Recommanded
“Branding one of the major challenges for Taiwanese entrepreneurs and companies. Learning from others can be a good entrance level.� Ralph Wiegmann Managing Director, iF International Forum Design GmbH
Preface
I hope to demonstrate the beauty of the East and illustrate the love for your native land through the histories of these current brands which have been shaped by design aesthetics. The publication of this book is neither a means to list the awards I have received nor an attempt to announce the success of these brands. It simply intends to record how these brands came into being and the lessons I have learned. None of the brands in this book are world-famous, but each one of them has its distinctive “DNA� and inner beauty. It's inextricably linked to its native land and culture.
Jennifer Tsai. 2012/04
THE EASTERN SPIRIT IN GRAPHIC DESIGN Graphic Design Series
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Chinese Garden
0 0 0 Chinese characters have beautiful structures and specific meanings. Each stroke is uniquely and aesthetically glamorous. Deconstructed Chinese characters are vehicles of flowers. Flowers depict and show the grace of these characters. When these two meet, they create an indefinable beauty.
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Diverse Beauty of Pottery The stunning beauty found in pottery emerges from the continual change and transformation of the glaze in a raging fire. Diverse Beauty of Pottery—with ingenious design, passion, and a multitude of glaze and types of clay, pottery can be as elegant as a single cloud slowly gliding through a blue sky, as beautiful as an amber yellow crescent moon, or as dreamy as a romantic illusion.
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Chinese Calligraphy
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Made up of significant components, traditional Chinese characters carry a rich variety of images and are correlated to one another. Therefore, the interpretation of these characters through modern graphic design can mix and match text and image in a profound way. The “message” conveyed by the deconstructed text can exist in the “sense” laid out by the image. In the altered space formed by “sense” and “meaning,” they are transformed into a celebration of visuals and imagination.
wood
mountain
wind
stone
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ORIGINAL BEAUTY OF TAIWAN
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White Bitter Gourd The indigenous white bitter gourd perched atop a stone pillar implies the resilience (associated with the bitter gourd) and perseverance (associated with the stone pillar) of Taiwanese people. Taiwanese people are tenacious and full of vitality. They have shouldered heavy burdens that epitomized them into glimmering diamonds. They savor the slight bitterness to better understand the emerging sweetness. We see our love for Taiwan in the beauty of its indigenous plants.
Taiwanese Butterfly Orchid The world-famous Taiwanese orchid sprouting up from a tree stump is analogous with the beauty of Taiwan (associated with the butterfly orchid), which stems from the grass roots level (associated with the tree stump). Even under adverse conditions the Taiwanese are able to hold their heads up high and prosper with sheer perseverance and brilliant vibrancy. We s e e o u r l ove f o r Ta i wa n i n t h e b e a u t y o f i t s indigenous plants.
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A Fleeting Glimpse of Immortality Charming dried flowers encapsulate the glamour their last minutes in a state of eternity. Frozen amid time and space like the sprawling ink, they have immortalized an instant in time. As the flowers and the ink are the same, they add to each other’s existence. Calligraphy and nature become one. The immortal ink gives us a glimpse of life’s flourishing beauty.
Indigenous Life and Imitation A dot, a horizontal stroke, a stroke to the left and the right‌ Calligraphy in well-practiced strokes of ease are like the clouds and water in nature. Out of these dots and curves, a life is born. It's woven into a dialogue between indigenous life and imitation. Calligraphy imitates nature. It establishes a dialogue with the beauty of indigenous life amid a stroke of ink.
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Color Definition
0 0 0 Apart from solid red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, many other Chinese words express the idea of color, like burgundy, amber, and onyx. Understanding the meaning of these colors compels one to absorb the vitality and tension within them. With colors running freely across the canvas vibrantly, their texture, brightness, dynamics, and strength begin to show. You could say it’s an expression of vocabulary through painting. You could also say it’s a silent yet more precise vocabulary.
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FIRDI Calendar
0 0 0 Food not only comes in a variety of colors, smells, and tastes, but also a myriad of shapes, appearances, and personalities. Food is not simply meant to be eaten—it can trigger a plethora of emotions and encourage imagination. We have been designing calendars for FIRDI (Food Industry Research and Development Institute) for six consecutive years now, and we come up with a different design theme each year. For the first year, we used food and condiments as the basis to develop a monthly calendar. In the following five years, we adopted themes beyond the concept of food that contained hidden elements of culinary ingredients.
0 0 0 0 0 0 The 2004 calendar focused on twelve particular items: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, fish, meat, eggs, milk, and beans. Color was the theme for 2005, and we used the natural colors of ingredients in our design to reflect the colors of the five elements. This skillful i n t e g ra t i o n o f c o l o r s , e l e m e n t s , a n d ingredients enhanced individual factors to come together as a whole. Fo r 2 0 0 6 , w e b a s e d o u r t h e m e on flowers. Ingredients were either surrounded by flowers or inside them, subtly blending them into the shape and form of the plants. For example, in February’s “Happiness,” it consists of various kinds of chocolates placed inside sunflowers; in May’s “Heart to Heart,” grapes are strung together; and in July’s “Curiosity,” shimeji mushrooms are seen poking their heads out of budding flowers. The theme for 2007 was traditional objects. Delicious food was paired with various traditional objects in such a way as
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to enable the freshness and vibrancy of the food to complement the timelessness of the objects, forming a striking image. For example, in March’s “Light Snack,” it consisted of a small cube of tofu placed on a traditional Chinese weighing scale; in April’s “Slow Food” fish cakes are placed in a turtle-shaped mold used to make rice cakes. The theme for 2008 focused on poetry from Tang Dynasty, taking the concept of food to a whole new level. The colors, shapes, placement, and implied meaning of the ingredients elevated the captured scene into something spiritual. We used sticky rice cakes as a metaphor for the white snow that alludes to a line in January’s poem: “Elder man clothed in straw on a lonely raft / Solitary fishing in snowy frigid waters.” For July’s couplet, “Solely upon this mountain / The depth of clouds below unknown”, we piled up soft noodles to create the clouds, forming a sharp contrast with the ink-colored mountain ridges. The theme for 2009 focused on famous historical figures. We used different types of food to recreate different historical eras and events. For example, in January’s “Sugar is My Love and Honey Is My Heart” ,we used sugar (pronounced tang in Mandarin Chinese) as a metaphor for Tang Yin (Tang Bohu, a famous Chinese scholar); February’s “Braised Pork Monk, Lu Zhishen” uses the Flowery Monk Lu Zhishen, a monk who never followed the Buddhist code of abstinence from meat and alcohol, as an introduction to braised pork; May’s “Du Fu Fried Bean Curd” borrows its name from the Poet Sage, Du Fu, as a close homonym for tofu; and December’s “Rengui and Pinggui” alludes to famous historical figures in a lighthearted, humorous way.
