table of contents
1. JL Design
Founded in 2007, JL Design is Taiwan's first motion design studio. Founder Johnson Lo has an impressive background, having worked as a visual director for a television station before becoming the first Taiwanese to join HBO Asia. With the motto "Ask the right questions, tell a good story," JL Design's style is to delve into the core of the brand before starting production. This stance of starting with asking questions may be one of the reasons why they have remained at the forefront for nearly 20 years.
JL Design has produced visuals for prestigious awards such as the Golden Horse Awards (often called Taiwan's equivalent of the Academy Awards) and the Golden Melody Awards, as well as brand videos for China Airlines. More recently, they've worked with brands like LOEWE and SHISEIDO. I feel that JL Design's true strength lies in their ability to translate "Taiwanese identity" into video and design.
JL DESIGN
Portfolio: China Airlines | Corporate Image Video
This is a brand image video for China Airlines, Taiwan's leading airline. The theme is "Blooming in the Sky with You," and the video revolves around the plum blossom, the brand's iconic symbol. The video features a gradient of the brand's signature blue sky, overlaid with lines symbolizing flight routes, and finally, plum blossoms emerge, expressing a perfect balance of Taiwanese identity and international flair. Beyond a single video, JL Design's systematic approach extends to 11 short videos for social media, as well as thumbnails and banners.
2. bit
Bito, which champions the philosophy of "Design Feeling," clearly demonstrates its commitment to not separating sensibility and technique in its work. The phrase "Design Feeling" is simple yet profound. It conveys a sense of physical reaction that precedes logic.
He continues to work on projects that bring Taiwan to the world, such as the "WAVES OF WONDER" rebranding of Taiwanese tourism, 3D mapping at Paris's Nuit Blanche (White Night Festival), and the TECH WORLD pavilion at the Osaka World Expo. In 2024, he received the Taiwanese Presidential Innovation Award.
bit
Case Study: TAIWAN Tourism Rebranding
This project rebranded Taiwanese tourism. Based on the concept of "WAVES OF WONDER," the new logo incorporates the movement of waves, representing Taiwan's mountains, seas, and roads. Furthermore, an original font called "TAIWAN SANS" was created. Through a total design that includes a motion branding system, the project is refreshing the image of Taiwanese tourism to the world.
3. dosomething studio
Founded by Cowper Wang, a graduate of the ink painting department, this studio was established with the goal of "eliminating the boundaries between art and commerce." His background, from ink painting to digital creative work, is already intriguing. The studio's name, "Do something different, do something fun," perfectly reflects their work style, which is great. Their track record of handling the visuals for all three major Taiwanese awards ceremonies, "Three Jinming Awards" (film, music, and television), speaks volumes about their presence.
I previously mentioned Bito, and we collaborated with them at the 2016 Taipei Universiade. Their projects are always different in scale and scope, such as a digital concert experience by Taiwan's leading artist aMEI and the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Taiwan's largest lantern festival, so I can't help but wonder what they'll do next.
dosomething studio
Achievements: aMEI Concert Connect to the Metaverse
This immersive digital experience was created in conjunction with Taiwan's leading artist aMEI's 2022 ASMR World Tour. In an unprecedented project, dosomething studio built an immersive, interactive ASMR website to distribute NFTs free of charge to all 13 concert ticket holders. Based on the experience data fans selected on the site, guided by aMEI's voice, an algorithm automatically generated personalized NFTs in real time. This new form of concert x Web3 experience generated significant buzz in Taiwan's creative scene.
4. Whitelight Motion
Next up is Whitelight Motion, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. This studio spans branding, film, and motion, and has a wealth of international awards, including Red Dot, iF, and Hong Kong DFA. They are also known for their work with cultural and public institutions, including the Taipei Film Festival, the Taipei Design Awards, the rebranding of PTS+, Taiwan's public television streaming service, and the Golden Melody Awards.
The fact that they continue to be chosen not only for flashy commercial projects but also by cultural and public institutions speaks volumes about the trust they have built. They start with "movement" and build the brand's visual language from scratch. I think that dedication is reflected in their work.
Whitelight Motion
Case Study: PTS+ Rebranding
This rebranding coincides with the 6th anniversary of PTS+, the video streaming service of Taiwan's public television station, Public Television Service (PTS). With "Decoding the Digital Perspective" as its core concept, the brand expresses PTS's unique position as a public media outlet amidst the rise of commercial streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. In 2024, it received the prestigious Golden Point Design Award, a leading design award in Taiwan.
5. Muzixiii Studio
This creative studio, centered on 3D, motion, and mixed media, has a memorable motto: "We are designers, artists, and storytellers." Their Chinese name, "目子拾參" (Mòzi Shìsān), is a combination of "eye" and "13," which I imagine means something like "the 13th perspective." True to its name, many of their works seem to offer a slightly different viewpoint.
The fact that this studio handles a wide range of projects, from tech brands like Intel, ASUS, Acer, and MSI to entertainment brands like Marvel and Disney, speaks volumes about the breadth of its capabilities.
Muzixiii Studio
Track Record: GodPod LTD
This is an original project by Muzixiii Studio that transforms myths and beliefs from both the East and West into adorable 3D characters. It is a work that sets itself apart from client work and directly conveys the studio's unique worldview and 3D expressive capabilities.
