iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Halifax Public Gardens: Scenic Upper Bridge built in 1911, over resculpted Freshwater Brook. Land granted in 1841, established as public garden in central Halifax in 1866. Gardenesque style in 1875 brought together three parcels of land, with 2000 trees planted. (Halifax, Nova Scotia) 20261002

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Halifax Central Library: View inside atrium from fourth floor of library. Services welcome to visitors, I booked a meeting room to take a video conference. Many personal computers, teenagers welcomed to play online video games with friends after school. (Halifax, Nova Scotia) 20261002

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Anna Leonowens Gallery: Large mixed-media painting #MelissaCampbell (2026), part of the Maps and Migraines exhibition. Represents an aura of the feeling of working on a master’s thesis through chronic migraines. NSCAD Fountain Campus entry access is limited. (Halifax, Nova Scotia) 20261002

David Ing @daviding.com · 02/10/2026

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic: In foreground, the Vagabond, a Bluenose class sloop., amongst other dinghys. Displays promoted Titanic upstairs, deceased passengers interred in Halifax. Larger history on steamships, as Cunard was a Halogonian who moved to London. (Halifax, Nova Scotia) 20261002

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Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park: Late afternoon with Halifax Nova Scotia across harbour from Alderney Landing. One of 12 memorial markers of Halifax Explosion of 1917 at centenary. Adding another hour to, to the 12-hour time zone change from Shanghai. (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) 20261001

David Ing @daviding.com · 02/10/2026

SUES: President LOU Yongqi seeing group depart for airport, before inauguration for School of Design at Shanghai U of Engineering Science. Still professor at Tongji U College of Design and Innovation. Will catch up to alwaysquestion.ai with aqlens.com. (Changning District, Shanghai) 20260929

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David Ing @daviding.com · 02/10/2026

SUES: Second of 2 days at Shanghai U. of Engineering Science, following 2 days at Tongji U. Dialogue sparked watching pairs of provocations by NotebookLM and approved by original researchers. Aimed to capture audio recording into Always Question Lens. (Changning District, Shanghai) 20260929

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David Ing @daviding.com · 30/09/2026

Students at Tongji U Design & Innovation with President LOU Yongqi and Dean XIN Xiangyang launch second generation of TT DesignX, prior mobile now desktop at ttagent.cn . Includes 110 domain-specific expert AI agents, covering diverse verticals. (World Design Cities Conference, Shanghai) 20260928

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Sven Travis, President Emerita of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

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Harry Collins, Fellow of the British Academy; Distinguished Research Professor at Cardiff University. Roseanne Somerson, President Emerita of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Tan Min, Chief Brand Office (CBO) and President of the Consumer Robotics Innovation Division of UBTECH Robotics.

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Jarmo Suominen, Professor at Aalto University; Deputy Director Tongji University Sino-Finnish Center. Peter Lloyd, Professor at Delft University of Technology; Former Chair of the Design Research Society.

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#Moderator: Michael Lissack, Executive Director of the Second Order Science Foundation; Former President of the American Society for Cybernetics. #Panelists: Richard Hsu, Dean of the School of Design at Shanghai University of Engineering Science.

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Roundtable Dialogue at WDCC 2026 on Human-Machine Symbiosis and Cognitive Transformation, #MichaelLissack moderator, with #RichardHsu, #JarmoSuominen, #PeterLloyd, #HarryCollins, #RosanneSomerson, #TanMin, #SvenTravis. (World Design Cities Conference, Shanghai, PR China) 20260928

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Ding Wei, Founder of the MOMA Design; Professor at the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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Guillermo Trotti, President of Trotti & Associates; International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) at the University of Houston. Luca Fois, Cofounder of Zone Tortona at Milan Design Week; Cofounder of Milano Kids Design Week.

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John Thackara, Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Arts (UK); Leading Sustainable Design Thinker. Choi Inkyu, Director-General of the Design Policy Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Melike Tascioglu-Vaughan, President of the International Council of Design (ICoD).

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# Moderator Xin Xiangyang, Dean of the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University. # Panelists: Sun Wenqian, Director of Institute for Fashioning Innovation at Shanghai University of Engineering Science; Director fo the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai.

