Un Deux Trois! product development manager Chung Tang has fun with a sofa chair from the firm's stringently designed and built range of children's furniture

"We chose Hong Kong because of its dynamic setting and other amazing advantages - in particular, the receptiveness of the public and government for new and innovative ideas," Mr Tang said.

The entrepreneurs' idea to design "smart" furniture and decor for kids stemmed from identifying a gap in the market. Their company Un Duex Trois! (UDT!) was set up in April 2005.

The concept evolved when Mr Tam and his wife were having difficulty locating high quality furniture for their two daughters. They found that what was available on the market was either two adult-oriented, did not meet the actual needs of the kids, or had to be specially made at luxury goods prices, said Mr Tang, a former social worker.

"In my personal research I had also found that there was very little choice for helping kids create their own sense of space in the home - whether to study, relax or just to hang out in," he said. 

Easy start-up options

"Hugo" the Doggy Chair is one of the designs tested by children in the final stages of quality control

After 13 years working with children, youth, new immigrants and the homeless in Toronto, Mr Tang needed a change and felt the tremendous life experiences gained from his social work could be re-directed to UDT!

"Our products were inspired by my little nieces as well as my many driving trips to Montreal, Canada.  Montreal is a beautiful city with a rich multicultural landscape, architecture and history.  The three characters for Un Deux Trois! (Chloe, Marlon and Jacob) all originate from Montreal and have their own unique stories as well as non-stereotypical personalities."

The products are designed and made in both Hong Kong and Canada, using high quality materials sourced from all over China. Each prototype is hand-made at the company's assembly warehouse in Shanghai and tested in Hong Kong before being approved for further production. Each piece takes two - three months from design stage to the finished product, which is then quality tested and finally reviewed by children.

"On average, we have about 50 pieces in our collection," Mr Tang said. "Each month we design 18 pieces for submission to our board of directors and to children for review and approval.  At the end of the month, only a selected three or four pieces are approved and/or modified for prototype production.  The finishes for these prototypes are then sourced and procured, and finally brought to our qualified vendor for production of prototypes for testing and trials.  Final production for the market will only be ready when our staff and children test the product."

UDT! aims its products at the Hong Kong, US and Canadian markets. It has recently expanded the scope its business to include an interior design service, which Mr Tang describes as "a one-stop service for parents and kids to come up with their very own dream room".

Hong Kong is the ideal launchpad to reach international markets, he added.

Momentum builds quickly

"Hong Kong is a special place with a multicultural blend of people who come from all over the world, bringing with them a rich diversity in culture, arts and education.  As a result, people here easily accept new concepts and innovative ideas. Such concepts and innovation can easily be realised, picked up, communicated and/or transferred back to friends and families of Hongkongers from other countries. 

"Moreover, Hong Kong is an open market with very few restrictions in terms of trading and services for businesses.  Government support here is very IT-oriented and the majority of people working within government departments are friendly and resourceful. Government documentation, forms, and procedures are usually quite straight forward and easy to follow."

UDT! is only six months old and already has gained considerable momentum and exposure, Mr Tang added. "UDT! is about celebrating the spirit of the child and what better place to do this than the best city in the world. Merci, Hong Kong!"

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Un Duex Trois!