Shih Chien University & Taipei

Taipei is city where old meets new in fascinating ways. From Taipei 101 to the historic Dadaocheng District to the quiet temples tucked away behind the buzzing night markets, our time in Taipei was a unique experience of modern innovation and deep-rooted tradition. 

Our program kicked off in Taipei on September 1st, and we spent five full days immersing ourselves in the design culture, and exchanging with the ShiChen University (SCU) students. We first settled into the Tango Hotel Shilin to kick off the week, and shared an orientation dinner. Some of the students who have had classes together were able to reconnect and share how their summers went, while others were meeting for the first time. With a delicious assortment of meat, seafood, cold tea and beer, we began setting the tone for the days ahead. 

Having lecture with SCU students

We began our schedule with a deep dive into the innovative design culture in Taipei by visiting the amazing designers at Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI), where we received a very welcoming, down to earth, and motivational conversation with Vice Director Shyhnan Liou. TDRI, located within an old tobacco factory shares the building with other shops and companies, such as Miniwiz, creators of the Trash Kitchen, where we got the chance to learn more about sustainability, and repurposing trash into design treasures. Once we journeyed through tomorrow's landscapes in design, we travelled all the way back through 8,000 of Chinese and Taiwanese history at the National Palace Museum. We saw some amazing cultural artifacts and learned more about the rich history of Chinese and Taiwanese craft. 

The evening was spent in a collaborative creative space at Shih Chien University, called Vision Base, where we meet the other students participating in our workshop the next two days. We were introduced to the students and the school via lecture from designer and professor Yen-Cheng Lu. To end the day we shared a dinner with the Shih Chien students and connected with the local peers. 

The next day we travelled a little outside Taipei to Taiwan's pottery capital, Yingge. We witnessed centuries-old craftsmanship that echos through modern design, and afterward even got to paint our own cups and mugs! Recharged from our visit to the pottery studio, we headed bak to SCU to officially begin our workshop. Shortly after arriving we learned some valuable insights about the design process and finding your voice in design from Taiwanese multi-disciplinary designer Shikai Tseng. After some lunch, we were released to find inspirational materials for our projects. After collecting materials and ideas, we were taken on a walking tour of the Dadaocheng District, the hot-spot for fashion and trends in the 1920's. During our free evenings many students visit night markets and try local cuisine and treats. 

On day five, it was crunch time. We spent the whole day brainstorming, prototyping (taking a small break for lunch and tea of course) and wrapping up our workshop with presentations on our designs. We shared a farewell dinner with our new friends at SCU and celebrated our hard work.

On day six, our much needed day off, many students explored local areas, Taipei 101 tower, hiked, and visited museums. 

Day seven we said goodbye to Taipei and hopped on the high-speed rail to Tainan, where we'll work with the students at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and get ready for the next chapter of our Taiwan adventure.