, Principal Faculty, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
Matthew Robb, Ph.D., Assistant professor, Parsons School of Design, New York
Lawrence Marcelle, Ph.D., Part-time Assistant professor, Parsons School of Design, New York
Henry Duh, Ph.D., Professor, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Mitamura Ariyoshi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto
Juan Salamanca Garcia, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Fanke Peng, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of South Australia, Adelaide
* Continuously Update (Arrange according to the order of invitations)
4. Important Dates
Deadline for the manuscripts that have passed the abstract review: June 25, 2025.
Authors who have not submitted an abstract for review can directly submit a completed manuscript. Deadline: June 25, 2025. These Manuscripts notification date:July first, 2025.
Registration deadline: August first, 2025.
Submission email: mspl-editor@michelangelo-scholar.com; m.scholar2023@gmail.com
Manuscript requirements
The Forum accepts English manuscripts only, and the manuscripts should have academic innovation or practical reference value and should not have been publicly published in national and international academic journals and conferences. All submitted manuscripts will be peer-reviewed. The authors must provide with a Turnitin plagiarism report. The manuscript with high rates of plagiarism will not be accepted (less than 10% plagiarism and no key points copied).
After the forum ends, the follow-up work will be improved, and the certificates and registration fee receipts for participating in the forum will be sent in electronic form to the email. The authors need to actively revise the suggestions put forward by experts. After the final quality review (academic quality and language polishing), the manuscripts will be officially published in two academic journals, JDSSI and JAUD. Oral and Poster are two parallel channels for participation, and there is no difference in the formal publication process.
5. Date and Location
Date: August 6-8，2025
Location: Hong Kong (Hybrid Conference)
Organizer: MICHELANGELO SCHOLAR PUBLISHING LIMITED (MSPL)
6. Registration Fee
[Early-bird ticket]（before July 5th）: 550 USD for individuals; 500 USD for group (3 people or more)
[Standard ticket]（after July 5th）: 600 USD
Paper collaborators attending: 300 USD per person
[Conference only] (before July 5th): 500 USD
[Conference only] (after July 5th): 600 USD
Note: Authors who have passed the review and paid the registration fee, if they participate in the annual international design forum of MSPL again in the future, only need to apply to obtain participation qualification (free of registration fee).