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Auspic Paper Co., Ltd
0 0 0 New life is breathed into old paper through recycling and transformation. Auspic Paper fells trees based on nature’s own rhythm to ensure ecological sustainability and to preserve natural resources. The company prides itself on the special structure of its paper pulp and surface coating technology, which makes its recycled paper durable and exude bright colors. In order to present vitality (symbiosis with the Earth), disposition
(durability), and expression (coloration), the paper is composed and interwoven with three different specifications of papers. This paper has a sort of beauty that supersedes design without pretense. Books are bound with sewn binding to illustrate the paper itself, what it was made from and be closer to its source.
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Among the brands mentioned, some have already enjoyed tremendous success and some are still struggling to make a name for themselves. Others were on the track to success but suffered due to personnel problems. One sees the lines of the original plan drift away one by one as the brand takes shape and transforms. I was asked a question at a party with friends, “You’ve had the opportunity to work with so many different companies! What is your key to success?” I thought about it for a moment and quickly replied, “It all boils down to having faith in yourself and being steadfast in your belief!”
BAI JU YUE TEA WARE
Tried and Tested Beauty
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Bai Ju Yue Tea Ware
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Throughout my life, I have designed brand images for others but longed to produce a brainchild that springs from one of my passions. I love tea. When I travel to different countries, I always like to collect teapots and teacups to observe how they have been nurtured in their respective cultures through the exhibition of a distinctive style and elegance. “Bai Ju Yue” was developed from these feelings. This series of products marks Proad Identity’s debut in the field of product manufacturing. Through Bai Ju Yue, not only do I wish to extend my graphic design expertise to include product design, but also gain hands-on experience by being involved in the production and marketing of these products. Doing so, I can empathize with my clients, the investors and people responsible for the success or failure of a product. Let’s begin with the blueprint and design concept. Bai Ju Yue’s central theme
“the crescent moon” is artfully reflected in the inundating surface of the lid and the asymmetrical saucer. This design resembles the waxing and waning of the moon. It represents incomplete satisfaction and a discontinued smoothness, so is life. The undulating surface of the lid forms a pivot point with effortless grace. Such a minimalist design embraces both Daoist philosophy and practicality. The asymmetrical groove on the saucer is designed in such a way that it brilliantly creates another crescent moon each time a cup is placed on top. The same minimalist elegance and harmonious asymmetry are also present in the packaging. The masculine black container paired with the feminine ink or gauze handle on the lid also represents asymmetrical symmetry and incompletion. Oolong tea which is widely adored in Chinese society as well as western herbal tea, and Japanese green tea are brewed using different tea sets. From the arc of the liquid pouring from the spout, to the size of the teapot and the compactness of the lid, Bai Ju Yue’s beautiful and practical creations tell an original story of tea leaves. However, merging aesthetic and practical creations proved to be challenging
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during production. For example, the problem of “reverting water” (tea streaming down the spout when it is poured) forced us to alter the arc of the spout countless times. Another problem lay in the opening of the spout, which according to feedback from customers was blocked by enamel. As a result, we had to improve our glazing and firing techniques. In addition, our distinctive glaze firing technique produces inconsistent shades of color, and this doesn't appeal to every customer. We use extremely fine clay and glazing materials, but the finished ware should have naturally cracked patterns without real fractures. In the very beginning, only 7% of the finished ware met this standard. In this process of trials and errors, we continued to raise money to cover unexpected costs. Several of my friends advised me to reduce costs by moving the manufacturing factory to China, but I stood by my decision because I insisted on “Designed in Taiwan. Made in Taiwan” for my products. Because we only produced a limited number of products, the rate of return on this investment was too low for both Tai-Hwa Pottery and myself. When we repeatedly failed to produce the cracks that is a prominent characteristic of pottery in Song Dynasty, Mr. Lu, Chairman of Tai-Hwa Pottery, and I were close to giving in. However,
I was suddenly empowered and said to him with great ambition, “Mr. Lu, if a person like you cannot support a Taiwanese designer, how can I continue with my artistic creation to stay in Taiwan, and try new techniques to overcome technical problems?� Upon hearing these words, Mr. Lu rolled up his sleeves and continued to work with me. Bai Ju Yue has won a number of prestigious awards, such as iF, Pentawards, and Red Dot, but on the market, customers do not necessarily care about the awards. Price determines a deal. How should we set the price to cover production costs and reflect the value of the product? These questions always challenge the wisdom of brand owners. Because of my involvement in this case, I am now able to better understand my clients and empathize with them.
