The city of Taipei is preparing for its first Universal Design Expo, which will be held this year to boost awareness of universal design (UD) and establish a platform for learning and information exchange. For the longer term, it is hoped that the event will become the most influential of its type in Asia and serve as a major communications channel among the UD community, companies, and the public, as well as providing an international platform for business opportunities.

The expo is being organized by iF International Forum Design, Taiwan Design Center (TDC), and UNIPLAN Taiwan Corp. It will be held Aug. 28-31 at the Eslite Xinyi Store, Taipei.

The Design Expo

According to iF Taiwan, the local branch of iF International, demographic changes are seen as having an impact on the quality of life and posing challenges all over the world. Universal design is aimed at dealing with these changes and challenges, and its continuing promotion is expected to play a major role in establishing concepts, product solutions, and new architecture and services on a sustainable basis.

With universal design promoters from Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, along with other countries, iF Taiwan notes, the first International Universal Design Expo will be an unforgettable experience. "We will be launching our communication campaigns in the run-up to the expo," says an official of the local iF office. "This will include promotion by iF, TDC, the Universal Design Association of Germany, the Universal Design Foundation of Japan, and the mass media and public transportation in Taiwan."

The UD Expo 2008 is also seen as a warm-up for the International Design Alliance (IDA) Congress, which will take place in Taipei in 2011.

This year`s UD Expo will include a number of activities, including a forum, exhibition, UD book fair, and UD market (organized by Eslite Book Store), giving visitors a chance to experience various aspects of the UD concept.

Organizers and Supporters

Following its expansion in 2001, iF International Forum Design GmbH has seen the completion of its evolution from a classic design-promotion institution into a contemporary service enterprise capable of acting as a mediator between design and industry. It can make a significant contribution to the success of design services in an economic context, and help elevate public awareness of the importance of design.

UNIPLAN Taiwan Corp. is the local branch of UNIPLAN International, which is based in Germany. The company has been staging encounters between people and brands at events, road shows, trade fairs, and showrooms since 1960, and offers services ranging from event organizing and content and design creation to event management worldwide.

The TDC, which is organizing the forum and workshop, serves as an integrated service platform for the creative design industry in Taiwan. On the island, it aims to combine the efforts of academia, the government, and industry by promoting and developing design strategies, technological research, industrial support, and knowledge management. Internationally, it strives to serve as a platform for the integration of global design resources and to help create opportunities for Taiwanese companies to deliver world-class design.

Supporters of UD Expo include Universal Design GmbH of Germany and Tripod Design of Japan.

Universal Design conceives and implements competitions, exhibitions, and special displays and tradeshows, seminars, and workshops. It works with the universal design association, which is involved in architecture, interior design, product design, and service design and, with support from the Robert Bosch Foundation, has initiated a research project on "universal design and the demographic shift."

Tripod Design offers design consulting services to companies throughout Asia, and extends its services to New York. It has developed a design process based on the original theory of user analysis, and promotes manufacturing processes which are tailored to the branding strategies of different clients. It worked with Toyota to establish the Toyota Universal Design Showcase in Tokyo in 2004.

The Exhibition

Universal Design 2008 will encompass a number of sections:

UD Gallery - Introduces the background, concept, spirit, principles, trends, and latest developments in universal design.

UD City - Covers the development of "universally designed cities" and how the quality of life can be improved now and in the future. Exhibitors will share ideas and experiences.

UD Enterprise - Presentation by UD companies of their solutions for a better life and their visions of corporate social responsibility.

UD Life - Provides a platform for UD product displays in four categories: Living Space, Health Care, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Daily Life, and Transportation and Public Services.

UD Mart - Presentations on specific UD topics arranged by corporate exhibitors.

The Forum

Professionals from Europe, the United States, and Japan will be invited to share their expertise and case studies involving UD at the International Design Forum 2008. Professionals from industry, government, and academia will participate in this open forum, which will allow the audience also to participate and ask questions.

The forum topics will include "Happiness City," "Convenient Life," "Opportunities in the Aged Market," "Commitment of UD Cities," "Benchmark Case Studies," "Color of Universal Design," "Packaging of Universal Design," and "Special Sponsor Sessions."

The Workshop

The International Universal Design Workshop 2008 will provide 48 hours of brainstorming focused on the needs of end users. Designers, product managers, and design-school students will use universal design concepts to work out solutions for greater convenience in every life. The workshop will be led by Satoshi Nakagawa of Tripod Design, working together with three or four other senior designers.


(by Quincy Liang)