The Q&A session at the Golden Pin Salon Kuala Lumpur 2023 held May 11. Photos: Wei Loke Photography/Golden Pin Design Award
From using discarded fishing nets to make eyewear, to creating environmentally friendly wooden structures, the experiences shared by various speakers at the recent Design Perspectives x Golden Pin Salon Kuala Lumpur 2023 certainly broadened the perspectives of those in attendance.
This year's Golden Pin Salon made its third appearance in Kuala Lumpur May 11, inviting four Taiwanese and Malaysian designers and creatives to discuss "The Value of Design: Exploring the Economic, Social, and Cultural Impact of Design".
The Golden Pin Design Award Group comprises two international awards – the Golden Pin Design Award, the Golden Pin Concept Design Award – and the Young Pin Design Award for students in Taiwan.
The Golden Pin Design Award Group comes under the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) and is organised by the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Ministry of Economic Affairs acts in an advisory capacity.
Toh said that despite the challenges designers face in the rapidly advancing technological era, their role will become increasingly indispensable due to their ability to create unique visual narratives and brand identities.
Vivian Toh, co-founder of Tsubaki Studio – which co-organised the Salon – shared her personal journey of founding CUTOUT magazine with her father's encouragement. With 13 years' experience in running the magazine, she talked about how they inject design meaning and direction into each issue.
"Our goal was not only to create visually engaging content but also to provide readers with a meaningful reading experience," she said.
She also highlighted that despite the challenges designers face in the rapidly advancing technological era, their role will become increasingly indispensable due to their ability to create unique visual narratives and brand identities.
(3rd from left) James Chang of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, (4th from left) TDRI President Chang Chi-yi, (4th from right) Dr Debbie Gan of FCUC, (2nd from right) TDRI vice president Oliver Lin and (far right) Arthur Liaw of FCUC at the Golden Pin Salon Kuala Lumpur 2023.
Designer Ocean Ou from Duolog Design (Taiwan) talked about transforming discarded fishing nets into eyewear products and designing a business model for achieving circular sustainability.
Meanwhile, NK Kuo of Forest-Wood Archi-Tect & Curvink Architects (Taiwan) shared about utilising the characteristics of wood and traditional craftsmanship to create unique and environmentally friendly wooden structures to embrace the concept of natural architecture.
Lastly, Malaysian interior designer Alan Fong, invited by Ideathon, shared about the rapidly changing landscape of interior design from a technological perspective, discussing visible trends that are shaping the future. He also talked about his own design cases, demonstrating how they employ technology as an aid to meet diverse needs such as transparency and remote collaboration, ultimately achieving more user-friendly spatial utilisation.
The next Golden Pin Salon will be held in Shenzhen, China in June.
