QArt Codes

In 2017, Hong Kong had over 26 million visitors from around the world. However, little to none of them spoke Cantonese. But in a city that is made up of Cantonese, from the locals predominately speaking it to street signs and more, it becomes difficult for visitors to not only enjoy the city, but also further explore what makes Hong Kong unique.
Because of that, Hong Kong has been stereotyped as a travel destination that is only famous for upscale shopping and Michelin-star dining, causing 78% of travellers who have been to Hong Kong to claim, “I have seen it all”.
The objective was to: 1) Find a way to speak to audiences from around the world, all at once, 2) Showcase different locations and experiences that are unique to Hong Kong or local hidden treasures, and 3) Encourage travellers to learn more about the city by visiting Hong Kong’s online platform.

Hong Kong Tourism Board ambitiously aimed to speak to all travellers, from all around the world. That’s why we aimed to create one universal language.
This universal language took the form of a visual language.
Introducing the idea: Q Art Codes.
Partnering with a famous local illustrator and author of Chinese illustration books, Min Chan, Hong Kong Tourism Board turned every bit and piece of Hong Kong into part of this visual language. After highlighting the 100 most popular experiences and locations around Hong Kong, we turned them into a graphic visual language.
We then took these graphics and found the most popular communication channels for travellers to see and use.
We created an outdoor language, where street signs were replaced with this visual language to show people more clearly where those unique hidden local treasures were.
We merged the graphics together to create wayfinder codes to redirect travellers to Hong Kong Tourism Board’s online platform that listed themed walking routes based on art, cuisine, heritage and hidden treasures.