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To me, the beauty of these delicate everyday items lies not in visible signs, such as appearances and functions, but in the stories and efforts behind their production. In addition to the daunting firing process, I also learned a tough lesson from my original packaging design, in which I did not take into account the practical problems encountered by salespeople at the shop. For example, we focused on designing simple and light packaging, but we did not realize that it might be easily damaged when salespeople moved the products around for display. Furthermore, we also did not know that cardboard boxes, though corresponding to the idea of simplicity, actually tend to cause scratches on porcelain. As a designer who has won countless awards for packaging, I could hardly believe that I would stumble over the packaging of my own products. Eventually, I abandoned my original design with a heavy heart and started all over again. God taught me a valuable lesson through this experience. From then on, I was determined to view every task entrusted by clients with modesty, even if the task was a trivial case I had already dealt with hundreds of times. It is perfectly acceptable for designers to concentrate on beauty and discover their own unique character among lines and colors. However, if they are willing to get involved in the practical world, they will be able to hone their skills under another set of principles. Tableware must have the right weight and shape to be securely stacked up in a restaurant. In addition, the designer also needs to consider whether the product wears well in a dishwasher and whether it will inappropriately outshine the food on the table. In short, well-designed and practical artwork should not retain too much of its own character. It even has to be “self-effacing.” This has often led mature designers to hide some of their talents and adopt an attitude that shows more restraint and modesty. In other words, designers at a higher level will inevitably embark on such a journey of inner cultivation.
The Key to Design You could say it’s an expression of vocabulary through painting. You could also say it’s a silent yet more precise vocabulary.
EMPEROR LOVE
Oriental Design Aesthetics Reinterpreting Tea for the Modern Age
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Emperor Love
0 0 0 Never has a brand won me so many awards or so much praise—but neither has another brand made me rise from the ashes, or made me struggle and reinvent myself to this extent. Traditional Oriental tea has always been viewed as “something for older people”, but Emperor Love’s new philosophy of life has changed that image with minimalistic and stylish designs, completely discarding the image that tea is only drunk by old people. Through this case, I not only enjoyed the process of shaping a brand’s design, but also learned to place less emphasis on the final goal of creating an ‘award-winning design’ and completely open myself up to customers and out myself in their shoes.
After much discussion, we decided to focus on the concepts of “healthy, modern, LOHAS, and simplicity” for the top tea brand, Emperor Love. Because they have three main teas (Oolong, Pu’er, and special blend teas) we used three different motifs—mountains, bamboo leaves, and a ladies' makeup compact— to highlight the qualities and unique differences of the three teas. Longfengxia, shrouded in mist year-long, is opposite to the main peak of Jade Mountain (Yushan). Its fundamental soil yields two crops a year, and each tea leaf is the result of the utmost care of the tea farmers. Therefore, we used the visual image of a mountain range to present an aura of the mountains absorbed by the high mountain Oolong tea leaves and a clear, pure, and sweet alpine charm.
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The ancient Pu’er tea fams of Yunnan province’s Awa Mountain are hidden within the bamboo forest, breathing in the essence of heavens and earth among mountains, rivers, clouds, and mist. Every tea leaf tells a story and every leaf has a fragrance brimming with history. The packaging of the compound tea reminds one of an old ladies' makeup compact. The design came from my childhood impression of my mother’s compact. I used modern techniques to convert this into an image of subtle elegance, echoing a vintage trend. In order to preserve Emperor Love’s elegant and fashionable style yet refraining from making it too highbrow, we use plain packaging materials. For example, for paper, we used a stock that reminds one of thin, wispy silk to convey the elegance, prestige and style of the tea. It conveys the brand’s unique taste without being too confrontational with the customer. The design of “window grilles” on gift boxes is another way to express the traditional elements visually. In addition to designing their packaging, we were also in charge of designing the image for the customer’s Emperor Love stores. We decided the store should become the “new oriental beauty modern tea house”.
Unlike designs for high-end souvenirs market, this design incorporates the Emperor Love fusion tea logo and symbol. I was raised under the influence of Japanese occupation. My mother was an elegant woman who could make flower arrangements, sew, cook, diligently took care of her family and kept the house in order. In that era of scarce supplies and materials, I grew up watching her cherish her Shiseido ladies' makeup compact, using only a bit at a time. Decades later, that ladies' makeup compact has been transformed into the blueprint for the packaging for Emperor Love compound teas, garnishing praise from both judges and consumers. A year after working on the brand, a client told me one day, “The customers seem to ask about the packaging more than the product. We do not want customers to notice only the packaging and ignore the contents. All of our teas are the results of months of hard work from tea farmers.� The average age of the targeted customers has steadily gone down, but with the demographic shift comes a new problem: young people do not know tea well enough and their
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attitude towards tea needs to be further cultivated. But I do not want to use this as an excuse, and we should never forget that the main focus here should be the tea. However, it is sometimes forgotten because the packaging has received greater attention. I must look at this problem through the eyes of the client, so I began to pay attention to their stories. I listened to their detailed explanations on tea, and how every pot of tea has a moving story. They talked about how the environment for growing tea differs when facing the sun or away from the sun; surrounded by mist or grown on steep terrain and that can define different personalities of tea. I listened to how tea is cultivated naturally, learned about tea curing and tea making. Chairman Zhan, a tea ascetic, explained to me about tea in great detail. Emperor Love’s product has such profundity and every tea leaf has such a moving story behind it. I finally understood that the packaging wasn’t good enough, it was inadequate. My next task was to convey the depth of the Emperor Love’s brand through my visual designs to the consumer and impress them with the hard work and care the brand has contributed to Taiwan. Designers must look beyond “designing” and be willing to expand their horizons. They must be willing to make efforts to achieve the goals set by the client. If you are not the sole designer of your company or an independent contractor, then your client’s wishes will be your command—you should never insist on your own designs and neglect the client’s requests
THE KEY TO DESIGN
An excellent designer is defined as someone who is capable of moving beyond the single-minded purpose of “designing”, and is willing to expand his or her horizons to achieve the client’s goals and complete the job given by the client.
