2026 年初寒假期間，我有幸參加由泰國主辦的 Asia-Link 曼谷國際設計工作坊。今年的主題為「未來工藝」(Future Crafts)，旨在探討在數位科技與虛擬世界日益盛行的時代背景下，人們如何重新思考並找回手工藝所蘊含的獨特價值。相較於大量生產與高度數位化的產品，傳統手工藝仍保有手作的溫度、材料的真實質感，以及製作過程中所留下的人為痕跡，使人們能透過觸覺與感知，重新建立與物件及製作者之間更深層的連結。
透過此次國際交流工作坊，來自臺灣、日本與泰國的學生齊聚一堂，在不同文化與設計背景的交流之下，共同思考工藝在未來時代中的可能發展，以及如何在保留傳統精神的同時，結合現代設計思維與科技技術，探索更具創新性的工藝形式。
二、工作坊參與過程與設計發想
在工作坊的第一天，我們進行了分組與破冰活動。我們小組由來自泰國、緬甸、日本以及臺灣的成員組成。透過分享彼此的興趣與文化背景，原本略顯陌生的氣氛逐漸轉變為輕鬆自在的互動氛圍，特別是泰國同學熱情地教我們簡單的泰語，讓彼此更快建立連結。當天下午，我們也參觀了當地的設計展覽，初步接觸到泰國設計文化與城市氛圍，為後續的設計發想奠定基礎。
第二天,我們展開了田野調查，前往傳統工藝市場與工藝博物館參訪。透過實地觀察，我們看見各式具有地方特色的手工藝品與美食，也在專業解說員的帶領下深入了解泰國傳統工藝的歷史與文化背景，以及如何將傳統元素與現代設計結合。這些經驗讓我 開始思考，工藝不僅是一項技術，更承載著文化與生活的價值，也成為我們後續設計發想的重要靈感來源。
隨著工作坊的進行，我們逐漸進入設計討論與發想階段。我們小組最初提出了兩個 設計方向：一個是將泰國傳統工藝元素融入公車站的再設計，另一個則是建立一個結合工藝推廣與家庭互動的服務平台。經過多次討論與發表後，我們最終選擇以「促進家庭關係互動」為核心，發展我們的最終提案。
我們將此平台命名為 SARN-SUMPAN，其中 SARN 代表編織，SUMPAN 則象徵關係與連結，意指透過共同創作建立情感交流。在系統設計上，我們強調「共同參與」的概念，例如使用者必須建立或加入家庭設計空間，並透過即時同步與共識確認機制，確保所有家庭成員一起完成作品，而非個人單獨創作。我們希望透過這樣的設計流程，使工藝成為促進家庭互動與情感連結的媒介，而不只是單純的客製化商品。
在最終成果製作階段，除了完成簡報外，我們也需要製作產品模型示意，因此團隊成員依照各自專長進行分工，包括網站架構設計、產品外觀建模與渲染、材料研究以及簡報整理等。為了順利完成成果，我們曾一起努力到深夜。雖然過程中感到疲憊，但在完成作品的那一刻，大家都感到十分有成就感，也讓團隊之間建立了更深的合作默契。最終發表過程順利,並獲得教授們的回饋與肯定,讓我們對自己的設計更加有信心。
三、跨文化交流與個人成長
除了設計上的學習之外，本次工作坊也讓我收穫了非常珍貴的跨文化交流經驗。透過與來自不同國家的同學相處與討論，我不僅看見了不同文化背景下的生活方式，也更理解了各自對家庭、關係與日常互動的不同想像。其中讓我印象特別深刻的是，泰國同學分享在他們的生活經驗中，許多家庭成員之間的互動其實相對較少，彼此常常各自忙於自己的事情，家庭關係也未必如表面上看起來那麼緊密。這樣的分享讓我們開始重新思考家庭成員之間的情感連結與互動模式，也因此啟發了我們最終的設計方向，決定從 「家庭互動」的角度出發，作為此次提案的核心主題。
在課程之外的活動，例如共同用餐、拍攝紀念照片、參加 farewell party 以及逛夜市等，也讓我們建立了更深的友誼。這些日常互動不僅增進了彼此的感情，也讓我在使用英文與他人溝通時更加自在，逐漸提升了自己的表達能力與自信心。
這次工作坊雖然時間不長，卻帶給我非常深刻的學習與成長。我不僅學會了如何在跨國團隊中合作，也重新思考了設計的意義。過去我較常關注產品本身的功能與外觀，但透過這次的經驗，我開始理解設計也可以成為促進人際關係與文化交流的工具。
我很慶幸自己當初鼓起勇氣報名參加這次國際工作坊。這段經歷不僅讓我認識了來自不同國家的朋友，也拓展了我的視野，並提升了英文表達與團隊合作能力。我相信這次的學習經驗將會對我未來在工業設計領域的發展產生長遠的影響，也會成為我大學生涯中非常珍貴且難忘的一段回憶。
1. Background and Workshop Theme: What is Future Craft?
During the winter break in early 2026, I had the valuable opportunity to participate in the Asia-Link Bangkok International Design Workshop, hosted in Thailand. The theme of this year’s workshop was “Future Crafts,” which aimed to explore how people can rethink and rediscover the unique value of craftsmanship in an era increasingly shaped by digital technology and virtual worlds. Compared to mass-produced and highly digitalized products, traditional crafts still preserve the warmth of handmade work, the authentic texture of materials, and the human traces left throughout the making process. These qualities allow people to reconnect, through touch and perception, with both the object itself and the person who created it.
