A total of 42 innovative products developed by emerging Taiwan talents were recognized at the Young Pin Design Award ceremony staged May 21 in Taipei City, underscoring the nation’s reputation as an international hub of cutting-edge creativity.
Jointly organized by the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Education, as well as Taiwan Design Center and Good Design Association, Taiwan, this year’s edition of the annual awards attracted a record 5,284 entries from students enrolled at 64 tertiary education institutions nationwide. Dignitaries attending the ceremony included MOEA Deputy Minister Shen Jong-chin, MOE Deputy Minister Yao Leehter and MOEA Industrial Development Bureau Deputy Director General Yu Cheng-wei.
The submissions, which were battling it out for over NT$2 million (US$66,605) in prize money, ranged over the categories of craft design, digital multimedia, fashion, packaging, product design, spatial design and visual communication.
One of the standout winners in the craft and product design categories is a prosthetic made from bamboo for teenagers who suffer below-knee amputations caused by landmines. Designed by Huang Yu-man and Wang Yu-chi from Tunghai University in Taichung City, central Taiwan, the cost-effective item offers maximum comfort and flexibility.
The product was selected for its innovative use of bamboo and broad philanthropic applications, the judging panel said, adding that Huang and Wang will share total prize money of NT$200,000 for their achievement.
According to the MOEA, the award serves as a world-class platform for Taiwan design students to showcase their works and enjoys widespread support among local design-related industries and organizations. Through public, private and academic sector collaboration, the award is enabling the stars of tomorrow to better make the jump from the classroom to the workplace, the ministry said.
All entrants in the award must participate in the annual Young Designers’ Exhibition. Established in 1982, YODEX is one of the highest-profile student design fairs in the world and features rising talents from leading colleges in Taiwan and abroad. This year’s exhibition ran May 19-22 in Taipei. (KWS-E)
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