From Concept to Symbol: The Visual Reductions of Wynn Chen

To me, this award is a meaningful affirmation of my long-term dedication to design, and it is also a recognition of our entire team. It feels truly special and rewarding that people from around the world can notice Taiwan’s design, and even our team’s work. It is both a wonderful experience and a source of pride.

We are now able to use the official London Design Awards badge to promote our work, which helps increase our credibility and strengthens client trust in our professional capability. It has already been a valuable opportunity for visibility and reputation building.

Experimentation is indispensable in every stage of our design process. We constantly challenge ourselves to introduce new visual thinking into different industries, especially traditional sectors or official institutions in Taiwan. We aim to balance traditional imagery with modern creativity.

For example, in the visual identity design for the Preparatory Office of NMIP, visual identities for Taiwanese museums are generally built on traditional emblem structures. Instead, we transformed a series of abstract concepts into symbolic, minimal forms, developing a clean and contemporary visual identity system that still carries cultural meaning.

There were projects where our team reached a bottleneck while transforming symbolic concepts into visual form. Interestingly, inspiration sometimes came from unexpected details or accidental observations, which later became unique design breakthroughs and helped us create distinct visual identities for clients.

Design follows a structured workflow—similar to many other industries—but with a higher level of uncertainty. That uncertainty brings the space for creativity, experimentation, and discovery. Design is a combination of professional expertise, aesthetic understanding, and accumulated experience. I hope more people will learn to respect and understand the true value that design brings.

We always devote substantial effort to communicating with clients and understanding their core spirit and the nature of their industry. We believe that deep communication and mutual understanding allow us to align our creative intentions with client expectations. This approach enables us to co-create meaningful and exciting design outcomes.

Because the project is related to Austronesian cultural heritage, we could not focus solely on Taiwan’s perspective. The identity system needed to be understandable and resonant for people across different cultures. We went through continuous conceptual development, experimentation, and refinement, accompanied by ongoing communication with the client. Step by step, we resolved each challenge successfully.

I believe that life and work constantly influence each other. To maintain inspiration, it is essential to view life with openness and curiosity—to observe the world and appreciate its beauty. When I encounter a block, I like to take short trips, explore exhibitions, or simply immerse myself in different environments. These experiences recharge me and reopen the door to creative thinking.

With a background in art history, I naturally pay attention to the origins, details, and cultural layers of visual forms. This allows me to approach concept development with a deeper analytical perspective. As a result, some of my design expressions and tone carry a unique conceptual character shaped by these experiences.

Keep observing the subtle details of the world, and continuously expand your thinking and understanding. Curiosity, openness, and reflection are essential to building a strong design voice.

I would choose Salvador Dalí, the surrealist artist. I have always admired his work deeply. Although the form of my design practice is quite different from his artistic expression, there is a shared fascination with symbolic transformation and conceptual internalisation. I would love to have had the opportunity to know him personally and explore his way of thinking.

I don’t have a specific question in mind that I wish people would ask. More precisely, I welcome all questions—because every question opens up a new perspective for deeper thinking. Rather than expecting particular questions, I enjoy discovering unexpected insights through different conversations and inquiries.