WDCC 2026: Roundtable Dialogue at WDCC 2026 on Public Value and a Sustainable Future, #XinXiangyang moderator, with #SunWenqian, #JohnThackara, #ChoiInkyu, #MelikeTasciogluVaughan, #GuillermoTrotti, #LucaFois, #DingWei. (World Design Cities Conference, Shanghai, PR China) 20260928

# Moderator
Xin Xiangyang, Dean of the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University.

# Panelists:
Sun Wenqian, Director of Institute for Fashioning Innovation at Shanghai University of Engineering Science; Director fo the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai.
John Thackara, Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Arts (UK); Leading Sustainable Design Thinker.
Choi Inkyu, Director-General of the Design Policy Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Melike Tascioglu-Vaughan, President of the International Council of Design (ICoD).
Guillermo Trotti, President of Trotti & Associates; International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) at the University of Houston.
Luca Fois, Cofounder of Zone Tortona at Milan Design Week; Cofounder of Milano Kids Design Week.
Ding Wei, Founder of the MOMA Design; Professor at the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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Xin Xiangyang, Dean of the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University. Ding Wei, Founder of the MOMA Design; Professor at the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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Melike Tascioglu-Vaughan, President of the International Council of Design (ICoD). Choi Inkyu, Director-General of the Design Policy Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Peter Lloyd, Professor at Delft University of Technology; Former Chair of the Design Research Society.

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Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at the MIT; Former Director of the MIT Media Lab. Guillermo Trotti, President of Trotti & Associates; International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) at the University of Houston.

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Jonathan Siboni, Co-founder and CEO of Luxurynsight. Michael Lissack, Executive Director of the Second Order Science Foundation; Former President of the American Society for Cybernetics. Harry Collins, Fellow of the British Academy; Distinguished Research Professor at Cardiff University.

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David Ing @daviding.com · 27/09/2026

Richard Hsu, Dean of the School of Design at Shanghai University of Engineering Science. Jarmo Suominen, Professor at Aalto University; Deputy Director Tongji University Sino-Finnish Center. Luca Fois, Cofounder of Zone Tortona at Milan Design Week; Cofounder of Milano Kids Design Week.

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Huangpu River Shanghai: Evening dinner cruise leaving from the Bund, multiple loops to view the Oriental Pearl Tower in Pudong. Afternoon rain let up, so we could view from the upper deck. Others ships more colourful than ours. (Huangpu River, Shanghai, PR China) 20260927

David Ing @daviding.com · 27/09/2026

Tongji U Design & Innovation: Welcome by XIN Xiangyang, Dean of College of Design and Innovation, to 15th Emerging Practices Conference on Design Research and Education. First year in role, building on strong legacy for Tongji U. Hosting in original space, new building opened May 2025. (Shanghai)

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David Ing @daviding.com · 27/09/2026

Tongji U Design & Innovation: Convening 15th Emerging Practices Conference on Design Research and Education, #MichaelLissack for Designing AI's Boundaries. Mega-event, dates coinciding with Worldwide Design Cities Conference. Remote participants online while Shanghai sleeps. (Shanghai) 20260926

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Nod Cafe: Chilling with cool drinks on a hot day in 3rd floor cafe at M50. Style is very bohemian of the original art district, as artists workspaces have been replaced by commerical galleries. Cat named xiao ba (small eight) roamed the territory. (M50 Art Space, Moganshan Road, Shanghai) 20260925

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Nanxiang Old Street: Commercial street of water town founded in 505 AD, redeveloped in 2008. Busy narrow laneways with small food stores and tourist trinkets. We didn't try the xiaolongbao that was invented here. (Nanxiang Old Street, Nanxiang, PR China) 20260925

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Yunxiang Temple: Melodic chanting from monks inside temple, two on microphones leading others reading the text. Day of the Harvest Moon Festival, but the Buddhists probably were working off a different calendar. Well kept, building completed in 505 AD. (Yunxiang Temple, Nanxiang, PR China) 20260925

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In the Untied Boat pavilion, man playing erhu. He spoke only the Xinjiang dialect. Said he had only been practising 2 years. (Guyi Garden, Nanxiang, PR China) 20260925

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Guyi Garden: Entering the park, black butterfly hard at working pollinating pink and yellow flowers. Warm day, wildlife active. Mid-autumn festival, sharing mooncakes carried back across the ocean. (Guyi Garden, Nanxiang, PR China) 20260925

