Taiwanese design talents received the Red Dot: Junior Prize 2016 for their animation “Meet, or Not”
In the Red Dot Award: Communication Design, young talents are supported in a special way. Who was able to make the Red Dot: Best of the Best sure for him- or herself, also has the opportunity to receive the Red Dot: Junior Prize for the best newcomer work, endowed with 10,000 € – this is the chance for the creative youth to make a breakthrough in design and convince potential clients of their proper skills. In 2016, the Red Dot: Junior Prize went to Taiwan: Mu-Yi Chi and Yi-Sin Lin from Tatung University in Taipei received it for their animation “Meet, or Not”. In the course of the Red Dot Gala in Berlin on 4 November 2016, they were honoured for this outstanding achievement in front of 1,200 international guests.
Chasing dreams: “Meet, or Not”
The title of the animation “Meet, or Not” already hints at the dichotomy of “either / or” and plays with polarities such as “appearance and disappearance”, “black and white” or “one or the other”. The black ball in the animation represents the human being, while a white ball represents its dreams. They form in a room provided by two squares made of thin lines. The film starts with the balls revolving around one another. In the further course of the animation, they keep getting closer and separating, continually chasing one another.
With flowing transitions and metamorphoses, backed by an atmospheric piano composition, the two balls evolve through animated three-dimensional formations and geometric spaces that explore different angles. Thus, the film creates a wide range of mysterious fantasy worlds and optical illusions aimed at captivating the beholder in order to convey the main message of the animation: despite all the challenges that humans have to face and master in their lives, they still make great efforts to bravely chase their dreams.
“You don’t need to be good to start, but you should start to be good.” (Mu-Yi Chi and Yi-Sin Lin)
Mu-Yi Chi, born in 1995, is a student of infographics, motion graphics and typography in the Department of Media Design at Tatung University. He works part-time as advertising designer at J. Walter Thompson in Taipei and as animation designer at Simpleinfo. Yi-Sin Lin, born in 1993, studied in the Department of Media Design at Tatung University from 2012 to 2016 and has since enrolled in the Department of Interaction Design at National Taipei University of Technology. Specialising in user interface and user experience design, infographics, motion graphics and typography, she works part-time at Seed Design as a web and graphic designer. Together, Mu-Yi Chi and Yi-Sin Lin created the animation “Meet, or Not” under Supervising Professor Chia-Hua Lin.
A meeting of the mind and soul, or not everything is black and white
The Red Dot jury stated: “’Meet, or Not’ stands out because it not only embodies well thought-out quality in terms of design, content and technique, but also captivates and emotionally touches the viewer. Thus, it surprised the jury as it goes beyond of what is expected of a student. This animation portrays rather a designer that is mature, showing ability and potential. Whether it is the written words or the motion, the viewers are made to think. In this case, awarding a story which is well told in its metaphor is more than just encouraging the potential or creativity that we see; we are truly convinced by its excellency.”
