Two teams of six students from the School of Creative Media (SCM) won the championship and first runner-up prizes in the tertiary section of the Cyberport Website Design Competition . In addition to cash prizes, they were also awarded a summer internship at the Cyberport.

The winning entries resulted from  assignments for an SCM course, “Multimedia Production”, taught by Ms Koala Yip, Lecturer. Course content covers both the technical and creative aspects of multimedia production. 

The champion team was named, “VCD”,  based on the members’ given names: Mr Mahbubani Vivek Ashok, Ms Cecilia Hui, Mr David Cheung. VCD  impressed the judges with the simplicity and user-friendliness of their web design. “We learned to work under pressure and to cooperate with each other in an efficient way,” said Mr Cheung in his award-acceptance speech delivered at the presentation ceremony at Cyberport, 15 May. Their entry may be adopted in the new design of the Cyberport website. (Click here for a glimpse of their winning entry.)

The first runner-up team, represented by Mr Will Lam, Ms Lisa Cheung and Ms Gloria Cheung, employed more sophisticated audio-visual features that enhanced functionality of the website. Their website also provided text, graphic and audio to cater to the different needs of users. (Click here for a glimpse of the 1^st runner-up entry.) “We feel encouraged by the award,” Ms Cheung said, “Though we did not expect it.”

Apart from the thrill of producing a professional website, the students also gained valuable experience in presenting their works before a panel of judges. Mr Sin Chung-kai, Legislative Councillor, and Mr Alan Wong, Director of Information Technology Services, HKSAR, were among the judges. 

Both teams expressed appreciation for the efforts of Ms Koala Yip, who paved the way for the students to participate in the competition. “I wanted the students to get a taste of creating multi-media production for a real life situation,” Ms Yip said. “Well, they turned out good, quality work and I am particularly impressed by their initiative in trying different, creative approaches, such as the use of audio effects.” 

Organized by the Cyberport Tenants Club and sponsored by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited to groom young IT talents in Hong Kong, the competition was also endorsed by the Education and Manpower Bureau and the Home Affairs Department , HKSAR. More than 400 students and teachers participated in the event, which had secondary and tertiary sections. The participants received a series of seven IT workshops before submitting their websites. 

The judging panel assessed the entries in terms of their functionality, design, content, originality, and professionalism and effectiveness. “We found the entries very professional, functional and attractive, bearing in mind that many participants were new to website design when this competition first started,” said Mr Alan Wong, one of judges.