WU-MU NOODLE Using Good Design For a Whole New Spin on Noodles
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Sing-lin Foods and Wu-mu Ramen
If I had to use two words to describe this client, they would be “thrifty” and “pragmatic”. The client was very focused on the quality and taste of the noodles. They decided to open their factory in Nantou because of the high quality of the water there, which allowed them to hit the ground running. Sing-lin Foods Co., which produces Wu-mu Ramen, started out as a manufacturing company. The development of new ingredients, new technologies, new tastes, and new flavors was a natural calling for a hardworking and honest manufacturer such as Singlin. Even though today’s market has transformed from labor-intensive production to an era of oversupplied products, manufacturers still need a period of time to adjust and adapt, shifting their focus from the product to packaging and begin to develop and adjust their way of thinking for packaging. For such a simple and practical enterprise, the decision to change their packaging and adjust their corporate identity was a difficult decision to make. Such a change could affect
the company’s entire image, market access, and the consumer’s recognition and acknowledgment of the company. But brand owners must have a forwardlooking vision, determination, and courage so as not to be dominated by specific channels. In short, in a world where hundreds of brands contend for the market, packaging has become part of the product and is the first positive contact that consumers have with the brand. For many products, if the packaging on the shelf fails to catch the eye of the consumer at first glance, then a business opportunity is lost. The change in its packaging and logo posed a new challenge for Wumu Ramen. In fact, it can be said it is a reconstruction process for the brand’s image. Wu-mu Ramen has roots in Japanese ramen and uses carefully selected flour, mixed vegetables, and organic ingredients. The manufacturing process
5 5 5 5 uses charcoal and does not deep fry the noodles, ensuring that they remain chewy and extra tasty. The brand has remained the top brand for similar noodle products over the years. It was difficult for consumers to recognize the brand and upgrade the brand image subtly in the public’s mind during the brand image reconstruction process. For the logo, we retained the old Japanese style logo and the “mother-carrying-her-son” imagery to retain an image of “a mother cooking a healthy and delicious bowl of noodles for her child” in a traditional family. We made the smiles on the mother and the child clearer and the lines simpler and more concise. Furthermore, in order for consumers to be able to recognize the packaging after the change, we further enlarged the two Chinese characters of the brand name, “Wu-mu”. Finally, we added Japanese-styled curtains in the background to increase the overall cohesion of the image. We decided to replace
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the picture on the package with pictures of the actual noodles. The presentation of a delicious dish is always more attractive to the consumer than just ingredients. Of course, we also took into account the concept of health in Wu-mu Ramen
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when presenting the noodles. During photo-shoots, I always like to cook the foods and arrange them myself. Then I'll work together with the photographer and communicate with them when needed or, when inspiration strikes in order to ensure that the best photographs are taken. In addition, we used recyclable corrugated paper for the gift-box packaging to represent the product’s organic and natural characteristics. The pattern that covers the outer package is like the slender noodles, surrounding the deliciousness and healthiness of the ingredients. The design displays the Wu-mu’s fundamental values from the inside out. More importantly, the client made a lot of internal adjustments in order to coordinate with the new gift box design. We wanted to push a “five elements gift box” and combine five Wu-mu ramen colors and flavors (pumpkin ramen: yellow, earth; red rice yeast ramen: red, fire; Chinese yam ramen: white, metal; bamboo charcoal ramen: black, water; and green tea ramen: green, wood) into an exquisite package. The customer had to insert a small production line into the original mass production line, which was quite labor intensive. We are grateful for the support from Wu-mu’s management which made this idea possible, and the design went on to receive many international awards. We helped breathed new life into Wu-mu Ramen with our client’s trust. A change in a company’s logo can end up changing a lot more than what most people could imagine. In addition to updating all packaging, all of Wu-mu’s promotional materials, web pages, and even vehicles had to be updated. The financial crisis was in full swing at that time, and the change was a risky move for the client. Fortunately, Wu-mu Ramen continued to move on steadily. We are very glad we weathered the crisis and are particularly grateful for this client, with whom we share mutual affection. THE KEY TO DESIGN
Packaging has become a part of the product and is the first contact that consumers have with a product. For many products, if the packaging on the shelf fails to catch the attention of the consumer at first glance, it means a business opportunity is lost.
EASTERN HERBAL GARDEN Chic and Trendy With an added twist of classical oriental herbs
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Eastern Herb Garden
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For those who are familiar with Dah Jong Chinese Medicine Clinic, it's not surprising to find Director Yao's hospital packed with patients every day. People who seek treatment would come from all cities across Taiwan. The compliance rate is so high that it's hard not to be noticed by the bureau of national health insurance. Director Yao never treats his patients with other given prescriptions and all the herbal pharmacies in the region are aware of that. Director Yao MingSheng has already practiced Chinese medicine for twenty years. Due to his attentive observation and experienced clinical practices, he has collected his
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own unique prescriptions that are different from traditional ones. Director Yao has schematized and specified these unique prescriptions. That's to say each symptom is to be treated with a formula. It's different from how prescriptions vary fromdoctor to doctor as well as how exaggerated it was that most prescriptions can treat all sorts of symptoms. The fact is, one formula for one symptom is a concept that fits into schematized western medicine. Not only so, Director Yao also wishes to carry out the disciplined attitude of western pharmaceutical practice in Taiwan. Therefore, he started working on researching and developing capsules of a standardized appearance and weight, technologies to preserve the capsules without additives design air-tight and safe bottles. He insists on examining the source of his herbs so as not to use heavy-metal polluted herbs on the market etc. This will allow people access to these precious herbs more conveniently. In order to realize this dream, when mass producing westernized Chinese herbs, he will need a brand that can stand out. Therefore, Director Yao began looking for a designer. In 2007, Director Yao first read about my interview on 'Business Weekly' and
was impressed by my skills in integrating Oriental elements with westernized techniques. Hence, in 2008 when he saw Proad Identity's stall in the Food Expo in World Trade Center, we got in touch. Sadly, Dah Jong Chinese Medicine Clinic is too far away in Yunlin to work closely with Proad Identity which is in Taipei. Director Yao turned to a few other designing firms but after much hassle for ten months, nothing satisfactory came out of it. Director Yao believes that only Jennifer Tsai can relate to the motto he wishes to present. Therefore, he refused to give up and approached her again. This time, it was serendipity and Proad Identity went all the way to Yunlin to return home with an abundance of information and Director Yao's expectations. After studying information on Director Yao's research on the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese medicine based but westernized Oriental Herb Garden, we think that its strengths lie in Director Yao's twenty-year clinical experience, his unique formulas for specific symptoms, and his oriental values aided with western ideology. However, in terms of establishing its brand identity, we have to overcome stereotypical impressions that most people have of Chinese medicine.
