Thomas Garvey is President of the World Design Organization, an international non-governmental organization that promotes the profession of industrial design and its ability to generate better products, systems, services, experiences, and ultimately a better environment and society. Garvey has worked across a range of design disciplines and global settings and has led international teams in professional design projects and research programs and co-chaired the reintroduction of the Research and Education Forum at the World Design Assembly in 2019. As WDO President he is focused on ensuring the evolution of the WDO Strategic Plan into the future. Garvey and his teams have earned numerous awards, and their work has been presented around the world. He holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University, a M.Sc. in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in New York, and a Ph.D. in Architectural Planning from the University of Tokyo.

Lu Xiaobo is the former Dean of the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University. He has long been dedicated to education and research in information art design and industrial design, as well as artistic creation and practical design work. His published works include Graphic Interface Design, among others.

He has served as a member of the expert group for China’s National Program for Science and Technology Support—“National Cultural and Technological Innovation Project”—and as an expert for key special projects of the 13th Five-Year Plan for science and technology. He is also a member of the 7th and 8th National Committees of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST).
Professor Lu led the design of the reviewing platform for China’s head of state and the design of the Hunan Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. He has received multiple honors, including the Second Prize of National Teaching Achievement Award and the Second Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Philosophy and Social Sciences in Beijing.