6. ULTRACOMBOS
Next up is ULTRACOMBOS, a team that immediately catches the eye simply because it was founded on New Year's Eve 2010. Based on the belief that "extraordinary works are born when different fields undergo a chemical reaction," they blend aesthetics, technology, space, and sound.
They've worked with global brands like BMW, Google, and IKEA, and participated in international art festivals such as Ars Electronica (Austria) and TodaysArt (Netherlands). They've established their own unique stance while navigating the world of art and business. But still, I can't help but wonder if there's any significance to them founding their company on New Year's Eve.
ULTRACOMBOS
Portfolio: Post-Anthropocene Poetry
This 2024 artwork was created in collaboration with Acer. The theme is "Anthropocene," and it's a visual poem that explores a new relationship between technology, nature, and humanity through four landscapes: waterfalls, glaciers, canyons, and mudstone. The fact that it was created using Acer servers and workstations makes the brand and art blend together naturally, which is quite interesting.
7. Block Studio (block design)
Now, let's introduce some studios that are more focused on web design! With the philosophy that "new landscapes are created as tectonic plates collide and continue to move," Block Studio has established a solid presence in the Taiwanese web design scene for over 10 years since its founding in 2015.
With a wide range of experience including pop music centers in Taipei and Kaohsiung, KKBOX, and the bubble tea brand "Kebuke Aged Black Tea," the company boasts numerous international awards such as Awwwards, iF, and the German Design Award. Incidentally, their website has a hidden feature: if you leave it idle for a while, a blue screen-like display will appear. Be sure to try it out for yourself.
Block Studio
Portfolio: Jolin Tsai Official Website
This is the official website of Jolin Tsai, a leading pop icon from Taiwan. The visuals, based on deep red and black to match the world of her album "PLEASURE," are impressive, and it even features a unique membership system that allows fans to send messages directly to the artist.
8. ES Design
Next up is ES Design, the youngest of the companies we're introducing today, founded in 2018. They specialize in interactive websites that make full use of front-end technologies such as WebGL, Three.js, and GLSL. True to their motto, "Good design isn't something you come up with, it's born from discussion," their approach of designing digital experiences starting from the core of the brand, rather than simply showing off their technology, is evident in their work. It's fascinating how such a young studio manages to combine such technical skill with such a strong philosophy.
ES Design
Project Showcase: Future City Tainan
This 2024 exhibition project was commissioned by the Taiwan Institute of Design (TDRI). ES Design handled everything from exhibition design and interactive design to program development and construction. An online trial version was previously released, demonstrating ES Design's characteristic approach of offering experiences both in-person and online.
9. Onion Design Associates
We've covered web design so far, but now I'll introduce two companies that are more graphic design oriented. Onion Design Associates, founded in 1999, is a true veteran that has supported Taiwan's graphic design scene for many years. It has been nominated three times for the Grammy Award for Best Album Packaging and has also won the Golden Melody Award for Best Album Design, so its reputation extends beyond Taiwan.
They have consistently handled the visuals for major Taiwanese cultural and music events every year, including the Taiwan Lantern Festival, the Golden Bell Awards, TTXC, ART TAIPEI, and Takao Rock, and the list of their achievements on their about page is truly impressive.
Onion Design Associates
Achievements 1: Takao Rock 2024 (Dakōsai)
This is the visual for a large-scale music festival organized by the Kaohsiung Pop Music Center. Onion Design has been in charge of the visuals every year since 2022, and it has established a pop and unique worldview in which small monster characters that have flown in from space to Kaohsiung Harbor blend with elements that are characteristic of Kaohsiung, such as the harbor, ships, and cargo containers.
Project Showcase 2: ART TAIPEI 2025 (Taipei International Art Exposition)
Onion Design has consistently been responsible for the visual identity of the Taipei International Art Fair, one of Asia's largest art fairs, creating visuals that symbolize Taipei's art scene with a different concept each year.
10. HOUTH
Finally, we have HOUTH. Co-founded in 2014 by a designer and a photographer inspired by a trip to Berlin, HOUTH handles everything from brand strategy to visual design, true to their motto: "Design is not about style, but about creating emotional visuals that resonate and communicate value." It's wonderful that they started their studio after a trip to Berlin.
We frequently work with clients with a strong cultural focus, including those in the alcohol, music, theater, and food industries. Our international reputation is growing, with achievements such as selection for Tokyo TDC, membership in AGI, and publication in "It's Nice That." We held our 10th-anniversary exhibition in 2024.
HOUTH
Track Record: HEYSONG X ESLITE
Taiwan's long-established cider brand HeySong and Eslite Bookstore have collaborated on a special package. Starting with the theme of "the desire to share," the four bottle designs express the spirit of both brands through motifs of flowers and vases. The design also includes a feature that allows for four different combinations, which has generated a lot of buzz on Behance.
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That concludes our list of 10 creative studios in Taiwan! What did you think?
Taiwan's creative scene is much deeper than I expected, and like braised pork rice, it looks simple but has a deep flavor once you taste it. I kept adding more and more candidates, thinking "this is good, that's good," and it became unmanageable, so I reluctantly narrowed it down to 10 companies this time, but there are still many studios I couldn't introduce.
So, the Taiwan story continues.
Next time we look forward to!