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They believe that Chinese medicine is an outdated practice with unknown herbs, a diversity of prescriptions and difficult to consume. Director Yao has always looked up to Han Dynasty's physician, Zhang Zhong Jing so we thought we might as well adopt his motto for the Oriental Herb Garden. The first solid step in establishing brand identity was to design the logo with the image of a person. The profound Chinese medicine is presented in the simple and pure white backdrop of a westernized space, establishing the perfect brand identity of Oriental Herb Garden. Its first debut was made at the Food Expo in 2009 at the Taipei World Trade Center. This pure white design drew attention right away. The slender bottles of 'Classical Beauty Series' attract great attention. A bold visual presentation in an all white concept to dismiss the stereotypical image of oriental medicinal herbs. We gave it a bright, clean and bio-tech trendiness touch as well as incorporated images of finely selected medicinal herbs in the clean design. We also incorporated the image of four classical beauties into our design to transform a classic and give it a new image and modern definition. This Food Expo was by far the largest one in the recent years and among 195 stalls, we attracted the attention of media such as USTV and GTV. From a dedicated physician to the CEO of a bio-tech pharmacy, it takes great pains and effort to overcome many difficulties as well as help from professionals. There is a good physician and great products in Oriental Herb Garden so after years of dedication, the brand can be firmly rooted. We hope that in the future, such a wise Chinese medicine product can win the people over, just like Dah Jong Chinese Medicine Clinic did.
THE KEY TO DESIGN
Oriental values aided with western ideology. Incorporating Western and Oriental elements — Presenting the profundity of Chinese medicine and discipline of Western pharmaceutical practice.
YUAN SOAP Pure Intentions Presenting Local Beauty and Goodness
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YUAN SOAP
6 6 I always longed to take on a job for an authentic Taiwanese brand, but many of our clients in the early days were in the OEMs of electronics industry, which cannot be considered as a true Taiwanese industry. But since then I have had many opportunities to come into contact with various local brands. Some brands were even preparing to enter the international arena—and Yuan Soap is an excellent example. Jiang Rong-Yuan’s love for Taiwan was the perfect match for my wish to contribute to this country, so I especially cherished the chance to work with Yuan Soap. This project was aimed at creating Yuan Soap gift box packaging with scenic spots in Taiwan (such as Danshui, Jinshan, Sun Moon Lake, and Jiufen) as a starting point for our future cooperation. Before taking on the project, we had to put in the effort to understand the cooperative roots, culture, understand the knowhow and experience the emotions in the process. So Yi-Ren took us to a
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secluded area in Yangmingshan where Yuan Soap’s special herb garden is located. While walking further and further into the wilderness along an uninhabited mountain path, it felt like we were going in circles until we came upon a flat bed of vegetation and a spectacular view out over the mountains. Many fragrant and medicinal herbs were planted there, many of which were native species, including kucha, lizard tail, shiso, mountain lemon marigold, Indian catmint, and others like mint, verbena, and more. We were able to experience the energy of Yuan Soap with Taiwanese herbs firsthand via touch, vision, and smell. We could feel the energy of Yuan Soap and truly experience how the brand sells “ fragrance grown by the land and resources given to us by the heavens”. We were brought to the studio after spending time in the sunny fields with a variety of herbs and plants. Once inside, we saw a pot of refreshing herbal tea on the table, and the summer heat seemed to dissipate immediately. After we learned about the “earth and plants (ingredients)”, we were given a tour of the
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production process. It is hard for people to imagine that the water used to make soap here is spring water carried down from the mountain by the staff. If the workers did not have strong conviction and dedication to the brand, they would never continue this kind of hard labor. The founder of Yuan Soap, Mr. Jiang RongYuan said: “Cleaning is a spiritual practice.” This also includes the “process” maintained by Yuan Soap employees who work hard and sweat so much from farming, transporting water, and making soap by hand. The core spirit of Yuan Soap is “land ethics” and the “aesthetics of labor”, and the formation of “local autonomy” and “creative humanism” in the process. Because of Yuan Soap’s deep affection for nature, they do not add any foaming agents, fragrances or other additives that might irritate the consumer. We therefore extended this spirit to the
packaging so it conforms to their spirit of simplicity and environmentalism. It is worth mentioning that we particularly selected locally produced paper stock to reflect the local spirit while reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Another important consideration is that we believed consumers who go to scenic areas and purchase gifts would wish to buy something related the local region— something that would connect them to the emotions and memories they experienced; otherwise they might as well buy the product in an Eslite bookstore in the city. Thus, we assigned two major values to the packaging: “emotion” and “memories”. This would in turn enable consumers to recall their trip to Danshui, Sun Moon Lake, Jiufen, or Jinshan, and make a strong connection with
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those beautiful places and their purchase of Yuan Soap. So, we simply allow these places to be shown in their own natural beauty by adopting black-andwhite photos combined with classic Chinese ink calligraphy on the packaging, reflecting Yuan Soap’s “back-to-nature” spirit. Moreover, each package is bound with green twine, which symbolizes a bond and emotional connection, giving the overall design a simple and rustic flavor in addition to a sense of elegance and refinement. We received international awards from Red Dot, iF, JPDA, and the Golden Pin Design Award for the packaging design for this product series. This was a great source of pride and encouragement for us, because it meant that local creations and products were capable of being acknowledged in other parts of the world. Our next step is to dedicate our whole heart and soul into learning more from Yuan Soap. We hope to become a long-term brand-building partner with Yuan Soap. No matter what kind of inspiration or philosophy we embrace, we will continue to adhere to our faith that “too many details would conceal Yuan Soap’s brilliance”. Simplistic perfection is the ultimate level of achievement; just like in martial arts, a true master does not rely on merely the “stances”.
