Golden Pin Design Award and Golden Pin Concept Design Award 2022 Announce a Total of 126 Finalists!
Designers from 10 Regions Competing for the Coveted Best Design Trophy!
The judging of the final selection for the 2022 Golden Pin Design Award and Golden Pin Concept Design Award was completed in September. Today, the organizer announces a total of 126 finalists from designers in 10 countries or regions. There are 118 finalists in the Golden Pin Design Award and 8 finalists in the Golden Pin Concept Design Award. The finalists from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, U.S., India, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and Germany are all now in the running to win Best Design at the award ceremony in Taipei on December 2nd!
Golden Pin Design Award 2022
Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the 2022 Golden Pin Design Award has held the final selection online. In a series of intensive discussions during the selection meetings held on September 21st and 22nd, the design and creative experts from Taiwan, China, The Netherlands, Germany, and Japan had heated debates to finalize the list.
After the final judging round, 118 finalists stood out of the 627 entries awarded the Golden Pin Design Mark. In addition to competing for the coveted Best Design trophy, the finalists can also be nominated for Special Annual Awards championing “circular design” and “social design.”
The final selection meeting for Golden Pin Design Award 2022
The final selection jury attended the online meeting to finalize the list.
❚ Final Selection Jury Comments
Dutch master of home and interior design Richard Hutten, who served as a juror on the finalists’ panel this year, was amazed at the high standard of the entries in this year’s Golden Pin Design Award, which makes the selection process both interesting and challenging. When reviewing works, sustainability is always of prime importance to him, so he is pleased to see circularity receiving attention from designers and companies all over the world in this year’s selection.
Founder & creative director Keng-Ming Liu of Bito, one of Taiwan’s leading motion design studio, notes that while the visual communication field faces constant challenges due to the increasing convenience of technology—these days, even artificial intelligence can create—creations with a human touch, resonance, and influence are becoming all the more valuable. He is quite moved by the way in which this year’s designers have applied their professional expertise in an effort to drive societal change.
According to Geely Lotus Group Vice President Ying-Jia Yao, the shortlisted works include several designs that are remarkable not only in terms of functionality and visual aesthetics, but also because the designers have made sustainable social development a central consideration; the ingenuity of many of these designs also creates brand-new experiences and values.
❚ Featured Finalists for the Best Design
1. Elite Dragonfly Folio 3:2
- Category: Product Design
- Country/region: U.S.
- Manufacturer/Design Company: HP Inc. (U.S.)
The Elite Dragonfly Folio 3:2 is HP’s innovative new flip laptop with 2-in-1 functionality and a pull-forward design that makes it simple to adjust the screen to any display angle without lifting and offers a seamless transition to tablet mode for use as a touch-screen, thus supporting more flexibility for collaboration.
2. U-Lab 001 Guitar
- Category: Product Design
- Country/region: China
- Design Company: inDare Design Strategy Limited (China)
- Client: Unknown Galaxy Technology Limited (China)
The U-Lab 001 Guitar is a foldable smart guitar that is less than one-fifth the size of traditional guitars. Its modularized performance and color prompts lower the learning threshold for beginners by allowing users to directly sing along to chordal accompaniments, making it easy to enjoy playing music.
3. that! IH Pressure Ricepot
- Category: Product Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Manufacturer: THAT INVENTIONS CO. (Taiwan)
- Design Company: GIXIA GROUP CO. (Taiwan)
With the mission of inheriting Taiwanese electric rice cooker culture, “that! Pressure IH Ricepot” is the first IoT IH micro-pressure electric cooker to retain the traditional method by adding water to an outer pot. Its cast-iron lid allows the fire to penetrate deeper into the ingredients; the inner and middle pots are easy to disassemble for cleaning. In addition to steaming, boiling, reheating, and sous vide mode, users can operate with one button or with the IoT control on phones.
4. UNI MOKE
- Category: Product Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Manufacturer: Smiling Elements International Corporation, SEic (Taiwan)
- Design Company: Urban Drivestyle (Germany)
The UNI MOKE is a pedal-assist e-bike (EPAC) made with vintage tubular steel that has a unique and eye-catching design, 9-gear power assistance, and a 7-speed derailleur. Users can also add on spare parts and accessories to customize to their personal loading needs or work requirements, making it suitable for both urban commuting and outdoor riding. The UNI MOKE is a practical and eco-friendly short-distance means of transportation.