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Guyi Garden: Gate in Jiangnan-style garden of porous rocks taiju stone, harvested from lakebeds nearby Suzhou. Private garden back to Ming dynasty (1368-1644), public in 1789 when local gentry pooled funds. Town is along Line 11 connecting rural and urban. (Nanxiang, PR China) 20260925

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Shan Shi Liu, Suzhou Central Mall: Sampled Guizhou cuisine, from southwestern China. Flavour is sour from natural fermentation, we deselected the spicy. Heavy negotiation with intern waiters on holiday weekend, unfortunate scheduling of three tofu dishes first. (Shanghai) 20260924

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Multi-storey waterfall in the Cloud Canyon module of the garden. Signage appears to educate school children through learning, unlike botanical gardens that target adults. Nonlinear routes to higher levels pointed out by staff. (Shanghai Greenhouse Garden, Expo Park, Pudong) 20260924

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Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Displays of Chinese herbal treatments, from medicinal plants, as well as organic minerals and living sources. Well-labelled for unimmersed, maybe same content in drawers of Chinese stores locally. Areas with modern technologies (Pudong) 20260924

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Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A copy of the Shan Han Jing (Classic on Mountains and Seas) written Warring States period and Han dynasties (475 BCE – 220 AD). Not a work that I was familiar with. Idea on geography, may influence cosmology. (Cailun Road, Pudong, Shanghai) 20260924

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Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Sewer pipes from the Qin dynasty, 221-206 BCE. Ancient view of Chinese hygiene from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective. Longer history that considered by modern medicine. (Cailun Road, Pudong, Shanghai) 20260924

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Shenmeng Shanghe: Shanghai style restaurant proved challenging to assemble meal amenable to vegans. Reconvening members of CSRP Institute for social activities while in town. Requested quieter table from harried server, seated next to noisy group. (Hongiao Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20260923

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Hongqiao Community AI Dining Hall: AI canteen serves food prepared by AI, with self-service buffet, and checkout by Alipay. Modest storefront frequened by seniors has been opened in 2021. We convened as six, with three vegan diners suggesting we find another venue. (Shanghai, PR China) 20260923

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Suhe Haus: Lifejacket protection turned into constraint, #CharlesWang (2025) Are You Ready for a Swim is heavy wood instead of lightweight flotation. Opening afternoon event, spoke with artist who studied at RISD. Show next in NYC. (Suhe Haus, Wenan Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20260923

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Jiu Guang laneway: One of two bronzes Ju Ming (2004) Umbrella Gentleman between temple and shopping mall. Part of Living World series, of ordinary people doing everyday things. We saw other chapters of this work in Genoa, fall 2024. (Jiu Guang laneway, Nanjing Road West, Shanghai) 20260923

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David Ing @daviding.com · 23/09/2026

Jing'an Temple: Behind the 15-ton silver Sakyamuni Buddha in Mahavira Hall is Baibao Xiangqian Hundred Treasures Inlay of semi-precious materials. Technique pioneered during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522–1566). Appreciation by other Buddhists beyond local Chinese. (Shanghai) 20260923

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Unitree Robotics Experience Centre: Viewed demonstration of autonomous robotic dog in person. Four legs more stable than 2 legs, more versatile as mule or guard than humanoid that we may find scarier. Priced within reach of consumers, although applications more practical as industrial. (Shanghai)

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David Ing @daviding.com · 22/09/2026

Loushanguan Road at Tianshan Road: Exit 1 at Loushanguan Road Station on northeast intersection, facing into bright lights of Parkson Newcore mall. From metro Line 2, first elevator provided access to Huijin supermarket, then second elevator goes to street. (Shanghai, PR China) 20260922

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David Ing @daviding.com · 21/09/2026

Maple Leaf Lounge, international Departures: Latte macchiato in late morning, flight delayed 20 minutes for replacement equipment. Caffeine might not be a good choice before a 14-hour flight. Being en route is less stress than preparing. (Toronto Pearson Airport) 20260921

David Ing @daviding.com · 21/09/2026

Riverside neighbourhood: Kitchen first constructed in early 1980s mostly unchanged, added hardwood floors and new refrigerator. Scheduled renovation should change the look. DY and I have only packed up house twice before. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20260921