B: Yes, but I don’t know what else to do.

A: I graduated from SPACE, then went on to take their degree course. I’ve already invested some HK$200,000, so I would remain in this business.

E: I also think I don’t have a choice, so I registered for a top-up degree course this year.

D: Even though the workload is heavy, the salary is ok.

A: I would remain in this industry.

A: Yes, but not in interior design, because that requires a lot of capital.

C: I’ve been to some seminars catered to small to medium sized businesses, because I’d thought about starting a snacks business. This industry is very tough and the hours are too long.

Q: But you feel that you have professional status.

A: There is a certain amount of job satisfaction, like after completing a job, or seeing your own work when walking down the street.

E: In China you feel more respected.

D: The advantage of working in China is that the procedures are simpler.

A: They have fewer safety requirements, and clients tend to trust designers.

D: You have to socialize more, and there are payment problems.

C: I had never experienced that.

A: They don’t really follow contracts.

C: They are less hard working, not as bright, and have less sense of responsibility. Technically they are very proficient, but their ideas can’t be put into practice.

D: The newer generation of designers is able to incorporate Chinese culture into home furnishings, which are very popular abroad. In Hong Kong, when you open up

an interior design magazine, you feel that our design has not really progressed.

C: In Hong Kong, the schedules are tighter, while in China clients are more willing to spend money on design.

D: Hong Kong designers are more efficient and have a greater sense of responsibility. Also their work is more comprehensive, and they make fewer mistakes. In these aspects, Chinese designers have not caught up with us.

C: In Hong Kong, design education starts in the late teens. That’s way too late. You should start encouraging creative thinking at an early age.

D: Hong Kong interior designers have strong reputations all over the world.

A: There are many capable interior designers in Hong Kong, but many of them are very low-key.

E: Many clients don’t understand that good designs need time to be developed.

A,E: I think so.

C: Yet in Hong Kong, nobody respects creativity.

B: They’ve been talking about this for years. Yet licensing means more regulations, which will restrict our work. As for competition with Chinese designers, it

depends on the market. In Hong Kong the market belongs to local designers, because local conditions do not suit Chinese designers.

B: For the client, maybe there is no difference.

D: I am worried that people with no academic qualifications will not be able to get licenses.

A: I think licensing is necessary. Our company’s clients are more educated and have high social position. If I was licensed I could command greater respect.

E: Professional fees would increase as a result. Actually our work requires a great deal of specialized knowledge.

A: But I don’t agree with examination.

D: The interviewers could be seasoned professionals.