August 28, 2020: TDRI is the only design-based organisation in Taiwan promoting and exporting Taiwanese design services to other countries, and has already worked with several companies from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Through a business matching platform, TDRI helps business owners and manufacturers to expedite the design and development phase of their project and make it a reality by the yearend. The services on offer include product design, packaging design, graphic design and branding.
To be eligible for the subsidy, interested candidates are required to submit an online application form and have an initial 30-minute meeting with the design companies that had been handpicked for them based on their budget needs and project requirements, after which the business proposals will be reviewed by TDRI. Applications for this year are now closed, however, those who wish to know more about this initiative can visit the TDRI website.
This year also marks the second time TDRI has initiated the Taiwan x Malaysia Business Cooperation in collaboration with Malaysia’s homegrown and award-winning design agency, Tsubaki Studio. Along with major influencers of visual design and branding from the Taiwan design circle, the Taiwan x Malaysia Business Matching Session brings together some of the best design companies: Dot Design, Kimu Design, team CIRCORE, Ideoso Design, Bilateral Design, Summer Design, Holycow Design, IPRINT Design, and IS Design Brand Consultancy.
The business matching session was held online last month, with 16 applicants selected to enter into meetings with the design companies. Prior to that, it gathered applications from all across Malaysia, reaching a wider audience through social media despite the pandemic setbacks. It attracted people from various industries including food and beverage, fast-moving consumer goods, furniture manufacturing, quantum acoustics, printing, retail, wholesale, and services.
The design companies also joined a live webinar in hopes that by sharing their honest views on the application of brand localisation in businesses, those looking to brand or rebrand their businesses in a new environment post-Covid-19 would see the Taiwan x Malaysia Business Matching Session as an opportunity.
The webinar was streamed live on Facebook on July 22 and 23, 2020 and boasted a positive reception of close to 5,800 views, with Facebook users comprising graphic designers, brand consultants, digital artists, design students, and those from business communities. All 3 episodes were particularly well-received by the enthusiastic audience.
First to grace the webinar was Taiwan Design Research Institute’s President Chang Chi-Yi, who in his opening speech mentioned that design plays an important role in increasing value for businesses. As he noted, the business cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia with a focus on design is a plausible idea that can contribute to the local economy as well as cultural growth.
“This year, Covid-19 seems like a threat to the world but for us, we see it as an opportunity. With design, we hope we can grow our economy and compete better,” he noted during the first episode of the webinar. “We hope our collaboration with Malaysia can bring more opportunities to everyone.”
The big line-up of speakers included Lance Han, director of Dot Design; Link Lin, founder of team CIRCORE; Ryan Han, director of Holycow Design; Lin Ken-Yu, executive director of IS Design Brand Consultancy; Kelly Lin, founder of Kimu Design; Joy Chu Hsiang-Yi creative director of Ideoso Design; Eric Wang, industrial designer of Summer Design; KF Lim, founder of Bilateral Design; and IPRINT Design’s creative director Jone Chen Yu-Chung and market strategy manager Daniel Chen Yu-Hung.
Sharing examples of successful local Taiwanese brands in the market and why branding plays an important role in any business were the focus of the webinar. Each speaker gave a brief 15-min walkthrough of their portfolio and the design process and risks they undertake when overseeing the execution of a project.
For more information regarding TDRI’s initiative and the design companies from Taiwan, check out:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s48vx6jbbqqogf6/AACHxeWgaHaVTll_fdeJEQ9Aa?dl=0
To view the speaker list and details of the webinar series, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/272479997182716
For interview requests or enquiries relating to the Taiwan x Malaysia Business Matching Session, please contact:
Ms. Vivian Toh
Media Correspondence
Email: vivian.toh.tsubaki@gmail.com / info@tsubakistudio.net
Mobile: +6016.655.1757
About Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI)
Design is taking the world by storm. It plays an increasingly important role in the economy, culture, and society of a country. Meanwhile, more and more industries are treating design as a core competitive advantage. With this in mind, the government is establishing the “Taiwan Design Research Institute” (TDRI) in 2020. The aim of this project is to capitalise on Taiwan’s strengths in design to drive industrial development and the overall economic growth. The TDRI plans to consolidate public resources from a wide range of government agencies with “the power of design,” promoting design as a central governance value and as a national defense strategy. The Institute is expected to guide the sustainable development of industries and society, which should in turn improve the living quality of the general public. It can assist the government in making national design policy and increasing governance efficiency. In addition, through an integrated interdisciplinary approach, the Institute will introduce design-based thinking into government administration, drive talent cultivation in the private sector, and build businesses that lead the design industry.
For the latest news on TDRI:
Official Website: www.tdri.org.tw
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TWTDRI
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tdri_tw
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel