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Design is Life
By Professor Chih-Sheng Chang, Department of Product and Media Design
Have you ever been to IKEA?
I'm not trying to promote this Swedish home furnishing brand—just making sure we’re talking about the same company and the same kind of place. If you often visit large retailers for home goods or furniture, then local brand HOLA or the more upscale Japanese francfranc might also be familiar spots to you.
Because of both my work in design and where I live, the IKEA in Xinzhuang, Taipei, is a place I go to quite often. I know the layout of its floors, shortcuts, and product sections like the back of my hand. It’s not that other stores lack good products, but here, beyond seeing thoughtfully designed furniture and daily items, I often find inspiration in how the space is organized—from facility planning to the way they serve food. Sometimes, when I'm stuck in traffic caused by subway construction on my way home from work, I’ll just pull into IKEA’s underground parking lot, head straight to the cafeteria, order a plate of fries and an iced Sprite, and sit by the giant south-facing window overlooking the Dahan River—just to catch 20 minutes of sunset glow.
Strictly speaking, the window doesn’t actually face the sun. But from the reflected golden light on the tall buildings across the river in Banqiao—I feel it. The sunset is right there.
You might ask, why be so captivated by a simple retail store like IKEA?
Well, it's more than just a place for buying goods—it’s a space for design thinking, a perfect environment for observing consumer behavior. I love sitting on one of the display sofas, just listening in on conversations. A couple in white sneakers, talking about their plans for future home life—I can hear it all.
Then there are the college students sneaking photos for a class project, clearly nervous and amusing to watch. Or the stern-looking father in blue and white slippers, accompanied by his whole family, while his runny-nosed kid dashes wildly around the store—grabbing even my pillow! The dad doesn’t care, simply touches a dining chair nearby and mutters, “This one’s not sturdy,” then walks off to ask a staff member where to find a more solid one.
At IKEA, everyone seems to turn into a designer—commenting on the function and aesthetics of every product and home layout. They form their conclusions, then casually take the products home. It all feels so natural.
But in my mind, I’m thinking: that bright red plastic dining chair that serious dad picked out probably doesn’t suit any corner of his home. Any student who’s studied color theory knows how tricky that bold red is to match. When you add in variations of space, light, and time, making that red chair look elegant and tasteful is no small challenge. Without considering its context, he might bring it home and start wondering if he picked up the wrong one—because it just doesn’t feel the same as it did in the store.
So why am I writing all this, seemingly aimless rambling?
My point is simple: If you want to learn design—especially those of you in the Department of Product and Media Design—don’t make your first step signing up for flashy online software tutorials.
Instead, learn to truly understand that beyond computer skills and digital tools, what matters even more is life experience, observation, and creative thinking.
Understand that design is not just about aesthetics or artistic expression. It can be found in every aspect of daily life. The way you work, live, move, and relax—all of it can be part of design.
With careful thought, any design can be both practical and beautiful.
If you genuinely consider these everyday problems with care, design thinking can even evolve into a form of social education—one that encourages people to explore ways to improve their lives, to observe more deeply, and to develop a creative attitude toward living.
When that happens, life becomes design, and design becomes life. You’ll live a vibrant, creative, and meaningful life.