Craftscape HK

Craftscape HK (藝守) – Project Story

Inspiration

Hong Kong’s traditional crafts, such as hand-carved mahjong tiles, painted porcelain, cheongsam, and neon sign, are fading due to shrinking markets and an aging artisan community.

More than 70% of craft shops have shut in recent years as demand wanes and rents spike, typical revenues have fallen 30–50% amid mass-produced competition, and 80% of artisans say their children won’t continue the trade because of long hours, low pay, and little recognition.

We wanted to build a bridge between the past and the future, enabling young people and global visitors to not only appreciate but also interact with these disappearing arts, and translating the appreciation into tangible support. Because the most meaningful way to preserve a craft is to create a thriving economy around it.

What it does

Craftscape HK is an AI + AR e-commerce platform where users can:

Explore craft stories through a swipe-card interface (like Tinder).
Use the AI Creation Studio to design their own craft pieces and directly commission artisans to bring them to life.
Experience AR interactive virtual exhibitions with 360° product views, real-world photo integration, and immersive storytelling.
Access a city-wide cultural events calendar for exhibitions, workshops, and community activities.
Support artisans by purchasing products, attending workshops, and visiting virtual/AR exhibitions.

How we built it

Frontend: A React 19 + TypeScript interface bundled with Vite, styled through Tailwind CSS (via CDN) and Framer Motion for micro-interactions to deliver the swipeable, mobile-first experience.
Backend - Platform APIs & data layer: Modular NestJS endpoints for crafts, products, events, orders, and messaging run on TypeORM with a SQLite store, exposing REST routes that the frontend consumes via a typed API client with authenticated fetch helpers and offline fallbacks.
Function - AI Creation Studio: A NestJS AI microservice wraps Google’s Imagen 4.0 (exposed through the @google/genai SDK) and returns base64 renders that the AiStudio view consumes and stores in the shared context, so artisans receive customizable design briefs.
Function - AR & experiential layer: The Play screen ships downloadable USDZ assets (scanned by Reality Composer with iPhone)so visitors can launch Quick Look/WebAR sessions from their phones, complementing the narrative exhibition content in-app.

Challenges we ran into

Limited digital archives for crafts like hand-carved mahjong required manual data collection.
Many artisans are elderly and unfamiliar with digital tools, so onboarding needed special care and training.
Balancing AI-generated creativity with respect for authentic craft aesthetics was challenging.
Ensuring sustainability: making the platform engaging for users while providing artisans with fair income.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built an early prototype of the AI Creation Studio that generates personalized craft designs.
Successfully piloted a working AR exhibition demo with 360° artifact viewing and real-world photo integration.
Engaged real artisans in co-design workshops to validate cultural and practical feasibility.
Developed a model for integrating cultural heritage into everyday digital life.

What we learned

Technology must act as a bridge, not a replacement, for traditional knowledge.
AR is powerful for creating immersive cultural experiences that attract young users.
The sustainability of cultural projects depends on building both emotional connection and economic value for artisans.
Community collaboration is as important as technical innovation.

What's next for Craftscape HK

Expand our dataset of traditional crafts by partnering with museums, NGOs, and cultural heritage groups.
Refine the AI Creation Studio to support more customization and multi-modal input (sketch + text).
Launch pilot AR exhibitions in collaboration with local cultural centers and schools.
Explore monetization pathways to ensure artisans benefit directly from sales and commissions.
Scale Craftscape HK into a global platform for cultural heritage preservation, starting with Hong Kong but extending to other endangered crafts worldwide.