The 2025 Golden Pin Design Award today (November 4) announced that Apex Lin, Pang-Soong, Chair Professor at the Department of Digital Media Design, Asia University, and Emeritus Professor at the Department of Design, National Taiwan Normal University, has been named the recipient of this year’s Honorary Award. The honor recognizes Lin’s remarkable contributions to design practice, education, and international exchange. The award will be formally presented at the ceremony on Friday, December 5.

The Golden Pin Design Award bestows the “Honorary Award” annually to commend individuals for their outstanding or extraordinary long-term contributions to the research, promotion, or practice of Taiwanese design. Candidates are nominated by Taiwan-based design organizations, institutions, or members of the current year’s jury, with the recipient selected by the Golden Pin Design Award jury panel.

Pioneering Design Practice Rooted in Art and Culture

A graduate of the Department of Fine Arts (Design Division) and the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), Apex Lin later returned to his alma mater as professor, department chair, founding chair of the Department of Visual Design (now the Department of Design), and vice president. With roots in fine arts and a deep engagement with culture and the arts, Lin developed a distinctive approach to design practice and research. 

In the 1980s, he introduced the concept of the Corporate Identity System (CIS) to Taiwan, publishing Corporate Identity System in 1985 and developing identity programs for numerous public and private institutions, including Chunghwa Telecom, Chunghwa Post, Taiwan Sugar Corporation, the National Palace Museum, Formosa TV, and Maywufa Group—establishing the theoretical and practical foundation for CIS design in Taiwan. Throughout his career, Lin has also explored and promoted Taiwan’s cultural identity through poster design. 

His renowned My Taiwan series, centered on the imagery of the island, employs meticulous composition and symbolic visual language to express Taiwan’s spirit and cultural diversity. The works have been collected by museums and art institutions in Germany, the United States, China, Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan.

Bridging Taiwan and the Global Design Community

Lin has long been committed to advancing Taiwan’s presence in the international design community. In 1991, he co-founded the Taiwan Image Poster Design Association (now TPDA) and served as its first president, encouraging Taiwanese designers to reflect on their cultural roots, express social concerns, and engage in international dialogue through poster design. From 1999 to 2003, he assisted several Taiwanese design associations in joining ICOGRADA (now ico-D) and, from 2001 to 2003, served as its Treasurer, becoming the first Taiwanese to hold an executive board position in an international design organization and paving the way for Taiwan’s active participation on the global stage. 

Since 2008, Lin has led the Ministry of Education’s Taiwan International Student Design Competition (TISDC), which has grown into one of the world’s largest student design competitions. Through this platform, he has invited more than twenty international design organizations to establish special awards and participate as jurors in Taiwan, fostering long-term partnerships and strengthening Taiwan’s role within the global design network.

A Lifelong Mentor and Advocate for Design Education

Recognized as “the mentor in Taiwan’s design community,” Lin has devoted his career to cultivating new talent. Since 2006, he has led the Ministry of Education’s IDC (International Design Competition) program, encouraging students to participate in international art and design contests. To date, more than 2,000 student projects from Taiwan have won awards worldwide, helping countless young designers make their mark on the global stage.

In recent years, Lin has further promoted the preservation and study of Taiwan’s design heritage. Near the NTNU Department of Design, he established the Taiwan Design Corner, a micro design museum created from his lifelong collection of design artifacts, documents, and publications from around the world. The space serves as a valuable educational resource for students and professionals, and hosts themed exhibitions and international exchanges each year. Lin also initiated the Taiwan Design Research Award, encouraging academic studies “centered on Taiwan and driven by design,” with the aim of shaping a self-defined history of Taiwan’s design development.

Honored for a Lifetime of Contribution and Vision

Lin’s enduring contributions to design practice, education, and international collaboration have been widely recognized. His numerous honors include the National Award for Arts (2007), the ICOGRADA Achievement Award in Education (2011), the DFA Grand Award (2018), the Cultural Collaboration Medal from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture (2023), and the ADP Jury’s Special Award for Lifetime Achievement (2025).

Throughout his career, Lin has advanced design practice, research, education, and promotion in parallel, dedicating immense effort to the development of Taiwan’s visual design—from its local roots to its connection with the global stage. His receipt of this year’s Honorary Award is a fitting recognition of his lifelong contributions.

In reflecting on this honor, Lin expressed deep gratitude to the mentors, peers, and younger designers who have supported him throughout his journey. He highlighted two long-running initiatives—the IDC program and TISDC—as emblematic of his mission to generate a “push and pull” dynamic that propels Taiwan forward. Through these programs, he aims both to encourage young designers to engage globally and to showcase Taiwan’s diverse and inclusive design culture on the international stage. “Like a mountain rising from the sea,” he said, “these efforts aim to lift Taiwan—an island in the Pacific—into view, allowing the world to see us.” Humbly, he concluded, “This honor does not belong to me alone—it is an award I receive on behalf of Taiwan’s entire design community, in gratitude to everyone who has helped make Taiwan’s design visible to the world.”

A Night to Honor Design Excellence — Ceremony to Take Place on December 5

The Golden Pin Design Award Ceremony, one of the most anticipated events in the design community, will be held on Friday, December 5, at the Taipei Performing Arts Center. The ceremony will honor the recipient of this year’s Honorary Award and announce the winners of the Best Design of the Year and Special Annual Awards. The event will be livestreamed on the official YouTube channel, with both Mandarin and English broadcasts available. For the latest updates, please visit the official website or follow GPDA on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).