Future Notes IV.
From Craft to Concept

Future Notes is a lecture series where young design and art creators share their creative practices during the transition from academia to professional life. In this edition, three emerging designers and their invited collaborators explore the undefinable facets of contemporary design through perspectives rooted in traditional craftsmanship, philosophy, and phenomenology.

Huang Yu-Tzu
Reconstructing Images Through Traditional Printing Dots

Huang Yu-Tzu continues to pursue personal creative projects alongside her professional work. She often uses casual photographs stored on her phone as material for graphic design, which she transforms and prints using RISO techniques. This approach creates visual contrast and tension—bridging digital precision with the imperfections of traditional processes. In this lecture, Huang will share the motivations and methods behind a series of her image-based works, exploring the nuanced sensory shifts between digital imagery and traditional craftsmanship.

Chen Guan-Ting
The Ship of Theseus

Chen Guan-Ting, a graphic design graduate of ArtEZ in the Netherlands, focuses on design research, book design, multimedia, and typography. His work continually investigates the precision and essence of creation through diverse methods and media. Beginning with the philosophical inquiry of The Ship of Theseus, Chen will examine the identity of concepts and forms. Through his experimental projects, he will delve into the connections between symbols and cognition—asserting that ‘in creation, spirituality transcends material existence’.

Zhou Yi-Xiao
How to Finish an Answer Sheet Properly?

Zhou Yi-Xiao, a Shanghai native currently completing his graduate thesis in speculative design, critiques the binary distinction between art and design often reinforced by mainstream perceptions. His creative exploration challenges conventional frameworks of graphic design aesthetics and semiotics, advocating for a phenomenological, non-human-centric perspective. Zhou proposes that design objects be ‘bracketed’ and re-evaluated. In this talk, he will present unconventional case studies—such as peculiar answer sheets and instruction manuals for household items—offering a glimpse into his distinctive worldview.