THE KEY TO DESIGN
Yuan Soap does not put in any additives in the products, so we extended this principle to the packaging to reflect the simplicity and eco-friendly nature of the company. Using black-and-white photographs to present different scenic areas also reflects Yuan Soap’s “back-to-nature spirit”. Lastly, binding the packaging together with green twine symbolizes strong bonds and an emotional connection, imbuing the overall design with simplicity, rusticity and elegance.
LA VIE Western Furniture that Embodies Oriental Aesthetics
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Lavie Furniture
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Lavie is a premium brand of woven rattan furniture. Lavie is special because the furniture is exported to Europe from China in its original name. Many Asian and third world countries serve as factories for developed countries. They produce luxury items branded alongside “Made in China.” Lavie was created locally and its creator adopted a contrarian strategy instead. Designers from Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, and France were invited to collaborate with the brand, seeking to highlight world-class design and craftsmanship in Lavie’s “Made in China.”
Due to this reason, when we were brainstorming Lavie’s brand image,
we decided to deliver its unique message through the idea of “contrast.” While conducting market research, we discovered that nearly all of Lavie’s competitors displayed their furniture against a European, modern backdrop — a Spanish beach, southern pine flooring, a minimalist garden, a swimming pool, etc. Lavie had to be different. As a Chinese brand, displaying the furniture against an
oriental background was perfectly reasonable and would also do well in market segmentation.
For the image of Lavie, we used the simplicity and negative space in
Chinese ink and wash paintings to represent the minimalism of Lavie furniture. We adopted ornamental window carvings to symbolize the hollowed-out patterns on the frame of a chaise longue. We compare the strokes in Chinese calligraphy to the sleek lines of Lavie furniture as well as the crack pattern in Song Dynasty's pottery to the irregular patterns of woven rattan.
By contrasting and juxtaposing Oriental and Western styles, it not only
conveys a spiritual significance that transcends material existence, but also creates coziness; as
well as the profundity of Chinese culture. When such
profundity and Western furniture are intricately woven together, an unexpected
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image will arise. It may be a tangible exoticism, an evocation of former times, or an image of an exquisite lifestyle.
In my opinion, designers should base their designs on the aesthetic
foundation formed throughout their everyday experiences. If they have an innate passion for beauty, they would take the initiative in their work without clients prompting them. They are driven by their innate passion to experience beauty with their five senses. They approach beauty with sensibility and reason. When the time comes, the results of designers’ constant nurturing will be naturally demonstrated from their works. In Lavie’s case, I am able to present Western furniture against an oriental backdrop because I have a genuine passion for oriental aesthetic elements. Is this not another brilliant interpretation of contrasting aesthetics?
There are three crucial points to establishing Lavie. First, even if
a product or a company has its intrinsic limitations, designers still have
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a chance to overcome these difficulties. In this case, shipping furniture to a Spanish beach for photo-shoot would not be cost-effective, so we gathered resources from local areas and photographed the products with advanced skills. We did not just overcome difficulties, we turned the original limitations into our advantages. Second, we used Chinese elements with exceptional care. Chinese history dates back thousands of years, and each dynasty has its own complicated set of artistic elements. In addition, Chinese art is largely about bright colors and sophisticated lines. Hence, randomly selecting one element might backfire or result in a style that doesn't stand out from other oriental styles on the market. Therefore, we always use designs and patterns that's been refined or simplified from well-surveyed Chinese elements. We also took care not to overuse these elements in case their lavish characteristics clash. It's a taboo to have a design outshine the product so designers have to work on their skills on “relinquish,” “control,” and “balance.”
Third, it is essential that we respect the product designs created abroad.
We're responsible for the brand image and it must be closely aligned with the brand’s product design or a communication gap will occur. The impression that consumers receive from catalogs, shops, and products should be identical. In a nutshell, we are not working behind closed doors; we must cooperate and blend in with every part of the production chain, not just its design.
THE KEY TO DESIGN
Even if a product or a company has its intrinsic limitations, designers still have a chance to overcome these difficulties. We used Chinese elements with exceptional care we always use designs and patterns that's been refined or simplified from well-surveyed Chinese elements. We also took care not to overuse these elements in case their lavish characteristics clash.
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IDA CONGRESS Cross-Field Collaboration A Battle in Performance 2011 International Design Alliance Awards
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2011 International Design Alliance Awards
Spring 2007, the CEO of Taiwan Design Center, Mr. Zhang Guang Ming contacted me on the phone. He told me that IDA planned to host an international design awards event in 2011. Every city worldwide had started to vie for the right to host the event. When I was appointed with this task, we had very limited time left. Therefore, as much as I'm grateful to Mr. Zhang for his trust in me, my feelings were quite perplexed. Without a minute to lose, I started reading up on this newly established association. IDA (International Design Alliance) was founded in 2007 by three influential design councils, Icsid (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design), Icograda (The International Council of Graphic Design Associations), and IFI (The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers). 2011 International Design Alliance Awards was the first awards event that IDA hosted after it was founded. More than 3000 elite and leading designers from over 60 countries
would flock into the hosting city to participate in this international event. It's almost equivalent to the Olympics for designers. This is a great opportunity for Taiwan to demonstrate its potential and capability in design to the world. Not to mention that Taiwan Design Center takes this project seriously but my passion for design also soars high while working on this project. However, our target audience are all outstanding and tough designers in the industry. Therefore, we have to be original and creative as well as execute the idea with care in presenting it on the invitation cards. After much discussion with Taiwan Design Center, we agreed on the logo for Taipei as 'Fusion.' Three strokes drawn with coloring pens. The start and end of each colored stroke are connected. It presents the meaning of IDA's three founding councils, their uniqueness and their alliance. In our application, we explained the ten absolute reasons why IDA Awards must be held in Taipei City. It included the design industry in Taiwan, its potential and environment, as well as our people.