5. The Story of a Fisherman (Animation)
- Category: Communication Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Design Company: Wild Design (Taiwan)
- Client: Humanity Research Consultancy, HRC (U.K.)
This animation was created for the social enterprise: HRC, based on the true story of a fisherman, as part of the research project looking at the related impact of Covid-19 on the most vulnerable community, including survivors of trafficking in the pandemic era. The creators hope to raise awareness of the vulnerable groups affected by the pandemic as we are moving from the crisis into the recovery phase and beyond.
6. Solution Dewy Glow Instant Hydrating Mask (Packaging)
- Category: Communication Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Design Company: Reiyao Design (Taiwan)
- Client: Solution Skincare (Taiwan)
Echoing the brand concept of “taking from nature, returning to nature,” wrapping plants with water droplets strengthens the image of products made from natural plant extracts. The designer also takes ingredient information as the element for graphic design, hoping to gain customer trust by presenting the information clearly and honestly.
7. Dino Burger (Brand Identity)
- Category: Communication Design
- Country/region: Macau
- Design Company: UNTITLED MACAO / UNTITLED DESIGN, LTD. (Macau)
- Client: Dino Burger (Macau)
This design emphasizes on the brand’s think-out-of-the-box attitude and innovative operating method. The designer breaks the stereotype of the average burger shop and uses the peculiar yet adventurous dinosaurs as the subject while following it onto the path of looking for delicious burgers. The logo design is clean and concise by combining the brand’s English name with the characteristics of dinosaurs’ feet. As for extended design, plenty of creative illustrations are used to attract customers’ attention.
8. Tan-Shin Cycling Bridge
- Category: Spatial Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Design Company: Studiobase Architects & A.S studio Engineering Consultant (Taiwan)
- Client: Construction Bureau of Taichung City Government (Taiwan)
The elegant shape of Tan-Shin Cycling Bridge combined with seemingly unbalanced eccentrical arches performs ideally stable by its form-resistant behavior, making a graceful score out of sky. The visitors would experience the change in city scenery and spatial conception in amusement as “passing through” the bridge. The designers eagerly expect that people stalking and cycling here could immerse themselves in the gorgeous curved form and excitement for structure.
9. Garden Curtain Wall
- Category: Spatial Design
- Country/region: Singapore
- Design Company: Formwerkz Architects (Singapore)
- Client: Chan Brothers Travel Singapore (Singapore)
It creates an additional space between the building’s exterior and the outer copper-clad curtain wall to challenge the stereotypical glass facade that is ubiquitous in skyscrapers in metropolitan areas. The strategically interspersed openings connect different functional spaces with the garden terraces in a manner that reimagines the look of the workspace and naturally connects the interior areas with the urban environment.
10. Kit-house
- Category: Spatial Design
- Country/region: Japan
- Design Company: TORAO+HSIEH ARCHITECTS (Japan)
- Manufacturer: Shinwa Mokuzaikogyo Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Kit-house is a product developed in Japan that can be easily assembled, allowing families to build their own house together. It has been popular in Japan since its launch, while letting countries outside Japan to experience Japanese wood products.
Kit-house was launched in Taiwan in 2020, researching new possibilities for prefabricated cabins. In order to subvert the previous impression of closed wooden houses, it creates a new concept of freshness, comfort, and openness so as to have good ventilation in the hot and humid environment. Expanding to the outside also means transforming the original closed space for personal use into a space where everyone can gather and share.
Different from general prefabricated cabins, Kit-house processes fir thinning wood into a hollow state to ensure sufficient drying, light weight and high dimensional accuracy, and considers the prevention of rainwater penetration.
11. Design Movement on Campus 3.0 ─ lalangan
- Category: Integration Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Design Company: seed spacelab co. (Taiwan)
- Client: Taiwan Design Research Institute & Pingtung County Taiwu Elementary School (Taiwan)
This campus space renovation project maximizes the available space with an elevated storage area and systematically incorporates functionality into its customized wooden tables and tool carts. In addition, by flipping the way the work is presented to an overhang, film-reel style lattice-work frame that holds students’ creations and Paiwan stories, it transforms the woodworking classroom to better meet the needs of its users and honor their cultural heritage.
