The lineup of speakers is nothing short of stellar, featuring renowned designers and creatives from diverse backgrounds, such as Johnason Lo (Taiwan), the founder of JL DESIGN; Wei Chen (Taiwan), a project architect at Metahouse Architects & Associates; Yong Siong Yow (Yao) (Malaysia), co-founder of the esteemed design collective 1983ASIA; Thai architect Chatpong Chuenrudeemol, the 2020 Silpathorn Award laureate in the field of architecture; and Thai industrial designer Krit Phutpim, founder of Dots Design Studio.
Kuala Lumpur event
This year’s Kuala Lumpur event once again collaborates with Tsubaki Studio and the media partner CUTOUT Magazine, under the theme “Cultural Connections in Design: Exploring New Territories.” The salon aims to delve into how design serves as a bridge for cross-disciplinary collaboration and facilitates cultural exchange while fostering innovation opportunities.
Invited Speaker: Yao from 1983ASIA
The local speaker invited to this event is Yao, a prominent figure in the Asian design community. Yao, hailing from Malaysia, co-founded the 1983ASIA design company and the Asia Aesthetics Institute with partner Su Su from China. Their work is based on the diversity and symbiosis of Asian culture, and takes a clever union of cultural communication and commercial design. Since its inception in 2012, 1983ASIA has pioneered a unique Asian mash-up aesthetic, receiving accolades internationally and working with clients worldwide across various sectors.
Yao and Su Su are active members of esteemed design organizations such as TDAA (The Design Alliance Asia) and SCCDA (Shenzhen Cultural Creativity and Design Association). They have curated exhibitions, served as judges in design competitions, and contributed significantly to design education and cultural exchange. Their extensive experience and insightful research into Asian culture promise to bring a unique and comprehensive perspective to this salon.
Bangkok event
The Bangkok event, in collaboration with Golden Pin Design Award’s Thai media partner “art4d” for the first time, is themed “Unlocking Creative Potential: Values, ideas and attitudes that shape a new design territory for a better world.” It invites design practitioners from diverse backgrounds to explore innovative approaches to contemporary challenges, aiming to create meaningful transformations through creative thinking.
Invited Speaker: Chatpong Chuenrudeemol
Architect Chatpong Chuenrudeemol, the principal architect at CHAT Architects, has long been engaged in studying and analyzing urban landscape and architecture in Bangkok. He has introduced the architectural concept and research project called “Bangkok Bastards,” focusing on observing and documenting the atypical, unauthorized, and temporary buildings created by local residents using inexpensive or recycled materials to solve daily problems. He views these solutions, born out of existing conditions, as the purest, most intuitive, flexible, and humorous responses to real problems. Over the years, he has continuously explored the wisdom and creativity behind these solutions, applying them to a broader architectural practice, including notable projects like the Samsen Street Hotel in Bangkok.
Chatpong frequently creates innovative solutions within limited budgets and spatial conditions, as demonstrated by his award-winning “Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion” at the Golden Pin Design Awards last year. This pavilion, constructed using traditional bamboo scaffolding techniques of local fishermen and indigenous materials, showcases his ingenuity. In 2020, Chatpong was honored with the Silpathorn Award in architecture from the Thai Ministry of Culture. His unique architectural design philosophy and experience are sure to bring rich academic and practical insights to this salon.
Invited Speaker: Krit Phutpim
Thai designer Krit Phutpim co-founded Dots Design Studio in 2002, an interdisciplinary design studio offering comprehensive services in product design. With a focus on innovative solutions, Krit has served several renowned Thai brands such as ARMA, galvanii, and Filobula. Additionally, Krit is enthusiastic about transportation design, leveraging professional material knowledge and craftsmanship to create functional and aesthetically pleasing products. These include the award-winning wooden bicycles recognized by the Red Dot and Japan’s Good Design Award, as well as last year’s Golden Pin Design Award recipient, the “DOTS KAYAK” bamboo kayak.
During this session, Krit will delve into his over a decade-long journey in product design, sharing insights on how design thinking can provide innovative solutions while enhancing product aesthetics and functionality.
Taiwanese Designers Bring Vibrancy to Salon Events
The upcoming salon events will feature Taiwanese designers, bringing a fresh international perspective to the discussions and collaborations. Their unique creativity and innovative ideas promise to enrich the dialogue and foster cross-cultural exchanges at the events.
Invited Speaker: Johnason Lo
Johnason Lo established JL DESIGN in 2009 as Taiwan’s premier motion graphics design company. Notably, it was the first Asian company to provide comprehensive visual planning for Al Jazeera. Over the years, JL DESIGN has delivered visual creativity and design services to top global entertainment brands and channels such as HBO, Disney, Netflix, CCTV9, and FOX Japan, earning international acclaim.
