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Young Designers' Exhibition

Young Designers' Exhibition (abbreviated YODEX; ) is an annual design exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan that showcases the graduation works of design students across Taiwan's universities and colleges. Organized by the Taiwan Design Research Institute and overseen by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Education, YODEX is one of the world's largest student design exhibitions and serves as a key platform for emerging talent, academia–industry collaboration, and international exposure.

History

YODEX originated in 1981 as the “National University Student Design Show”, evolving through several iterations until adopting its current name, Young Designers' Exhibition, in 1989. Since 2004, the Taiwan Design Center (now the Taiwan Design Research Institute) has managed the event, emphasizing branding, professionalism, and internationalization.

In 2007, YODEX was recognized by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) as part of the organization's 50th anniversary global events, placing it alongside prestigious design exhibitions worldwide.

Developments

Over the decades, YODEX has grown extensively in scale and scope:

  • 2008: The 27th edition attracted around 100,000 visitors, featured 1,900 exhibition booths, and included works from 48 Taiwanese and 20 international design schools. The program included seminars, design competitions, and exhibition space awards.
  • 2011: The 30th edition featured over 3,500 entries from both local and international institutions, drawn from 112 local and 21 overseas schools. It drew nearly 90,000 visitors and hosted an iF Concept Design awards ceremony, notable as the first such event held in Asia.
  • 2016: Under the theme of “Adaptive City: Design in Motion” aligned with Taipei's World Design Capital year, YODEX featured over 4,000 projects from 9,000 students, with 42 awarded by the Young Pin Design Awards, showing strong social and environmental awareness in student design projects.
  • 2018: The 37th edition saw participation from over 10,000 students across 137 departments, with 3,599 works exhibited covering numerous design disciplines. Notably, many works addressed environmental issues, reflecting rising sustainability awareness among new designers.
  • 2021: The 40th edition unveiled a new visual identity and logo crafted by Aaron Nieh Workshop. Originally set for Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, it was converted to a hybrid (online and offline) format due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, marking the first postponement since inception.
  • 2024–2025: Recent editions continue to spotlight design excellence and innovation. In 2024, students from Shih Chien University received top awards such as “Best Design of the Year”. In 2025, the event (9–12 May at Nangang Center Hall 2) again highlighted excellence in fields like fashion design, with multiple Golden Pin Emerging Designer Awards presented.

See also

References