Winners Announced for First-Ever WOW! Taiwan Design Competition

The Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) of Executive Yuan (the Cabinet) recently announced the winners of the first-ever WOW! Taiwan Design Competition, held during the 27th Young Designers' Exhibition (YODEX 2008) running May 15-18.

The CCA noted that it organized WOW! Taiwan with the aim of urging the general public to pay more attention to culture and to culture-related products.

To encourage greater participation and further expand the influence of the design competition, WOW! Taiwan was divided into two groups: professional and student. The winners were chosen from a total of 1,688 entries.

The first WOW! Taiwan focused on "showcasing Taiwan's cultural characteristics to the world" and "globally common human issues." The CCA anticipates that the winning products can be commercialized and that they will have strong competitiveness in the international market, thereby effectively spreading Taiwan's cultural characteristics around the world.

Following are winners of the first WOW! Taiwan:

First Prize (Professional Group)

Product: EasTea / WesTea

Designer: Chen Jen-fong

The tea culture has long been a major part of Chinese life. This design seeks to improve the traditional tea-making and-drinking set so as to make tea-drinking easier and more popular.

The designer used traditional bamboo (which grows widely in Taiwan) and ceramic materials together with a simplified modern style to reshape the traditional tea-drinking culture. The multi-layer design concept was inspired by traditional Chinese steamers, and tools and cups are sorted on different layers while achieving an integrated style.

Second Prize (Professional Group)

Product: Bamboo USB Driver

Designer: Lu Ying-ta / Tocca Design

Taiwan is internationally known for its bamboo products and handicrafts. The bamboo, with its simple cultivation and rapid growth, is generally deemed to be an environment-friendly material.

Utilizing a symbol of the seal on traditional cakes consumed during major festivals, the bamboo USB drive represents the cultural and high-tech facets of Taiwan.

Third Prize (Professional Group)

Product: Mineral Water

Designer: Jong Wen-jun

The packaging design of this product incorporates traditional Taiwanese gods in bottle packages with the aim of bringing spiritual and psychological satisfaction to anyone who drinks the water.

First Prize (Student Group)

Product: Beautiful Windows in Our Life

Designer: Yu Chun-shan / National Taiwan Normal University

Decorative windows made of bamboo have long been a major part of traditional Chinese culture. Chopsticks are the major dining tool of the Chinese, and this portable chopstick box with decorative windows features both environmental friendliness and beautiful design.

Second Prize (Student Group)

Product: Wrapping Top

Designer: Huang Shao-yu, Liao Wan-ting / Tatung University

The whipping top, a toy of long standing for most children of the world, offers simple fun. It remains a fun-giving top even when it is transformed into a power-cable sorter.

Third Prize (Student Group)

Product: Bamboo Shoot

Designer: Huang Hsiao-ro / Huafan University

This design draws on the styling and cultural meaning of bamboo shoots and turns them into seasoning bottles that impart a simple and relaxed visual feel to meals.