Johnason continually pushes boundaries, exploring the creative possibilities of motion graphics. He transformed Taiwan’s award ceremonies, such as the Golden Melody Awards, the Golden Horse Awards and the Golden Pin Design Awards, by revamping the overall images through visual design. Under his leadership, JL DESIGN has become a hub for branding and creative integration, working with renowned enterprises like ASUS ProArt, EVA AIR, and TSMC.
In 2020, Johnason ventured into the finance sector as Chief Brand Officer of Good Finance Securities, using design thinking to revolutionize dialogues between finance and society. Renowned for his blend of creativity and extensive management experience, Johnason is not only a designer but entrepreneur. At the upcoming salons, he will delve into a three-part narrative: introducing motion graphics to Taiwan, bringing design to the forefront of public attention, and integrating design into corporate and social realms. Moreover, he will discuss how design can bridge Taiwan’s industries with the global market, promising an insightful and captivating session.
Invited Speaker: Wei Chen
Wei Chen, a project architect at Metahouse Architects & Associates, will be sharing the behind-the-scenes story of “The Recycling Center in Kaohsiung Municipal Guang Wu Primary School,” which won the Best Design Award at last year’s Golden Pin Design Awards. She will discuss how they transformed a dark and enclosed recycling center in a corner of the campus into a bright and open learning environment.
Additionally, she will share insights into numerous exciting projects she has worked on with the Metahouse team, showcasing innovative applications of architectural structures and materials to revitalize old spaces such as schools and residences, creating aesthetically pleasing and functional new environments.
Join the Golden Pin Salon now and be a part of the conversation!
The “Design Perspectives x Golden Pin Salon” events for 2024 are now open for registration. The Kuala Lumpur event will take place on May 14th (Tuesday) at 7:00 PM Malaysia time (GMT+8), hosted at The Toffee. Following that, the Bangkok event will be held on May 16th (Thursday) at 6:00 PM Bangkok time (GMT+7), at the 4th-floor auditorium of the AUA Language Center, Ratchadamri.
Admission to the live events is free, and you can register at the following links: Kuala Lumpur event () and Bangkok event (). Both salons will also be streamed live, welcoming designers from all around to participate. Stay tuned to the Golden Pin Design Award’s Facebook page for the latest updates and live streaming details.
Event Information
Design Perspectives × Golden Pin Salon Kuala Lumpur 2024
• Date: May 14th (Tuesday)
• Time: 19:00 – 21:00 (GMT+8)
• Venue: The Toffee (Level 3, No 2, Jalan Raja Chulan, City Centre, 50100 Kuala Lumpur)
• Organizer: Golden Pin Design Award & Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)
• Executive: Tsubaki Studio
• Event Page:
• Online Registration:
Design Perspectives × Golden Pin Salon Bangkok 2024
• Date: May 16th (Thursday)
• Time: 18:00 – 20:00 (GMT+7)
• Venue: AUA Language Center, Ratchadamri, Auditorium, 4th floor
• Organizer: Golden Pin Design Award & Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)
• Executive: art4d
• Online Registration:
About Golden Pin Salon
Since 2015, the Golden Pin Design Award has been hosting the “Design Perspectives x Golden Pin Salon” event annually, inviting creative minds from around the world to share their experiences and insights, collectively exploring more possibilities in design, and fostering innovation and development in the design industry and culture.
Over the years, the Golden Pin Salon has organized over 30 events in more than 20 Asian cities including Taipei, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Nearly a hundred designers and creative professionals from diverse fields have graced this international stage, sharing their design philosophies. The Golden Pin Salon has not only received acclaim from design enthusiasts but has also become a significant networking event in the Asian design community.
About the Golden Pin Design Award Group
The annual Golden Pin Design Award is the longest-running international design award that celebrates products or projects expressly created for Chinese-speaking communities, offering entrants an unprecedented opportunity to prove their prowess in the world’s largest market.
The Golden Pin Design Award Group is comprised of 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 is executed by the Taiwan Design Research Institute and organized by the Industrial Development Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Ministry of Economic Affairs acts in an advisory capacity.
For the latest news on the Golden Pin Design Award, visit:
Official Website: www.goldenpin.org.tw/en
Facebook: GoldenPinDesign
Instagram: GoldenPinDesign
X/Twitter: GoldenPinDesign
YouTube: GoldenPinDesign
Weibo: GoldenPinDesign
WeChat: 金点设计奖
International Media Enquiries
Golden Pin Design Award Team
Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)
Zoe Lo, Press Coordinator
press.gpaward@tdri.org.tw