Design for Social Advocacy: Some Experiences from Taiwan

Abstract

This study centers on three large-scale social movements that have occurred in Taiwan in recent years as case studies: (1) the Sunflower Student Movement in 2014, (2) the fundraising movement by Taiwanese people to publish an advertisement on the New York Times during the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) and the first successful recall of the mayor of Kaohsiung City in 2020. These three mass movements have profoundly impacted Taiwanese society, and design was involved therein. In addition to examining these movements and how design intervened in this process, this case study also interviewed designers who had participated in these social movements. The theoretical meanings of these data will be further clarified in the discussion section from the perspective of design activism. The present study provides a new perspective to examine how the design profession can be used as a practice that promotes social advocacy outside of business operations.