Design Creativity, Airing of Views

In 21st century, design is the new power of nation. Imagination is the international competitiveness! Should design keep its unique style to lead the trend, or go with the tide to let hundred flowers blossom? Does design need positioning and vision? For those who engaged in the design, what is the significance of design?

In fact, I think no rational position and no flashy vision is the best for design. Too many positions, visions or slogans will limit the creative imagination. For example, why were there so many inventions in 18th and 19th centuries? Because there was no sound and systematic educational system, and of course, without teacher’s personal preference and interference, so students' thinking would not be restricted, and would not affect the creative development of the talented students, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who is the most classical representative figure of art and science. However, under the existing education system, assuming that a student reaches the highest standard required by a teacher, the required 100 points, he cannot perform his talent potential of 1,000 points that he may reach, because the teacher just gave him 100 points to meet; his vision or horizon will be limited by the teacher and become complacent and stop thinking. Of course design can have a position and vision, but it should always keep flexible and changeable.

Actively Participating in Design Competitions, Increasingly Enhancing Design Capabilities

In my experience of participating in international competitions, I suggest that you students’ design entries need to be future-oriented, unique, and experimental; because the standpoints of the organizers are to encourage constant innovations, as well as new technologies and new skills, to encourage and inspire the promotion of design industry in the future. As to how to get idea, all you have to do is just "do" it; do not judge the design value according to the game result, because international judges are from all over the world and have some different preferences; some works may never win award in Taiwan, but get many foreign awards; besides, other candidates’ works will also affect your performances. The real problem of design is not how to get idea, but the difference made by the designer. Design has no shortcut. Different designers create things differently, just as the dress you prefer may not be suitable for other people. The most important of design is more practicing, more thinking, and more innovating; the result is just like this, it's a very instinctive thing. Design is an " instinct", to put it bluntly, needs talent. If a design is not good enough, make two; if two designs are not good enough too, just make three. In addition, the problem you can think is not real a problem, because you probably already know the answer. So the unexpected problems are the real problems, and you don't know where the problem lies, that place is where the problems really lie! This is the most horrible blind spot of design. The key point of design is not to complete a work or, but you want to do it or not. Everyone works hard in not the same way, in fact, you have already practiced the "multitasking" approach; just like such a scenario that when you are surfing, you are listening to music and tapping your foot at the same time. When the product differentiation (designed to do) is not big, it needs to be distinguished through  (Visual) branding and design, or let design talents to make it through communication. Design is not difficult, in fact it's very simple, but it needs to "do”; without doing, it is impossible to get a skyrocketing rise. When an idea of design has been thought up unfortunately failed to be realized, that's not success. The key point is to distinguish vision informations, such as title, must be always highlighted, not necessarily big, but needs differentiation. With the experience is growing, you will know how to design and do it naturally.

Design is an interesting psychological game. The more you don't want others to see, the more others want to see. Thus your design goal can be achieved. The key point of design is to think about; it has not only the both sides of good and bad. Design is to challenge and struggle for your will and ambition, and amiable to face - and educate your lovely and great customer who don't understand design; educate your customer who want cheap but high quality. If you work less hard, you don't know how many times you have to negotiate with your customers every day! I boldly call for today's designers, you should always educate and lead your customers, thus the design ecology can be changed and progressive, good design can be produced; as well as good design ecology and design competitiveness. My works, however, are all about my job, but rich in my own style. Each designer has his own design methods, others cannot do in the same way; this is the differences of design. Find your own style and specialty; you cannot be forced to do it, because that does not represent you, and cannot last long; you may design only one or two works, but do not go on, and want to give up. I think that there is no shortcut to do anything, including design. What the teacher teaches you now, or the masterpieces designed by today’s designers, are all their Know How. Design capability needs to be prepared in ordinary days, not began to prepare for contest. Let yourself be in standby mode at all times. Comply with and suitable for your own success, because other people's approach is not necessarily applicable for you.

No Best Way, Only Better Way

My personal way of design working is to pursue systematic, simplified, modularized, and professional; I think there is no shortcut. I like to do a lot of data analysis in the early stages; if you want to overcome the limit, you need your own methods. Some issues in the current market environment of Taiwan design require and deserve to be explored:

1. The small market cannot attract foreign design companies-The history of international advertising companies stationing in Taiwan is about 30 years long, but only few of them have been stationing in Taiwan. "Money is the most intelligent. Why don’t foreign design companies come?" Because Taiwan market is small, foreign design companies think Taiwan market has no opportunity to develop, and will not waste time and money to invest and station here.

Tang Prize-Medal & Diploma Design Competition

_{Tang Prize-Medal & Diploma Design Competition}

2. The aesthetic quality needs to be mature-A German who had visited Taiwan described that when Taiwan people stay at home, they are like living in Europe, but when they go to outdoor, just as living in Africa. They decorate their homes to be fantastic and beautiful, but the amenity and overall external environment lack of management, and are without planning or design at all. Besides, some buildings look gorgeous, but lack of inherent design content. Why are we unable to enjoy the life of design? Because the national income is not really high, the aesthetic quality is not enough, and the government policies and education systems, are all the main reasons. Taiwan is in the transition period from manufacturing to services industries, so our cultural maturity and internationalization degree both need to be upgraded and strengthened.

3. Design Purchase stifles creativity-Each creative idea is very precious for a designer, but no matter how good or innovative the work is, it must to receive harsh test in the market. In many cases’ processes of pitch and bidding, because of the judge’s personal preference, selection methods, and organizer’s acting style, coupled with the national character of "benefiting", the last winner is not necessarily the most perfect or excellent one, but often is the common, safe, or conservative idea. So I hope the legislation of Law for the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries can be accelerated in order to improve the problem of Design Purchase, and enhance the design quality of Government tenders.

Tang Prize-Medal & Diploma Design Competition

_{Tang Prize-Medal & Diploma Design Competition}

Taiwan’s advantages and capabilities of design education

Concerning design advantages, the societies of Taiwan and Mainland China both belong to the Chinese culture, Taiwan's free and open atmosphere not only attract more international visitors to come for learning Chinese and Oriental culture, but also make Taiwan be the springboard of international companies entering into Mainland China. Integrating the advantages of Taiwanese culture and Chinese culture make Taiwan design more delicate and upgrade. Following is how to overcome the major challenges of Taiwan’s design education:

1. Large gap between academia and industry-In Taiwan, any design industry is facing the problem of too large gap between academia and industry, especially when the international market is changing faster and faster, a greater gap between school education and industry appear; this problem is hard to solve.

2. Too rigid curriculum of design education-A part of current design curriculums are too old and too rigid, another part is following the Government policies, and changes again and again; but in fact, the changes of the content are not big, just old wine in new bottles. In addition, due to the too highly homogeneous school curriculum, plus the ineffective elimination mechanism, resulting in vicious competitions in the employment market in the future.

3. Ignoring the spirit of craftsman in design career-The schools increasingly emphasize on computer hardware, multimedia, and software training, but ignore the most basic structural courses of craftsmanship, which causes the constantly downward sink of design basis.

4. Lacking teacher with practical experience in the industry-Learning from overseas education, more eminent persons in the industry should be recruited to teach in school to offer design students more courses from practical experience in the industry, and to reduce gap between academia and industry; thus the students can link with the industry soon after graduation.

The Great Future of Design beyond Everyone’s Imagination

With rapid changes in technology, the public awareness of design has become increasingly popularized, on the other hand, art of design has a fuzzy space of development that no longer limited in commercial uses, because design also involved in everything. For a designer, in different design areas or creative industries, how to grasp the essential of design? For a top designer, I think, design is blurred without boundary. The most important is vision and horizon. In addition to aesthetics, all designs commonly need keen sense and perceptiveness, so as to comprehensively understand.

The future trends of design will be towards technology development, hardware expansion, and software progressing for constantly investing in innovation. Many successful creative developments are because of the revolution of previous industry, living habits, and thinking patterns, to produce breakthrough innovations. Design is constantly evolving, the speed is faster and faster, like mutant cells dividing rapidly. It is difficult to find the absolute definition that causing the gap between school and industry larger, so better untaught than ill taught, the future King Way of design is to follow the market changes with constantly adjusting and continuous learning.