SDG11
The Great Wind Blows: NCKU Industrial Design 114th Grad Show Highlights Sustainable Design
The 2025 Graduation Exhibition of the Department of Industrial Design at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), titled "The Great Wind Blows" officially opened on the afternoon of April 18 at the Future Venue on the Sheng-Li Campus. The exhibition showcases 14 distinctive projects created by 35 students, centered around 4 major themes: Health and Well-being, Sustainable Environment and Resource Circulation, Sustainable Cities and Infrastructure, and Cultural Innovation and Future Design. These themes echo the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the positive impact of design on society and the environment.
Distinguished attendees at the opening ceremony included Executive Vice President and Distinguished Professor Shyy-Woei Chang, Senior Vice President and Museum Director Professor Ping-Sheng Wu, Associate Dean of the College of Planning and Design Professor Yang-Cheng Lin, Director of the Art Center Professor Min-Yuan Ma, and Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial Design Hsi-Jen Chen, who all expressed strong support for the students’ achievements.
Executive Vice President Shyy-Woei Chang delivered a speech, stating that each work demonstrated excellent design sense. Students integrated diverse perspectives before proceeding with ideation and implementation. Throughout the process, industry mentors provided guidance, effectively bridging industry and academia. Good products paired with great design add enjoyment to everyday life. He expressed his delight in attending the opening of the students’ graduation exhibition, where he saw many outstanding works. He wished the students a smooth transition into society after graduation and encouraged them to apply what they have learned.
Senior Vice President Ping-Sheng Wu remarked that having attended many graduation shows from the department, he deeply appreciates how students address pressing global issues through design. He also emphasized the department’s effort to exhibit not only in the south but also in the north, with the hope that, one day, southern Taiwan will become a design hub, eliminating the need to travel north to gain exposure.
Associate Dean of the College of Planning and Design Professor Yang-Cheng Lin commended the students for expressing concerns about sustainability, humanity, and society through their works, and encouraged them to continue striving forward.
The graduation exhibition is the result of the "Capstone Design" course, which integrates industry resources and expert mentorship to strengthen students' professional competencies and alignment with the design industry. The exhibition will be held both in southern and northern Taiwan. The southern exhibition runs from April 17 to 21 at NCKU’s Future Venue, while the northern exhibition will take place from May 9 to 12 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2 as part of the national "Young Designers' Exhibition", allowing students to engage with peers from other design schools.
The exhibition’s theme, "The Great Wind Blows," encourages viewers to consider alternative perspectives and understand the designers' creative thinking and design processes. The venue itself reflects sustainability and innovation, with considerations in spatial planning, material selection, and energy use — all aligned with the SDGs. Students constructed the exhibition space using lightweight and reusable piping materials, incorporated the venue’s daylight-saving features to reduce energy consumption, and designed modular walls that can be reused in the northern exhibition to minimize waste — demonstrating NCKU’s commitment to sustainable development from the exhibits to the overall curation.
Each of the 14 projects showcases the spirit of teamwork that NCKU proudly upholds, combining the diverse specialties and insights of student teams into original and meaningful designs. Aquiv Water-Assisted Mobility Device inspired by concern for wheelchair users during floods, Aquiv is a wheelchair equipped with an attachable buoyant frame that enables mobility even in water. This design has been shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Pin Design Award - Special Sponsorship Award in Product Design.
Wander Gait Headphones integrate gait-based feedback with AI-filtered ambient sound, acting as an extension of the body’s rhythm. In closed mode, they offer an immersive audio experience, while open mode enhances environmental awareness.
Resonance - acoustic panels made from tea waste and ground granulated blast-furnace slag utilizes the porous and moisture-retaining properties of tea waste, combined with blast furnace slag — a by-product of steelmaking — to address the environmental impact of conventional acoustic material production. This approach also reduces processing steps and resource consumption. The project was shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Pin Design Award - Special Award in the Circular Design category.
Distinguished attendees at the opening ceremony included Executive Vice President and Distinguished Professor Shyy-Woei Chang, Senior Vice President and Museum Director Professor Ping-Sheng Wu, Associate Dean of the College of Planning and Design Professor Yang-Cheng Lin, Director of the Art Center Professor Min-Yuan Ma, and Associate Professor of the Department of Industrial Design Hsi-Jen Chen, who all expressed strong support for the students’ achievements.
Executive Vice President Shyy-Woei Chang delivered a speech, stating that each work demonstrated excellent design sense. Students integrated diverse perspectives before proceeding with ideation and implementation. Throughout the process, industry mentors provided guidance, effectively bridging industry and academia. Good products paired with great design add enjoyment to everyday life. He expressed his delight in attending the opening of the students’ graduation exhibition, where he saw many outstanding works. He wished the students a smooth transition into society after graduation and encouraged them to apply what they have learned.
Senior Vice President Ping-Sheng Wu remarked that having attended many graduation shows from the department, he deeply appreciates how students address pressing global issues through design. He also emphasized the department’s effort to exhibit not only in the south but also in the north, with the hope that, one day, southern Taiwan will become a design hub, eliminating the need to travel north to gain exposure.
Associate Dean of the College of Planning and Design Professor Yang-Cheng Lin commended the students for expressing concerns about sustainability, humanity, and society through their works, and encouraged them to continue striving forward.
The graduation exhibition is the result of the "Capstone Design" course, which integrates industry resources and expert mentorship to strengthen students' professional competencies and alignment with the design industry. The exhibition will be held both in southern and northern Taiwan. The southern exhibition runs from April 17 to 21 at NCKU’s Future Venue, while the northern exhibition will take place from May 9 to 12 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2 as part of the national "Young Designers' Exhibition", allowing students to engage with peers from other design schools.
The exhibition’s theme, "The Great Wind Blows," encourages viewers to consider alternative perspectives and understand the designers' creative thinking and design processes. The venue itself reflects sustainability and innovation, with considerations in spatial planning, material selection, and energy use — all aligned with the SDGs. Students constructed the exhibition space using lightweight and reusable piping materials, incorporated the venue’s daylight-saving features to reduce energy consumption, and designed modular walls that can be reused in the northern exhibition to minimize waste — demonstrating NCKU’s commitment to sustainable development from the exhibits to the overall curation.
Each of the 14 projects showcases the spirit of teamwork that NCKU proudly upholds, combining the diverse specialties and insights of student teams into original and meaningful designs. Aquiv Water-Assisted Mobility Device inspired by concern for wheelchair users during floods, Aquiv is a wheelchair equipped with an attachable buoyant frame that enables mobility even in water. This design has been shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Pin Design Award - Special Sponsorship Award in Product Design.
Wander Gait Headphones integrate gait-based feedback with AI-filtered ambient sound, acting as an extension of the body’s rhythm. In closed mode, they offer an immersive audio experience, while open mode enhances environmental awareness.
Resonance - acoustic panels made from tea waste and ground granulated blast-furnace slag utilizes the porous and moisture-retaining properties of tea waste, combined with blast furnace slag — a by-product of steelmaking — to address the environmental impact of conventional acoustic material production. This approach also reduces processing steps and resource consumption. The project was shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Pin Design Award - Special Award in the Circular Design category.
Group photo of distinguished guests and students at the 114th Class Graduation Exhibition of the Department of Industrial Design.
Aquiv Water-Assisted Mobility Device — an additional buoyant frame can be attached, allowing it to maintain mobility even during floods.
Wander Gait Headphones is a pair of headphones that combine gait feedback with AI-powered environmental sound filtering.
Resonance - acoustic panels made from tea waste and ground granulated blast-furnace slag — designed with the aspiration of achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
