Summer Internship 2023: Branding, Social Design, and Cultural Curation

Final Entry May 14, 2023
This program is only open to students living in Taiwan

Terminated Event

This programme aims to provide the next generation of designers with hands-on industry experience, targeting students and young professionals under the age of 25. Participants will rotate between two organisations in their assigned track, each for one month during July and August.

To enhance participants’ project integration and management skills, this year’s programme incorporates two new focus areas: social design and cultural curation. These additions complement the existing branding training, offering opportunities to strengthen collaboration, mobilisation, organisational, and executional skills.

Participants are required to attend biweekly group study sessions to exchange insights with peers from the other track and present their outcomes in a public lecture upon completion of the programme. Registration also grants free access to all online activities hosted by the organising body throughout the year.

Route A. Branding and Social Design

Whitefern: Specialising in brand integration, Whitefern’s projects span traditional industries, agriculture, food, dining, and personal care. With a focus on curiosity, empathy, responsibility, and a keen sense of aesthetics, Whitefern invites participants to help foster the growth of Taiwanese enterprises through innovative design and branding.

Aesthetic Cells: Since 2013, this initiative has promoted and advocated for “The Aesthetic Textbook Project” and educational design, bringing together Taiwanese designers to integrate aesthetics into textbooks through redesign. By mobilising professionals across disciplines, the programme aims to enhance education through design, positioning it as a vital tool for progress in education.

Route B. Branding and Curation

StudioPros: StudioPros is a branding design agency with offices in Taipei and Hsinchu, specialising in integrating creativity, design, and technology to build comprehensive user experiences. Their portfolio spans over 20 industries, including retail, technology, and finance. Recognised with awards such as the Golden Pin Design Award and the Asia Most Influential Design Award, StudioPros accelerates brand growth with innovative strategies.

Grass Radical: Established in 2012, Grass Radical began as an online media platform reporting on science and art. Guided by its mission to “provide inspiration and spark originality,” the studio has expanded into cultural curation, organising events, and integrating space resources. Grass Radical excels in art and design curation, mobilising resources across disciplines.

Preliminary Judges

•Lin Ting-Han (Co-founder, Turn Studio)
•Zi-Mian (Founder, Objects of Similarity Design Studio)
•Huang Fan-Chen (Founder, Tang Tang Shui Shui Design Studio)
•Chen Chien-Hsun (Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Communication Design, China University of Technology)

Final Judges

•Li Yi-Hsuan (Director, StudioPros)
•Huang Wei-Lun (Director, Grass Radical)
•Matthew (Director, Whitefern)
•Chen Mu-Tian (Director, Aesthetic Cells)

Key Dates

•May 3, 2023: Online registration deadline
•May 8, 2023: Notification of preliminary qualification results via email
•May 15–17, 2023: Final interviews
•May 19, 2023: Notification of final and alternate candidates via email
•June 16–August 31, 2023: Internship programme


Final interviews will be conducted by the programme’s partner organisation heads. Internship certificates can be issued by the hosting organisations upon request. This programme is free of charge, and participants will not receive financial compensation for their work.

Coordinated by: Return Design︎︎︎, Chu Kuan-Cheng
Programme Leads and Advisors: Lin Ting-Han, Chu Kuan-Cheng
Published: May 4, 2023. Last Updated: December 27, 2024.