CoLAB: Hong Kong's hippest goody two-shoes
Eddy Yu (right) and Hung Lam.CoLAB's founders Eddy Yu and Hung Lam are working to change the fuddy-duddy image of socially-conscious businesses.
The partners-in-design established CoLAB two years ago. The company connects young designers with NGOs and social enterprises to create covetable products that give back to the community in some way.
The idea for CoLAB came to Yu and Lam when the pair participated in a summit held by Hong Kong's NGOs.
"We discovered two things [at the summit]," says Yu. "First, the NGOs really had a lot of heart; second, their products are ugly."
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Sexy suds
CoLAB went to work to remedy this.
Take So...Soap! for example. The organization enables housewives to earn a living by hand-making organic soap. CoLAB transformed the simple co-op into a funky, buzz-worthy project.
The designers turned recycled bottles into trendy soap containers and put up a visually exciting website. A cool video on YouTube soon followed featuring a catchy song written by Hong Kong indie star Chet Lam.
We discovered two things. First, the NGOs really had a lot of heart; second, their products are ugly.
The ladies who make So...Soap! promoted their products by pushing a cart loaded with soap and a washbasin through busy Hong Kong streets. Passersby were invited to wash their hands with the organic soap and meet the producers.
CoLAB's revamp of the So...Soap! project landed it in the "What's Next 30 x 30" exhibition curated by Stanley Wong. It was the only commercial product to be featured in the showcase of Hong Kong designers.
In the balance
"We believe in the power of design and that branding begins in the DNA of a company," says Lam. "But we thought that working with social enterprises would be really difficult as they don't have any money and they have a sentimental attachment to the old ways of doing things."
The designers were able to get around the lack of capital by foregoing a designer's fee and opting for a profit-sharing agreement with the social enterprise. They also continue their commercial design work through their other company, CoDesign.
"We stand in the middle of our commercial work and our work for social enterprises so we can balance out our resources," says Yu.
"But, working with NGOs, we can't say that we are 'helping' them, we can only say that we are
mutually benefiting. I have not designed a product that has reached out to so many different people and that has had as much media coverage as So...Soap!"
A future project called "I'MPERFECT" will focus on up-cycling defective products.
"The project is about everything: objects, people and issues," says Hung. "We turn products with defects into design.
"For instance a white cup with a black spot is 'imperfect.' Using design, we tell people 'it is still a good cup.' People desire perfection, but perfection is an illusion. Nothing is perfect."
Their first product under the I'MPERFECT concept is a jacket cover for "Food Waste," a book that investigates the eponymous issue. In development is a mission to up-cycle the now obsolete letterpress.
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CoLAB-designed things to buy now
Lavender body soap from So...Soap!
Started by soap-maker Bella Yip, So...Soap! enables Hong Kong's low-skilled women to earn a living by teaching them how to hand-make organic soap.
So...Soap! is available in different sizes for hand and body. It can be bought online at www.sosoap.com.
So...Soap! and CoLAB worked with videographer Thomas Lee to make a video and with Sun @ MOD to make the website.