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1. Taiwan's excellent geographical location and public transport. 2. Special exclusive discounts in traveling. 3. Industries in Taiwan support our application to host. 4. Professional experience in hosting international events. 5. Guarantee and promise of financial support. 6. A variety of interesting field trips. 7. The ideal platform for promoting IDA 8. Enhance the capacity of designing in Asia. 9. Unparalleled cultural experience 10. Hospitable and friendly Taiwanese people. In addition, we also assigned different colors to different jurors for their invitation cards according to what we know about them.I recall how difficult it was twenty years ago, when I first applied for the visa to the States. As most of you probably know, it was hard for single women to apply fora visa to the States. They assumed that applicants would try any means to stay in the States with the use of a short term visiting permit. I was asked all sorts of questions based on assumptions but I was quick-witted to list out five reasons why I'm eligible to apply for a travel visa. First, I have a full-time job in Taiwan. Second, I'm sinocentric so I love my country more than the States. Third, I'd like to experience the liberalism in the States and see for myself that there is no racial discrimination. Fourth, as a designer, New York City is a must. Fifth, in order to prove that I'm a real designer, I drew a sketch of the interviewer as a gift. The official approved of my application without hesitation. This experience taught me that it's important to be confident in one's country and culturewhen facing foreigners. We seized the opportunity to host IDA Awards in 2011 successfully. Among 19 cities from 13 other countries, such as Paris (France), Montreal (Canada), Seville (Spain), Melbourne (Australia) etc., we managed to outshine them. We attained victory for Taiwan and we fought hard for it.
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The next difficult task is to design a brand new logo for 2011 IDA Congress Taipei. After much discussion with Taiwan Design Center, we decided on the Chinese theme 'Confront,' and the English as 'Design at the Edges.' Two misty
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tones of red and green come together and crossed one another. It symbolize how different cultures and professions gather here in one place. The edges of the two color blocks are faded to represent that there's space to accept other fields of expertise. The process in attaining the consent of the jurors' approval of the logo was very difficult. Jurors from Austria, Germany, USA, and Canada had different opinions and ideas that they insisted upon. During this process, Peter Zec's assistance proved to be very important. Peter is the director of Red dot as well as a member of IDA. Over the past few years, he had invited me to be the juror of reddot many times so he knows very well about my concept and efforts in designing. He supported my design greatly. Because Peter helped with the negotiation and communication of the jurors to attain their consent for the design of the logo, we could surely say that he was our aide in hosting IDA Awards in Taiwan. Peter Zec's father once said, 'Everyone should have a house in every corner of the world.' He meant to say that we should all have friends who would provide us with a place to crash. I was deeply inspired my those words.
After IDA Awards came to an end, not only does it mean that Chinese
designers are further acknowledged but also that the local designers got to witness internationally renowned designs. It gives students a standard to look up to and it shows them that Chinese designers can make it to the international platform and win awards. It broadens our horizon as well as builds up our confidence.
THE KEY TO DESIGN
After delving deep into the elements of design, we re-create and simplify into codes. Then we take these codes and turn them into images, make them trendy and incorporate them into products.
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JARDIN DE JADE Top-notch Jiangnan Cuisine vs. Complete victory at international design awards.
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Jardin de Jade of Shanghai's KingMang Group
I've always considered food to be the most important in life. It's not just to appease hunger and cravings but it is also a form of art in life. From the shopping and washing up of ingredients to chopping, cooking and plating food, this could be seen as art and it makes one happy. When I first received this project, I was extremely excited. Because not only do I love good food, but also love 'the art of food.' For years, I've presented traditional Chinese cuisine through design and a global language. I've entered design awards with these food designs in hope of transforming my passion for food into a modern form of aesthetics. I'd like the world to notice that Chinese cuisine isn't just tasty but its culture behind every dish. Fortunately, we've always won the favor of international jurors at awards. Our focus on the brand image and packaging of Jardin de Jade is placed on the emphasis of transforming traditional Shanghai cuisine brand into 'the best brand in Jiangnan Cuisine.' Not only did we apply oriental elements and aesthetics
My photo taken with the Director (in the middle) and CEO, Shelly. (On the left)
but also showcase it in a clean and simple presentation. At the Oscars of design, the Reddot Design Awards, we won highest honor, 'best of the best award.' In addition, we also won equivalent awards at the iF Design Award and Pentaward. It could be said that it was a complete victory at the international awards. Jiangnan is a fertile region of fish and rice. Its cuisine dates way back in history. Jardin de Jade is in this region and has the potential to be the icon of high-end Chinese traditional cuisine. Proad Identity has always been skilled in uncovering the source to discover the cultural elements of a product and choose the deciding factors as its main focus. Then we re-interpret it with a new and creative manner. Therefore, in order to understand the brand culture of this product, I visited many ancient towns in Suzhou. I discovered its traditional elements, its charm and substance of the rich agricultural region, such as Jiangnan embroidery, silk screen printing, micro-carving, and landscaping are all top-notch in the world. We decide to correspond to the top-quality cuisine at
Left : I received 'best of the best' award in Berlin at Red dot Design Awards.On my left is Peter Zec, Director of Red dot; on my right is Finnish designer, Renne Aanelvuo. Right : I received bronze award at Pentawards in Tokyo, Japan for the design of the rice cake gift box of Jardin de Jade.
