The 2021 Taiwan International Student Design Competition (TISDC) is organized by the Ministry of Education, and sponsored by iSee Taiwan Foundation and the Sayling Wen Cultural & Educational Foundation. The award ceremony was held on December 3, 2021 at the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Research Institute in Taipei. This year, the TISDC has attracted  up to 21,901 entries by statistics of 59 countries/regions, and 970 college departments. After going through a rigorous preliminary and final selection, a total of 76 works stood out from all the participants. Among these winning works, 32 works are from students in Taiwan. Furthermore, the Gold Prizes in the two categories of Product Design and Visual Design are also from Taiwan and won the highest honor of the “Grand Prix”. This clearly demonstrates that students in Taiwan are not only equipped with abundant design energy, but also have the capacity to compete at an international-level.
    
This year marks the 14th year of the TISDC. For the fourth consecutive year, the competition has received more than 20,000 entries and continues to break records. TISDC is now an international competition, in which its popularity and credibility are recognized by the global design society. These tremendous results are rooted in years of accumulating efforts in promoting design education in Taiwan.
    
The theme of this year was “Regenerate”, which connected with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations. Students are encouraged to solve related issues using the power of design. Through these works, connections between people, and those between people and environment, are demonstrated as well as reflected in order to carry out the responsibility of being a world citizen.

The most high-profile Grand Prix this year was awarded to Inflatable Stretcher by Yu Hsin Wu from Shih Chien University. Combining the topics of Good Health and Well-Being in the SDGs, it integrates a first aid kit, a first aid instruction manual, and a mat that enables instant inflation within 60 seconds. A compact and portable first aid device, which can overcome terrains is thus created. In addition, the design itself is highly feasible and much favored by juries, thus winning the Grand Prix as well as NT$ 400,000.
    
The Gold Prize winner in the ‘Product Design’ was Re-pulp by Ya Zhu Lin from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. Re-pulp produces eco friendly shoes by using pulp made from recycled boxes to solve Tungiasis, a disease African children tend to acquire when walking barefoot on sand. This work is full of humanitarian spirit and the concept of circular economy. Re-pulp is also a highly feasible design and it coincides with the topic of Good Health and Well-Being which is why it’s recognized by the international juries.
    
The Gold Prize winner in the ‘Visual Design’ was All Love is Equal by You Lin Wei from Fu Jen Catholic University. Using shapes of people hugging together, the work constructs the Chinese characters for homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual. Its powerful red and black colors bring a great visual effect and conceptual impact to viewers. In addition, the work successfully conveys the spirit of Gender Equality in SDGs.
    
The Gold Prize winner in the ‘Digital Animation’ was Final Deathtination by Marika Tamura from Ringling College of Art and Design. It boldly takes on the issue of suicide and uses a humorous manner to explore this serious topic. This work strikes a perfect balance between story concept, character performance, artistic style, and editing method. Final Deathtination is a mature work with a high degree of completion. It’s indeed an award winning piece that has won over the juries’ hearts. It also echoes perfectly with the topics of Good Health and Well-Being.
    
The full winner list can be found on the TISDC website (www.tisdc.org). In addition, in order to enhance awareness of these winning works an exhibition will also be held from 7th to 16th of December at Taichung National Library of Public Information (No. 100, Wuquan S. Rd. South Dist., Taichung City). The public is warmly welcomed.