As part of its 2025 Asian tour, the Design Perspectives x Golden Pin Salon arrived in Bangkok on April 26, partnering with leading Thai design and art publication art4d to open a new chapter in Taiwan–Thailand design exchange. Continuing the Salon’s focus on Asian design practices and cultural contexts, the event gathered a diverse group of designers from fields including architecture, landscape, product, and visual design to engage in a rich cross-cultural dialogue.

This year’s Bangkok event featured two themed sessions. The first, titled Hidden Codes, explored the underlying structures and sensory cues of spatial design. Taiwanese architect Borden Tseng joined Thai firms Physicalist and Shma Company Limited in discussing how architecture can respond to natural and urban conditions. The second session, Cultural Codes, shifted the focus to cultural expression. Taiwanese designer Brian Liu of Local Remote joined representatives from PDM Brand and Thai designer Manita Songserm to share their approaches to developing culturally rooted and visually distinctive design languages.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Session 1: “Hidden Codes - The Language of Space, Form and Nature”

　　　　　　　　　

The first session focused on spatial design, bringing together three architects and landscape designers from Taiwan and Thailand. Through case studies and personal insights, the speakers explored how geometry, historical and cultural context, and the relationship between communities and nature inform their work. The discussion revealed the often unseen logic behind spatial design—and invited the audience to rethink how space shapes our experience of the world.

　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Borden Tseng: Shaping Space with Geometry and Meaning

　　　　　　　　　　

Known for his ability to translate geometry into spatial expression, Borden Tseng, Director of Q-LAB, offered insights into how architecture can respond to cultural and organizational contexts. “I believe architects must observe the surrounding environment and its social impacts. Architects have tools — geometry, structure, social understanding — to engage with the context and form space.”

　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　

One such example is The Chudong Parking Structure, which received a 2024 Golden Pin Design Award. Inspired by the shape of a traditional Hakka paper umbrella, the design features two curved, column-free volumes. Minimalist by day and softly illuminated by night, the structure appears to float above the city. Amid the dense and chaotic urban fabric of Chudong, Q-LAB chose to “stitch” the fragmented landscape together using clean, simple geometry.

In another project, Q-LAB’s headquarters design for Taya Electric reimagines the electromagnetic motion of Ampere’s right-hand rule into architectural language. The building’s façade, green terraces, and interior layout all embody layered, enveloping forms—echoing the structure of magnetic fields and coiled cables, while also expressing a seamless integration of corporate values and architectural form.

When asked during the Q&A session how refined structural details might affect users’ experience, Tseng offered a quiet reflection: “If a building doesn’t move people, even the most elaborate design is meaningless.” He noted that perhaps only one in a thousand would consciously notice those details—but it’s often the subtle things that enrich our sense of beauty. “Good environments educate future generations,” he added, “even without them realizing it.”

　　　　　　　　　　

Karjvit Rirermvanich: Designing with Nature and Time in Mind

　　　　　　　　

“Often in architecture, we control space, form, and materials. However, when we look at nature — the light, the wind, the sunshine, or even the broader project context — these are things beyond our control.” says Karjvit Rirermvanich, founder of Thai architecture studio Physicalist. “For us, architectural design is a celebration of what we cannot control.”

　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

His project Baan Klai Wat, nominated for the Best of 2024 Golden Pin Design Award, was created for a client’s elderly parents, allowing them to walk easily to a nearby temple for daily prayer. The house also accommodates the client, who returns home for just one month a year—requiring a design that balances long-term residence with short-term retreat.

Karjvit drew inspiration from a tropical garden pavilion, envisioning the house as a platform that embraces nature and environmental change. At its core is a small open courtyard, with functional spaces arranged around it. Skylights are interspersed throughout to bring in natural light and airflow, creating a neutral and tranquil living environment while allowing residents to enjoy the surrounding tropical landscape. As the master bedroom remains unused for most of the year, adjustable windows were added along the corridor façade to ensure consistent ventilation and daylight throughout the space. Throughout the year, the house shifts with the light—from morning to dusk—quietly attuned to time and rhythm.

Karjvit also shared Vanich House, a deeply personal project and homage to his family’s legacy. As the sixth-generation descendant of a family in the agricultural machinery trade, he transformed their disused 50-year-old factory into a multi-purpose venue housing his studio, a café, and a curated shop. Rooted in the practicality of his elders—"Use what’s on hand. Build only what’s needed”—the redesign preserved the old timber beams and added generous glass and translucent roof panels to let in daylight. Where the factory was once dim and enclosed, the new space is light-filled and open.

Upstairs, family heirlooms anchor the interior: old furniture passed down through generations, machine parts, and toy trains once played with by three generations. In Karjvit’s words, the project became “not just an architectural work, but a personal milestone—as a son, and as a grandson.” With each detail, his design pays quiet tribute to the passage of time and the stories it carries forward.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Yossapon Boonsom: People Shape Spaces, and Spaces Shape Lives

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

“I believe everyone deserves a happy and healthy life. But looking at our urban world today, it is a good question to ask: how can we design cities that truly enable a thriving life for all?” With this thought-provoking question, Thai landscape architect Yossapon Boonsom opened his talk, urging a reconsideration of urban design.

　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

As co-founder of Shma Company Limited, Yossapon approaches greenery not merely as decoration, but as a vital strategy for climate change, public well-being, and urban resilience. The spaces take many forms—from parks and tree-lined streets to underused rooftops and vacant lots. Two of Shma’s recent Bangkok-based projects—One City Centre (a private-sector collaboration) and Sky Forest Scape, a rooftop park that won a 2024 Golden Pin Design Award—demonstrate how greenery can be woven into the fabric of commercial spaces to reconnect people with nature in their everyday lives.

Yossapon noted that parks and green spaces are scarce throughout Bangkok. In response, Shma partnered with the Bangkok city government on a project in the Klong San neighborhood to transform some privately owned but unused riverside plots along the Chao Phraya River into a shared community park. The transformation was not a large-scale construction project, but rather a series of small, continuous public walkways designed to reconnect pedestrians and cyclists with the river and local community. These small, flexible moves, he emphasized, are not only flexible and adaptable but often more attuned to everyday needs than major developments.

Designing public space, he admitted, often requires navigating complex negotiations between stakeholders with different agendas. The hardest part is not the design itself, but the dialogue: convincing everyone involved—developers, officials, and residents alike—to participate, collaborate, and eventually feel a sense of ownership and belonging over the shared outcome.

“I believe that real public spaces are not only designed by professionals. They are shaped when all city members — communities, designers, governments — come together to imagine, create, and care for spaces.” For Yossapon, landscape design isn’t just about adding greenery; it’s a practice rooted in culture, biodiversity, social equity, and climate response. Through grassroots initiatives in overlooked corners of the city, Shma is reimagining what public space can be—spaces shaped not just for people, but by them.

　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Session 2: “Cultural Codes - The Language of Design in Asia”

　　　　　　　　　　

Design is deeply shaped by local culture, history, daily habits, and ways of thinking—continuously evolving into unique forms of expression. In the second session of the salon, three designers from Taiwan and Thailand offered their perspectives on how culture influences design, and how design in Taiwan, Thailand, and across Asia can be understood as a distinctive language that speaks to the world.

　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　

Brian Liu: Great Design Feels Like a Conversation, Not a Statement

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Brian Liu, a Taiwanese designer with experience studying and working in the U.S., leads the creative studio Local Remote, which moves fluidly across branding, graphic, motion, and spatial design. For the team, the core question remains: how can design go beyond visual appeal to create genuine emotional connections?

　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

He began by introducing Local Local, a self-initiated project that is more than just a café—it’s “a living brand experience.” The brand identity, composed of circles and waves, represents energy and fluidity rather than rigid perfection. Even their product photography takes a playful approach, styled like fashion editorials to give everyday objects a fresh perspective and a sense of humor. The space itself retains raw materials and embraces a bit of intentional messiness, echoing the brand’s spirit of spontaneity and honesty. Their social media strategy is equally unpolished—they simply document daily life, believing that authenticity resonates more than carefully curated content.

In contrast, their work for the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) draws from Indigenous Taiwanese culture, transforming traditional pottery forms into a visual system of multifaceted crystals and reflective, kinetic motifs that capture a modern image of Taiwan. The identity system spans motion and visual design—including Taiwan’s first custom space-themed typeface—and is designed to evolve alongside future missions. It’s a language that is culturally rooted yet accessible, enabling TASA to communicate more effectively with global audiences.

From cafés to space agency projects, Local Remote works across vastly different contexts and scales. “You can’t define culture with a single design. Culture is messy and plural. But you can create a system to express its meaning.” Liu notes that in Asia, design often exists in contradiction—between humility and expressiveness, tradition and experimentation. To him, design isn’t just visual—it’s a way to connect emotionally and culturally. “Great design feels like a conversation, not a statement.” This is the principle that continues to guide the work of Local Remote.

　　　　　　　　　　　

Doonyapol Srichan: Creativity Begins with Observing—and Rethinking—the Everyday

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Doonyapol Srichan, founder of PDM BRAND, shared how his path as a product designer and brand founder began with simple, intuitive observations of daily life. In the opening of his talk, he recalled his early days as a freelance industrial designer. One day, he noticed that drinks sold by street vendors were no longer served in plain plastic bags, but in handled carriers with straws—prompting him to realize that design can change behaviors and even disrupt entire industries.

　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

He brought this mindset into his own product design. At the time, floor mats were largely dismissed by the market and not expected to be well-designed, durable, or sustainable.　But instead of following convention, he went in the opposite direction. By combining 100% recycled materials with Thai craftsmanship, improving tactile comfort, and adding bold colors, he redefined what a floor mat could be. For Doonyapol, even products born from a distinctly local context can have global relevance: “Take Thai flip-flops, for instance—you’ll find them across Asia. As long as you stay true to what you want to create and focus on originality, it becomes a language anyone can understand.”

“The key to a lasting product isn’t just about how it looks—it’s about the values and spirit behind it.” At PDM BRAND, the focus is not only on selling products, but also on process, materials, and cultural connections. From floor mats, the brand has expanded into furniture, kitchenware, and accessories. Collaborating with local artisans and factories, they’ve transformed umbrellas and clocks into refined lifestyle pieces. Even the iconic red street-side tables and folding altars used in religious rituals have been reimagined into “petal tables”—design objects that open up new usage possibilities and reinterpret the everyday with charm and clarity.

Beyond products, PDM BRAND is equally thoughtful about how its story is seen and shared. Through exhibitions, curatorial projects, and social initiatives, they tell stories in simple yet meaningful ways. “Good products alone aren’t enough. Branding and storytelling matter.” Doonyapol encourages young designers to be bold, share openly, and not be afraid of imperfection—because with time and persistence, meaningful products and brands can take shape.

　　　　　　　　　　

Manita Songserm: Design as Dialogue with the World

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

“I would describe my approach as finding structure in chaos.” This line captures the essence of Thai graphic designer Manita Songserm’s creative outlook. Growing up in Bangkok, she became attuned to the subtle order hidden beneath the city’s apparent disorder. “That sense of underlying structure—beneath what seems random—is something I often try to express in my work,” she explains.

　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

In her designs, Manita frequently uses fragmented type and layered text to represent the ways people move, adapt, and negotiate within the urban environment. “I don’t believe design can change society overnight,” she says, “but it can contribute to social memory and spark dialogue.” Rather than trying to represent a fixed idea of Thai culture or identity, she draws directly from her personal experience—designing from the perspective of someone living in, and responding to, the city around her. “Design is my way of responding to the world, and to my own life.”

In 2024, Manita received the Best of Golden Pin Design Award for her poster for Crossover II: The Nature of Relationships, an exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The exhibition took place during the pandemic and featured works from Thai collectors—most of them over 20 years old and not particularly eye-catching by today’s standards. To reframe how viewers engaged with them, Manita boldly chose to pixelate the paintings and even present them in a single color tone, encouraging audiences to look closer and discover the meanings for themselves. “I believe cultural memory flows with time. Even a painting from 20 years ago can be reinterpreted today. The question is: how do we let tradition be seen in a new light?”

Unlike most designers working in commercial studios, Manita has worked at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre since graduation. She admits she sometimes feels like an outsider in the design world—but that distance also gives her space to think independently and have greater freedom to experiment. In closing, she offered a message to fellow creatives: “Be brave. Don’t be afraid. Even small efforts can create change.”

　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Let’s Keep the Dialogue Going — 2025 Call for Entries

　　　　　　　　　　

The 2025 Golden Pin Design Award and Golden Pin Concept Design Award are now calling for entries. The awards cover four major categories: Product Design, Communication Design, Spatial Design, and Integration Design. Open to both new ideas and completed works, both individual designers and companies are invited to enter. Winners will gain opportunities for international exposure, industry connections, and market opportunities. 

The deadline for registration is June 24, 2025, at 17:00 (GMT+8). Those who complete their registration and payment by May 20 will receive an early bird discount.