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Jardin de Jade with excellent craftsmanship, extracting key elements to present the cuisine. While designing the packaging, we used 'shadowing, embossing, and engraving' to present the stereoscopic and exquisite touch. Take 'Jardin de Jade's lotus leaf infused trotter' gift box as an example. The visual focal is on the exquisitely carved lock plates, presented in embossed paper for a stereoscopic and exquisite touch. Lock plates are unique in traditional Chinese doors. Therefore, it's exceptional when used as a means to open up the gift box. This gift box series comes in four colors. They are all wrapped in cloth and bound by hay. It takes on a strong vintage element. It won the iF Communication and Packaging Design Award. We also used the concept of the 24 solar terms in lunar calendar to come up with a concept for the 24 new dishes. For example, 'Spring Commences' goes with 'Eastern wind melts snow,' 'Spring Showers' with 'Fishes swim happily in water,' 'Insects Waken' with 'The earth emerges,' 'Metamorphosis,' and 'Vernal Equinox' with 'Magpies make nest' etc. For the photo-shoot, I wrapped up my own tableware and brought them with me to Shanghai. Some of my beloved dining ware were damaged in shipping but I had to bear with the sorrow and rushed off to Tianzifangto pick out some cutlery and linen. We then have to finish the photo-shoot before the restaurant opened for business. In fact, before the photo-shoot, it was a challenge to decide on a brand identity for its packaging. Not only do we want it to stand out from all other brands but also give it a luxurious and regional characteristic. We also need to apply this passion to the service of customers...While carrying out this project with Jardin de Jade, Director Liu allowed us to savor each dish slowly and also told us the story behind each of them. He explained to us how they preserved the traditional Jiangnan cuisine in their fusion with western and Japanese cuisine. Three main rules that Director Liu insisted upon moved me. First, it is their originality. In order to aspire the 26 branches, these branches are often engaged in contests. They compete for creativity, service, skills, and
Jardin de Jade: Top-quality Lunar New Year Embroidered Gift Box (Above) Jardin de Jade: Lotus leaf infused trotter' gift box (Below)
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the concept for project proposals. Second, it's their attention to 'knifemanship and details.' Knifemanship plays a crucial role in Huaiyang cuisine. Fastidious gourmet could sample the layers of flavors through fine knifemanship. Moreover, staff at Jardin de Jade are like family. Although hierarchy is important in the kitchen, it helps rally them together. It's not hard to see why Director Liu expects Jardin de Jade to represent Jiangnan cuisine. Jardin de Jade presents Jiangnan cuisine creatively, exquisitely and luxuriously. Since it was founded in 1999, there are already twenty some branches across China. Its branch in Macau was awarded one Michelin star in 2010. In addition, it has won titles such as 'Renown brand in China,''Famous brand in Shanghai,' and 'Top 100 Best Restaurants in China' etc. as well as other culinary awards and titles domestically and internationally. There are lots of delicious cuisines in China and there are even more cultural elements. The integration of both these aspects into a modern twist of 'Food chic' and trendiness will require an enterprise like Jardin de Jade who has the international vision and ambition to manage a brand who can work with designers to draft a blue print of an international brand with creativity.
THE KEY TO DESIGN
Uncover the source to discover the cultural elements of a product and choose the deciding factors as its main focus and then re-interpret it with a new and creative manner.
Jardin de Jade Lunar New Year Gift Box
Jardin de Jade Bridal Pastry Gift Box
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Jardin de Jade Fish-shaped Rice Cake Gift Box
The 2014 Red dot Awards was especially held in the innovative concert hall Berliner Philharmonie, with more than 1400 designers participating in the event.
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Different dishes made by the chef of Jardin de Jade look even more delicious with the plating under the camera.
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My child asked me, 'Mom, what is a brand?' I said, ' A brand would make you remember its appearance, its taste and it's a symbol that you want!
Although I've been in the design industry for years, the longer I'm in this field, the more I like designing. Because for me, it is life itself. When I shop and watch a movie, I appreciate the design and creations. When I shop for ingredients and cook, it's also a representation of design and a chance to learn. For me, design is a journey of life and experience.
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My parents are the most influential characters in my life. I'm grateful to have a loving husband, son and daughter who kept my passion for life and creation going strong.
Author Introduction Jennifer Tsai Holds the position of
General Manager/ Creative Director of Proad Identity
Asian member of European Packaging Design Association
Asian member of Global Design Source
Member of The Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan
Artistic director of 2015 Business Weekly Magazine's Special Edition 'alive'
Member of 2016 Taipei World Design Capital task force
International juror of design awards such as iF design award, red dot design award and Pentawards.
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(Left) 2009-2011 Pentawards winner for best design in packaging. The first Chinese to win the gold prize. (Right) 2014 reddot design awards best of best winner .
Awards & Honors 2007 2008 2009 2010
iF Communications Design Award Reddot Communications Design Award Top Hundred Most Outstanding Female Entrepreneurs in China Outstanding Designer Award presented by leader of Taiwan Region iF Packaging Design Award iF Communications Design Award iF ,Juror of Communications Design Award Reddot , Juror of Communications Design Award Nominated for 21st International Poster Biennale in Warsaw Pentawards Golden Award in packaging iF Communications Design Award iF ,Juror of Communications Design Award Reddot Communications Design Award Pentawards Silver Award in packaging iF Communications Design Award Reddot Communications Design Award Pentawards Bronze Award in packaging Pentawards ,Juror of Packaging Design Award Outstanding Award at APD TOKYO 2010 PACKAGE DESIGN GLOBAL SUMMIT Exclusive interview on CCTV, China 99 New Pride of Taiwan elected by Global Views Monthly
(Left) 2011/11 Awarded 'Pride of Taiwan in Designing' by leader of Taiwan Region (Right) My important international partners and friends - Knut and Chris.
2011 2012 2013 2014
Awarded 'Pride of Taiwan in Designing' by leader of Taiwan Region iF Packaging Design Award Reddot Communications Design Award Pentawards Silver and Bronze Award in packaging Pentawards ,Juror of Packaging Design Award iF Communications Design Award iF ,Juror of Product Design Award Reddot Product Design Award iF Communications Design Award Reddot Communications Design Award Pentawards Golden Award in packaging iF Communications Design Award Reddot 'Best of the best ' Packaging Design Awards Pentawards Bronze Award in packaging Chinese Industry Commerce Economy Trade Science and Technology Development Association Award 'Best Taiwanese Brand'