The 2024 Bachelor’s Graduation Exhibition “UNI.ZIP” by the Department of Design at Taiwan Tech officially opened today (15th). The exhibition features over 60 works spanning multiple fields, including product design, mobile vehicle design, speculative design, and visual communication design. In multiple fields, breakthrough design concepts are proposed for issues such as local revitalization, art and culture, national defense education, and the environment, demonstrating the infinite possibilities of design.

The Department of Design's graduation exhibition “UNI.ZIP” invites industry designers, faculty, and students to visit.

Taiwan Tech President Jia-Yush Yen stated that each annual design graduation exhibition has its unique features. This year, students have integrated elements of sustainability, aesthetics, and art and culture into commercial design, industrial design, and animation works, covering diverse and in-depth topics. He encouraged students to continue to solidify the reputation of Taiwan Tech’s Department of Design after graduation, applying their skills and shining brightly in their careers.

Dean of the College of Design, Ming-Huang Lin, first thanked all the instructors and students for their hard work. He noted that this class of students faced significant challenges, as they encountered the pandemic during their first year and had to rely on online or self-directed learning. Despite the difficulties in catching up post-pandemic, their graduation works are impressive, and the self-learning skills they developed will be highly beneficial in the future.

The theme of this year’s exhibition, “UNI.ZIP”, represents “Unzip Unique - Cultivate, Condense, Create”. Chief Organizer Dien-Lun Yang explained, “We have compressed our four-year journey at Taiwan Tech's Department of Design into a winding road that represents our experiences and accomplishments. This path has shaped our individual works.” The exhibition not only showcases the results of their four years of learning in the design department but also aims to create a platform for deeper connections with the industry.

Opening ceremony group photo.

Industrial design students Jie-Xi He and Yu-Xuan Zhang observed that drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death worldwide, so they combined lifesaving equipment with outdoor recreational products, using environmentally friendly recycled EVA materials to design multifunctional items such as a cooling tote bag, waterproof speaker, and portable outdoor products to enhance portability. In an emergency, users can disassemble these products to transform them into life-saving floatation devices. Jie-Xi He hopes that through their design, they can raise awareness of water activity safety, ensuring that people can enjoy leisure activities while enhancing safety. Ting-Er Lin and Yan-Xin Lin transformed umbrella fabric into fashionable items, utilizing the waterproof and functional properties of discarded umbrella fabric to create a variety of trendy bags. Their work emphasizes sustainable resource utilization, giving new value to waste materials.

Industrial design students Jie-Xi He (right) and Yu-Xuan Zhang (left) combined lifesaving equipment with recreational products in their designs to enhance the safety of water activities.

There is also an instrument design work that challenges tradition and innovates Taiwanese culture. It is created by an industrial design team including Xiang-Ting Huang and Zi-Ling Chen. “Ethereal Lute” features a futuristic design of the traditional pipa, incorporating modern colors and hollowed-out elements. This design aims to arouse public interest in traditional Chinese music. They also utilized generative AI technology to assist in the design process, highlighting an experimental approach that enhances the unique aesthetic of the instrument. Additionally, they plan to integrate AR technology into performances, providing an immersive experience for audiences and promoting innovation in musical performances.

Industrial design team Xiang-Ting Huang (left) and Zi-Ling Chen (right)’s “Ethereal Lute”, is dedicated to rekindling interest in traditional Chinese music and boldly plays with instrument design.

Taiwan Tech students are also dedicated to preserving the spirit of Taiwanese culture. The three-dimensional installation piece “Taiwan Sound History” created by Business Design students Jin-Xuan Ou and Ya-Wen Tsai, originates from their passion for Taiwanese history and their reflection on traditional historical education. This interactive book combines sound, visual, and interactive elements, allowing users to embark on an auditory and visual journey beyond text. Through the manipulation of these multimedia components, users can explore and understand Taiwan's past in diverse ways.

Business design students Ya-Wen Tsai (left) and Jin-Xuan Ou (right) collaborated on the creation of “Taiwan Sound History”, an interactive installation piece that integrates sound, visual, and interactive elements to allow the audiences to rediscover Taiwanese history through diverse media.

The exhibition design cleverly integrates dynamic and static visual scenes, guiding the audience to experience the passage of time. Works such as “Taiwan Sound History”, “Waveless Solution”, and “Taiwanese Leather Innovation” were recently nominated for the Golden Pin Design Award. Visitors can navigate through carefully designed works and exhibition spaces, reflecting on the relationship between the exhibition and the works, as well as between people and the works. They can interpret and “unzip” the inspiration and design concepts behind each piece in their own way.

For more details about the event, please contact the organizing committee through the official Facebook page or Instagram account of the 2024 Taiwan Tech Design Department Graduation Exhibition.

[Exhibition Information]

Taiwan Tech Design Department Graduation Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: May 15th (Wed) - May 19th (Sun), 2024, 10:00 - 17:00

Exhibition Venue: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech)

IB International Building | 1F Corridor, Taiwan Tech Art Gallery, DaYong Workshop & 2F Corridor, Meeting Rooms (IB-201, IB-202)

Next Generation Design Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: May 24th (Sun) - May 27th (Mon), 2024, 10:00 - 17:00 (Extended until 18:00 on holidays)

Exhibition Venue: Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2, 1F, No. 2, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei City