Compal Electronics joins Sponsors for the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD
Every year, we call for ideas and concepts to be submitted in the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD! In this design competition students have the chance to win a prize money of EUR 50,000 per year!
Without the support of our sponsors, this could not be possible. We are beyond happy to welcome Compal Electronics as a top-class sponsor among GROHE, Haier, Samsung Electronics, and Wonderland.
That is why we talked to iF Juror Shikuan Chen, Chief Design Officer (CDO) and Senior Vice President of the Marketing and Innovation office of Compal Electronics, about what it takes to be a successful young designer? Why does he think, it is important to support young talents and what does Compal do specifically to enhance this idea? And he is a real expert: Shikuans design team has won numerous awards, among them 18 iF DESIGN AWARDS (one Gold award) just in 2020!
Read the three questions - three answers interview below.
iF: Shikuan, what do you expect from the participants of the competition? What is actually an 'award-worthy' student concept?
It's never about the glitz and styling of a product! Designers must have clear vision from above to first identify, then stay on point to address the problem with their solutions. Every artifact must have meaning and a reason for its existence, so it's important to keep ideas human-centric and to never design for design's sake. Good concepts should solve problems, but they must also be responsible designs that strike a chord with its intended user.
iF: What is your advice to young design talents? What are the key skills you expect when looking for new designers for the Compal Design Team?
SC: Innovation is all around us. Aside from being curious, creative and open to challenges, we must be observers of life as it is by having perspective and seeing things from a helicopter view that gives us the edge to identify opportunities where others might miss. We are given a myriad of tools to communicate these days, but the most important one is right underneath our noses, literally. Talk to one another and learn to relate by stepping in another's shoe. The value of communication and doing consumer research give precious insights that will result in a more market-driven concept that is equally approachable and meaningful. It is by having these sensitivities can we truly design for greatness.
iF: Sustainability and relevance are among the central social challenges of our time. How do you or Compal confront this issue?
SC: Sustainability has and will continue to play a major role in Compal's core business strategies. As the world number one largest design and manufacturer of computers and peripherals, Compal is compelled to apply decades of expertise and industry knowledge on bringing to life solutions that are not only innovative, but that also promote smart, responsible engineering. A classic example comes from the industry's use of Anodizing, a common CMF practice that produces ultra-smooth metal finish, only at the cost of the environment where massive tons of CO2 and waste water are produced for every ton processed. Through innovative design and R&D, Compal is able to reinvent that process with Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL), a much more environmental-friendly solution that achieves the same design and visual effect on metal, while emitting far lower carbons and water pollutants. As we believe in a future that can be both socially and economically viable, we will continue to uphold standards and best practices that promote the ethical and sustainable development of the global environment.
Want to find out more about iF's social commitment and how you could support it? Want to become a sponsor as well? Read here, all you need to know!