The 2011 Taipei World Design Expo offers a creatively designed National Day family holiday experience!

By Wei Ruyu, Reporting

   

The “2011 Taipei World Design Expo” has specially planned family visit routes for the three-day National Day holiday. Parents can take their kids to the Design Clash exhibition area (Hall 1), the International Graphic Design exhibition area (Hall 4), the Taiwan Design Pavilion (Hall 11), and the Design Players exhibition area (Hall 10) to participate in various hands-on activities. Moreover, on this Saturday (10/8) afternoon, there will be a special “Potted Plant Painting” activity where both kids and adults can come together to “Design for a Better Earth.”

The Design Clash exhibition area focuses primarily on the learning themes of “caring for the Earth and daring to pursue dreams.” One of the main design displays is an animated film of birds co-created by artists and 9,000 elementary school students. The International Graphic Design exhibition area centers around the spirit of “caring for others,” featuring designs such as fundraising posters for the Japan 311 earthquake and the “Thank You Taiwan” posters. The Taiwan Design Pavilion takes “ecological protection and future new technologies” as its learning concept. It features a touch-based virtual design studio that allows the public to personally participate in the designer’s workflow. There’s also an immersive projection and image detection technology display guiding visitors to understand the connection between design and everyday life.

The Design Players exhibition area, which is interactive and experience-based, conveys the idea of “lend a hand and become a little designer.” It teaches how to use readily available resources for reuse to reduce the environmental pollution caused by waste materials. Here, children can make toys using environmentally friendly chopsticks and rubber bands. From 10/7 to 10/10, there will also be 100 limited paper model kits available for assembling wooden rocking horses, cowboy hats, and more. Additionally, there is the “Cazi Gang AR Augmented Reality Storybook” station where children can perform puppet shows with story characters and create fun, novel sensory experiences. The site also offers various promotions including gifts with purchase, with discounts starting at 50% off.

The “2011 Taipei World Design Expo” at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park runs from 9/30 to 10/30. Visiting hours are from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, with extended hours until 8:00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday periods. In addition to free admission, there is also a free shuttle bus available at Hall 1 of the World Trade Center (near the Taipei City Hall Road east side and close to the Taipei 101 employee entrance). Alternatively, visitors can take the MRT or bus to the National Father Memorial Hall Station and walk over. For those who want to learn more about each exhibition area in advance, the “2011 Taipei World Design Expo Online Pavilion” (http://vr.2011designexpo.com.tw) launched simultaneously. Visitors can learn in detail about the exhibits’ design concepts and recommended visiting routes from home, making their onsite visit smoother.