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HKUST Entrepreneurship Center
HKUST Entrepreneurship Center supports innovation and entrepreneurship across the university by organizing events, programs, and funding opportunities for students and the wider HKUST community.
client
HKUST
year
2021
deliverables
Web design
App design
App design
scope
Hong Kong
overview
The project involved creating the website and mobile app to make entrepreneurship opportunities easier to discover and participate in. The new digital experience brings together event discovery, registration, participation tracking, check-in, and motivating score system into a more connected experience for students and community members.
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from information website to participation platform
original idea - information website
The original idea of this project primarily served as an information website, providing users with details about events, programs, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
decided to create a participating platform
However, after communicate with the school stakeholders, we found that discovering an event opportunity was only the first step. Users still needed to navigate through different processes to register, keep track of upcoming events, and participate in activities.
This created an opportunity for me to rethink the experience beyond simply designing the website. Instead, we explored how digital touchpoints could better support the entire journey — from discovering an event to participating in it.
This created an opportunity for me to rethink the experience beyond simply designing the website. Instead, we explored how digital touchpoints could better support the entire journey — from discovering an event to participating in it.
/2
defining the platform architecture
The experience was designed around the different stages of participating in an EC event. We mapped the journey from discovering upcoming events to registration, reminders, check-in, and post-event participation. This helped us identify opportunities to reduce friction between each step and create a more connected experience across web and mobile.
designing for different users
At the same time, administrators needed tools to manage events, registrations, participants, and event activities. To clearly distinguish the admin experience from the student-facing interface, we designed the admin side with a gold colour system as a visual identifier, while maintaining a consistent overall product experience across the platform.
/3
website design
The website was designed to make the EC's programs and opportunities easier to explore and understand. We restructured the information architecture and introduced clearer content hierarchy across event listings, program information, and entrepreneurship resources. Upcoming events were given greater visibility, allowing users to quickly discover opportunities relevant to their interests.
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creating the mobile app
Instead of simply replicating the website, the app focused on actions that users were likely to perform on the go. This allowed the app to become a practical companion for participating in the EC community, while the website remained a broader platform for discovering programs and learning about entrepreneurship opportunities.
event discovery
Event discovery and registration were at the core of the new experience. We designed event cards and detail pages to surface the information users needed to make a quick decision, including event dates, locations, descriptions, eligibility, and registration status.
event check-in and attendance
Once users registered for an event, the check-in experience was designed to be quick and straightforward, allowing users to confirm their attendance through a QR code-based check-in system, enabling fast and contactless verification with minimal interaction.
The app also supported administrators in managing event attendance. Admins could use the app to mark attendance on-site to speed up the check-in process.
The app also supported administrators in managing event attendance. Admins could use the app to mark attendance on-site to speed up the check-in process.
real-time event engagement
Administrators could trigger real-time interactions during the event, including polls and surveys, allowing them to collect feedback and responses from participants throughout the session. Students could respond to these interactions directly from their devices, while also submitting questions through the app at any time.
turning participation into motivation
To further encourage continuous engagement and motivate students to take part in more activities, we introduced the Combustor Score system as a points-based mechanism. This reward layer incentivizes students to keep participating in events by making their involvement visible and progressively rewarding over time.
Let’s collaborate.
© Tony Tsui 2026