Through this international exchange workshop, students from Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand came together to share different cultural and design perspectives. Together, we explored how crafts might evolve in the future, and how traditional values can be preserved while being combined with contemporary design thinking and emerging technologies to create more innovative forms of craftsmanship.
2. Workshop Process and Design Development
On the first day of the workshop, we were divided into groups and took part in ice-breaking activities. My group consisted of members from Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, and Taiwan. By sharing our interests and cultural backgrounds, the initially unfamiliar atmosphere gradually became more relaxed and comfortable. I especially remember how the Thai students enthusiastically taught us some simple Thai phrases, which helped us connect with one another more quickly. That afternoon, we also visited a local design exhibition, where we were introduced to Thai design culture and the atmosphere of the city, which laid an important foundation for our later design development.
On the second day, we conducted field research by visiting a traditional craft market and a craft museum. Through direct observation, we saw a wide variety of local handicrafts and traditional foods. With the guidance of a professional tour guide, we also gained a deeper understanding of the history and cultural background of Thai traditional crafts, as well as how traditional elements can be integrated into modern design. This experience made me realize that craft is not only a skill, but also a carrier of culture and everyday life, and it became an important source of inspiration for our later design ideas.
As the workshop progressed, we gradually moved into the discussion and ideation phase. At first, our group proposed two design directions: one was to redesign a bus stop by incorporating elements of Thai traditional crafts, and the other was to create a service platform that combines craft promotion with family interaction. After several rounds of discussion and presentations, we ultimately chose to focus on enhancing family relationships and interaction as the core concept of our final proposal.
We named our platform SARN-SUMPAN, where “SARN” represents weaving, and “SUMPAN” symbolizes relationships and connection. The name reflects the idea of building emotional bonds through co-creation. In terms of system design, we emphasized the concept of shared participation. For example, users must first create or join a family design space, and through real-time synchronization and consensus-confirmation mechanisms, all family members are encouraged to complete the work together rather than creating individually. Through this process, we hoped that craft could become a medium for promoting family interaction and emotional connection, rather than simply being a platform for customized products.
During the final stage of the project, in addition to preparing our presentation slides, we also needed to produce a product model mock-up. Therefore, our team divided the work according to each member’s strengths, including website structure design, product appearance modeling and rendering, material research, and presentation organization. In order to complete the final outcome smoothly, we worked together late into the night. Although the process was tiring, we all felt a strong sense of accomplishment when the project was finally completed, and it also strengthened the collaboration and trust within our team. In the end, our final presentation went smoothly and received positive feedback and recognition from the professors, which gave us greater confidence in our design.
3. Cross-Cultural Exchange and Personal Growth
Beyond the design learning itself, this workshop also gave me a truly valuable cross-cultural exchange experience. Through spending time and discussing ideas with students from different countries, I was able not only to observe different lifestyles shaped by diverse cultural backgrounds, but also to better understand how people imagine family, relationships, and everyday interaction in different ways. What impressed me the most was when the Thai students shared that, in their personal experience, many family members tend to interact less frequently, often focusing on their own individual lives, and that family relationships are not always as close as they may appear on the surface. This insight led us to rethink emotional connection and interaction within families, and it directly inspired the direction of our final design proposal. As a result, we decided to approach our project from the perspective of family interaction, making it the central theme of our proposal.
Outside of the workshop sessions, activities such as having meals together, taking group photos, joining the farewell party, and visiting night markets also helped us build deeper friendships. These everyday interactions not only strengthened our connections with one another, but also made me feel more comfortable communicating in English, gradually improving both my speaking confidence and my ability to express myself.
Although the workshop was not very long, it brought me a deeply meaningful learning experience and personal growth. I not only learned how to collaborate in an international team, but also began to rethink the meaning of design itself. In the past, I tended to focus more on the function and appearance of products. However, through this experience, I came to understand that design can also serve as a tool for fostering human relationships and facilitating cultural exchange.
I am truly glad that I had the courage to sign up for this international workshop. This experience not only allowed me to make friends from different countries, but also broadened my perspective and strengthened my English communication and teamwork skills. I believe this learning experience will have a lasting influence on my future development in the field of industrial design, and it will remain one of the most valuable and unforgettable memories of my university life.