Dare to try: A visibly rewarding creative journey into Disney

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]

Inside Chloe Tong Tsam-yu’s sketchbook is a world of her own making, populated by characters with distinct personalities and stories to tell. A Creative Advertising and Media Design student at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), she grew up immersed in adventure and fantasy, from Disney classics to fictional worlds that sparked her imagination. She hopes to one day turn that passion into a career by building her own brand of original characters.

When she heard that Hong Kong Disneyland was running an illustration contest last summer, with an internship as the top prize, she threw her hat into the ring — and came out on top.

The character that found her

During her internship with the Hong Kong Disneyland merchandise team, Chloe and her colleagues created a fresh themed line of products, including plush key chains, water bottles, postcards, pouches and T-shirts. She proposed Stitch as the main character because the story of the alien and his young Hawaiian friend Lilo had moved her deeply since childhood. In the tale, Lilo is isolated for her quirky, free-spirited ideas. For Chloe, Stitch’s name also suggests an image of mending: he enters Lilo’s life, ends her loneliness and becomes her companion. It struck a deep chord in Chloe, whose own childhood was spent absorbed in fantasy worlds, struggling to find kindred spirits and to be understood.

 “I came up with the line ‘Stitch Up the Spring’ as a nod to his name. The key that unlocks spring has gone missing, and Stitch sets off to look for it and bring spring back to the forest.”

From storyboard to meeting room

Justin Chan Wai-yin, Merchandise Operations Integration Manager at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL), explains that HKDL staged its first tertiary illustration contest last year to mark the resort’s 20th anniversary, inviting art and design students from selected institutions to showcase their talent. He was glad to have Chloe on board.

 “We learnt that Chloe’s favourite Disney character was Stitch — and as Stitch is hugely loved by fans, the choice of main character for the line came together quickly,” he says. “We gave Chloe space to explore, and it’s been a delight to see her work with the team to give a new take on Stitch.” HKDL has also donated a portion of the proceeds from merchandise sales related to the project to HKMU, to establish a scholarship that supports talent development and stir creative energy in the community.

Sammi Yuen Wan-kiu, Associate Manager, Product Development of Merchandise at HKDL and Chloe’s direct supervisor, says that within the short span of two months, Chloe has taken part in every stage from concept to product design. She credits Chloe for bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the team. The response since launch has been encouraging, with some guests visiting the park specifically to buy items from the line. Ms Yuen is glad to see how Chloe has grown. 

“She was a little shy at the start of the internship, but as her confidence grew, she ended up presenting her own product line to dozens of colleagues at the department meeting.” 

Chloe says she carries a lesson acquired from her HKMU programme: ideas alone are not enough — you have to know how to execute them, to make them “land”. During her internship, the timing was right. Her coursework had taught her the relevant design software, letting her apply what she had learnt straight away.

Learning from the workplace

She admits that self-doubt crept in along the way. “The suit I’d designed for the character — would people like it? I went to my colleagues for advice, took their suggestions on board, and broke down my idea into specific details to work out which elements could stay.” In the end, Chloe settled on a bow tie for Stitch — a touch that added personality. 

Chloe’s teacher, Dr Wong Wing-hong, Senior Lecturer at the Wu Jieh Yee School of Arts and Social Sciences, is proud that she and two fellow HKMU students have swept the contest’s top three places. He talks about how the University’s design courses have always given students room to experiment. 

“We let students lead the process — from picking the brand and doing market research to understanding the client and the target audience. They have to do the legwork, find the selling points and then create.” Chloe’s internship stint illustrates that HKMU students can design products to commercial standards while gaining real-world experience which prepares them for the workplace, he adds. 

After the internship ended, Hong Kong Disneyland offered Chloe a part-time role to continue developing a career in design. The experience has confirmed her resolve to build a life as a designer of original characters. To classmates with dreams of their own, she offers a word of encouragement: “You have to try — only then will you be seen.”