12. Jail Hostel: Immersive Exhibition Experience
- Category: Integration Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Design Company: seed spacelab co. (Taiwan)
- Client: The 2021 Taiwan Design Expo in Chiayi (Taiwan)
The exhibition is curated based on a hostel concept. Through an immersive guide as well as a lively and humorous creative design, it flips the script on the chilling impression one generally gets from the old Chiayi Prison and leads viewers to reinterpret this monument to the city’s rich historical background.
Golden Pin Concept Design Award 2022
This year, the Golden Pin Concept Design Award saw a record number of submissions—5,114 entries from 29 countries/regions worldwide. Only 43 from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Russia, Germany, and Turkey received awards, and just 19 finalists are eligible to enter the final selection.
During the online final selection process on September 23rd, all 19 finalists presented online to demonstrate their design highlights. Finally, the jury selected 8 entries out as the finalists. Each finalist has a chance of winning not just the coveted Best Design trophy, but also a share of the award’s TWD$1,200,000 (approx. USD$39,000) prize.
The final selection meeting for Golden Pin Concept Design Award 2022
❚ Final Selection Jury Comments
In an overview of this year’s finalists, Acer’s Industrial Design AVP Seji Pang stated that each entry has its own unique features and all have reached a certain level of completion and maturity. In his Q&A with the contestants, he paid special attention to how well the designers know their work and whether or not they are aware of their shortcomings and are able to make improvements.
German industrial design master Werner Aisslinger mentioned that he is particularly looking forward to seeing designers explore issues that humanity will face in the near future, including food nutrition, ecological sustainability, circular economy, and social or public welfare issues. He is also pleased to see that most of the shortlisted works not only have put forward creative concepts, but also include more comprehensive perspectives and considerations in their design.
Famous Japanese designer Yoshiaki Irobe notes that since the purpose of the award is to encourage innovative concepts, he will attach great importance to whether the design has a new angle or method to it. Although today the convenience of technology makes turning ideas into reality much easier than before, he exhorts young designers not merely to focus on the technicalities, but to think about the nature of design and strive to connect with people and society through design to make their mark in the world.
❚ Featured Finalists for the Best Concept
1. Revolution in Traditional Taiwanese Instrument—Crescenter
- Category: Production Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Designers: Shao-Ying Lin, Jhe-Ru Cai, Chi-Yung Li & Wei Chen (Taiwan)
This innovation of Taiwan traditional moon guitar focuses on electronicization, replacing strings with pressure-sensing silicone, and integrating Eastern and Western rhythms. It was designed with the idea of reducing the difficulty level for beginners, adding diversity to music composition, and creating the possibility of co-creation with modern musical instruments.
2. Avalanche Signal
- Category: Production Design
- Country/region: China
- Designers: Wen-Wei Hu (China)
Avalanche Signal is a self-rescue device concept designed to help victims of avalanches. When the signal flare is fired from the glove, the helium cylinder fills an SOS rescue balloon that floats in the air, helping rescuers quickly identify the location of the trapped person so that they can save more lives in time.
3. byebye.
- Category: Communication Design
- Country/region: Taiwan
- Designers: Sheng-Ju Wu (Taiwan)
This animation work uses the panels and rhythm of comics to tell the story of how the protagonist grows and learns as he struggles between engaging with the outside world and maintaining a sense of self, and ultimately bids farewell to his past vulnerable self. It is a coming-of-age story with a unique design aesthetic.
Best Design winners will be revealed at the award ceremony
The Best Design winners for the 2022 Golden Pin Design Award and Golden Pin Concept Design Award will be revealed at the award ceremony held in Taipei on December 2nd. The awards organizer will also be awarding the Golden Pin Design Award’s Special Annual Award for Social Design and for Circular Design to encourage more designers and businesses to take the lead in pushing for social innovation and contributing to a sustainable circular economy. The Golden Pin Concept Design Award will give out three Best Design Awards, with each recipient receiving a cash prize of NT$ 400,000. Which designs will win the top honors? Stay tuned to find out!
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Follow this link for the full list of the 2022 Finalists:
