Words and images Taiwan Design Research Institute
Editing The Kanto team (Taiwan Design Week)
Driven by design
From 29 November to 7 December 2025, Taiwan Design Week (TDW) returns to Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei for its third edition, themed “Design Next.” As global challenges intensify and innovation accelerates, design is stepping into a new frontier, moving into a reality where creativity and responsibility meet, and aesthetics go beyond looks and serve systems.
Studies back this vision of a design-driven future. According to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, over 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage, making design a critical lever for sustainability. Meanwhile, 81% of global consumers expect companies to help improve the environment (Nielsen Global Sustainability Report), placing designers at the forefront of ecological and social transformation.
Taiwan is rising to meet this moment. Ranked 7th in the World Design Rankings (for 2023-2024), surprisingly ahead of traditional design powerhouses Germany, France, and Sweden, Taiwan’s designers are gaining global recognition for their ability to merge technological fluency with cultural depth (A’ Design Award, 2025). The Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI), established as a national think tank for design-driven innovation, serves as a guiding steward to elevate Taiwan’s creative industries through international exhibitions, forums, and awards.
TDW 2025 Highlights
International Association of Societies of Design Research Conference
A key highlight of Taiwan Design Week 2025 is the IASDR 2025 (International Association of Societies of Design Research) conference, held in conjunction with the design week. One of the world’s most influential platforms for design research, IASDR gathers international scholars and practitioners to investigate humanity-centered design, AI collaboration, and digital environments. The conference also addresses pressing global issues such as health, aging, and sustainability through interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives. Featured speakers include design visionary Don Norman, Professor Stephan Wensveen of Eindhoven University of Technology, and IASDR President Peter Lloyd, who among the leading voices shaping the future of design.
Taiwan-Czech Design Forum
Taiwan Design Week 2025 expands its global dialogue through the Taiwan–Czech Design Forum, a collaboration with the newly established Czech Centre Taipei. Building on last year’s Taiwan Design Week partnership with Poland, this initiative strengthens exchange between European and Asian design communities. Czech designers working in the realm of sustainable fashion will showcase their work, highlighting new possibilities in cross-cultural creativity and ecological design.
Industry Tours
To showcase design’s real-world applications, Taiwan Design Week 2025 presents a curated Industry Tour. Select participants will visit leading Taiwanese brands and explore public service design initiatives that demonstrate how design thinking is applied to improve social systems, enhance citizen experiences, and drive sustainable development. These visits will reveal how Taiwan harnesses technology, sustainability, and design to shape industries and society with tangible impact.
Golden Pin Design Award
Taiwan Design Week’s commitment to design excellence finds embodiment in the Golden Pin Design Award, whose Exhibition and Award Ceremony will take place during the period. Since its establishment in 1981, the Golden Pin Design Award has stood as the most influential design accolade in the global Huaren market. Organized by the Taiwan Design Research Institute, the award ceremony and exhibition celebrate outstanding work across product, communication, spatial, and integrated design. The curated showcase offers both the public and professionals a chance to experience how design drives innovation, reflects cultural identity, and contributes to a sustainable future.
Gala Dinner
Capping off the week is the Gala Dinner, an evening of creative networking infused with Taiwanese flavors, art, ecology, and digital technology. This year’s highlight will be a spectacular immersive installation by a leading Taiwanese media artist, transforming the night into a multi-sensory celebration of innovation and culture.
An invitation to collaborate
Design website Creative Boom’s rundown of 2025’s prevailing design trends reveals that we are at a crossroads thanks to AI, a disruption unseen since the introduction of the computer, as noted by Wolff Ollins’ Jan Eumann. By bridging research, industry, and cultural practice, Taiwan Design Week 2025 is an open invitation to designers around the world to engage with the country’s design momentum: a decisive design-driven agenda anchored in place, responsive to global challenges, and open to what the future holds. •
