Words and images Golden Pin Design Award
Editing The Kanto team
Design stars from around the world converged and shone bright amidst a “Night of Black,” the theme for the 2024 Golden Pin Design Award ceremony, held last December 13 at the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center. The event was a dazzling celebration of top-tier design talent, where a dancing screen, rock stars, an Olympic gold medalist, and 38 exemplary projects and personalities united to honor innovation and creativity.
This year, the awards attracted entries from 21 regions, resulting in 642 works being recognized with the prestigious Golden Pin Design Mark across four categories. From these, 138 finalists advanced to compete for the Best Design Award, with 32 projects earning the top honor. The winners were distributed as follows: 10 in Product Design, 7 in Communication Design, 10 in Spatial Design, and 5 in Integration Design.
Two outstanding projects also received the Special Annual Award for their contributions to sustainability and social innovation. Professor Shu Chang Kung from the Graduate Institute of Architecture at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University received the annual “Honorary Award” in recognition of his invaluable contributions to architectural discourse and mentorship in Taiwan.
Design innovation reigns supreme
Jury member Shigenori Asakura, President of Japan’s GK Industrial Design, emphasized the meaningful depth of the winning works, praising their ability to enrich industries, society, and daily life while reflecting a forward-thinking vision and high design quality. Get to your 2024 Golden Pin Design Award winners below!
Product Design
Taiwan once again reminds the design world of their penchant to reinvent the wheel with cutting-edge form factors like ASUS’s dual-screen “Zenbook Duo (2024)” and Pegatron’s “ARMO” sensory gaming handle. Thailand stood out with mflex factory’s “Ventilation Block,” a reinvention of the traditional building element, while Japan showcased environmental ingenuity with “SHELLMET,” a helmet crafted from scallop shells.
Communication Design
Highlights included Podpunkt Studio of Poland’s chameleon-like rebranding for the Kraków National Museum and the striking exhibit visuals for “Crossover II: The Nature of Relationships,” which explored the connections between contemporary Thai art and culture.
Spatial Design
Taiwan’s bamboo “Bridge Cocoon,” and Thailand’s “N.L.N. Villa,” built largely with reclaimed wood, celebrate the synergy between traditional materials and modern innovation in architecture.
Integration Design
Taiwan led the way with projects like the “Taiwan Public Pictogram System,” a groundbreaking public service initiative. Japan’s “YYSystem,” an accessibility communication app, made inclusivity a tangible reality by inviting deaf and hard-of-hearing users to the awards ceremony.
Special Annual Awards
The Special Annual Awards showcased projects that paired sustainability with design excellence. Taiwan’s “Hibāng Re-Fishing-Net Eyewear” turned discarded fishing nets into zero-waste eyewear, while “LONELY BENTO” raised awareness of food insecurity among the elderly, inspiring community action.
Visionary futures at the Golden Pin Concept Design Awards
The Golden Pin Concept Design Awards celebrated groundbreaking ideas from emerging talents. Of the 47 finalists who received the Design Mark, six advanced to compete for the Best Design Award, with three earning top honors and NT$300,000 in prize money. Projects like “F+L Lighting Ventilation Balls” reinvent traditional ventilators with a market-ready concept. At the same time, “Soundscape of No.19” and “Let’s Play! – A Journey of Regeneration and Reconnection in Glasgow” pushed the boundaries of creativity to reimagine local heritage and design education.
Southeast Asian charge
Southeast Asia made its mark this year, with Thailand emerging as the region’s best-performing country, earning accolades across categories. The Philippines, represented by EUDO Edwin Uy Design Office’s “House for a Father,” was among the 138 finalists that emerged from the second cut. While not securing an award this year, the project joins a distinguished batch of Pinoy projects, the first ever recognized with a Golden Pin Design Mark: Plus63’s “Kapihan,” The Acid House’s “Spotify You Do You,” and Kenneth Cobonpue’s “Spin.”
Hall of winners
For those eager to know more about this year’s award-winning projects (and happen to be in Taipei!), the 2024 Golden Pin Design Award Exhibition is open at the Taiwan Design Museum in Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. Running until April 6, 2025, the exhibition showcases visionary works that provide a tantalizing glimpse at the future of design. The complete list of winners for the Golden Pin Design Award and Golden Pin Concept Design Award is available on the official website (www.goldenpin.org.tw/en).
A hearty 恭喜 to all the winners! •
