The Women of LCFC
We had the opportunity to extend our panel to the women of LCFC in Taiwan to gain insight and perspective.
We had the opportunity to extend our panel to the women of LCFC in Taiwan, a subsidiary of Lenovo ID, to gain perspective, advice, and understanding about what it's like to be a woman in industrial design in Taiwan technology and manufacturing industry. We are incredibly grateful to all the women who took the time to contribute, particularly to Kehsin, who sat down with each of her female co-workers and provided us with responses in English and Mandarin translations.
Perspective is always important; everyone experiences things differently regardless of being in the same field. These women are no exception to this, a very big thank you, Keshin, Blanche, Peggie, Eileen, and Linca, for sharing your beautiful & honest insights with us.
Meet the Panelists
Kehsin: Design Leader
As a Design Leader, Kehsin owns projects, design competitions (Red Dot, IF, etc), and trains new designers.
Blanche: Design Manager
As a Design Manager, Blanche leads projects, design competitions (Red Dot, IF, etc) and trains new designers.
Peggie: Industrial Designer
As an Industrial Designer, Peggie owns projects and joins design competitions.
Eileen: Assistant Designer
As an Assistant Designer, Eileen owns projects and joins design competitions.
Linca: Assistant DesigneR
As an Assistant Designer, Linca learns new projects and helps with public affairs.
Panel Discussion
The panelists’ answers were originally recorded to Mandarin but have been translated into English below.
What role does design play within your company?
Blanche: Study design trends and lead the company towards a new future, and create new plans for the next few years.
Peggie: Not only doing design, considering many aspects, and connecting with cross-functional teams.
Linca: Integrate all external and internal information to achieve a nice balance.
設計在您的公司中扮演什麼角色？
Blanche: 研究新趨勢並帶領公司邁向未來, 並擬定長年計畫
Peggy: 不只針對設計, 需要更全方面的思考, 並做為不同單位的橋樑
Linca: 整合內外資訊且取得最佳平衡
What do you feel is your main responsibility as a designer?
Kehsin: To not only focus on a products form factor or function, but care more about user’s psychological feelings, and make design reasonable (mass production, cost, technological feasibility, etc.).
Linca: After providing basic function or needs , design can add more value to the products.
您覺得作為設計師的主要責任是什麼？
Kehsin: 不僅僅是著重在外型或功能,應該考量更多與使用者心理層面進行設計. 並將設計合理化.
Linca: 滿足基本功能或需求之外, 可為產品增添更多的價值
What advice would you have for other women interested in starting a career in ID?
Kehsin: Step by step thinking , don’t be limited by reality at the start. Love yourself more and find balance between your dreams and your life.
Peggie: Listen more from experienced designers. Especially from those who are not from a design background.
Eileen: You need to find your passion then move forward.
您對有興趣從事ID事業的其他女性有什麼建議？
Kehsin: 階段性的思考, 不要被太多現實給綑綁. 更愛妳自己並在夢想與現實生活中找尋平衡點
Peggie: 聽取更多設計師的建議, 特別是原本非ID本業的人
Eileen: 找到熱情並前行
What is your perception of the gender split within the design industry in Taiwan?
Blanche: In the Taiwan design field, entrepreneurs and leaders are usually male. Females have the ability to adapt to different roles and work in peace. Life focus is the family.
Eileen: Women are still fettered by tradition, sometimes male can get promotions easier than females. They should be more aggressive to get more opportunities.
您如何看待台灣設計行業中的性別差異?
Blanche: 在台灣設計圈創業或是主導的大多為男性. 而女性適應力強多扮演和平的角色. 將家庭擺放在生活重心.
Eileen: 女性仍容易受傳統觀念限制, 而男性較容易得到晉升的機會. 所以需要更積極的爭取更多機會.
What do you perceive to be the differences between being an industrial designer in Taiwan versus the United States?
Kehsin: Company (country) cultures are different, so designers in US have more flexible thinking and schedules. And can balance career and personal life very well. Taiwanese usually spend too much time in office, and work very late. Many designers in Taiwan have nice 3D drawing skills. It’s a good skill but sometimes it will limit your ideas.
Blanche: US designers may not be limited by traditional thinking, they have a strong database from their subconscious.
您認為台灣和美國的工業設計師之間有什麼區別？
Kehsin: 由於公司或是國家文化上的差異, 美國設計師通常擁有更活躍的思維, 工作排程上也更加彈性. 且更能在職場與個人生活上取得平衡
(台灣人通常花太多時間在工作上, 經常加班)
台灣設計師擁有優異的3D繪圖能力, 這雖是優點, 但有時也會限制住設計的發想.
Blanche: 美國設計師也許沒被傳統思維限制住 , 感覺潛意識裡擁有大量的想法
Award-winning designs
Recognized designs from Kehsin and Blanche
BUSer Beeper: A friendly booking and reminding services to passengers on the bus
BUSer Beeper won an IF Design Award in 2020
https://ifworlddesignguide.com/winners/if-design-award-2020-winners/service-design-if-design-award-2020-winners?#/pages/page/entry/285331-buser-beeper
Sema Whirling: A reinterpretation of a mobile barcode / QR code scanner that offers an innovative way of reading and transmitting data
Sema Whirling won a Red Dot Design Award in 2020
https://www.red-dot.org/zh/project/sema-whirling-47526
Thanks to the LCFC team!
Thank you again to the women of the LCFC team for contributing to this article. You can read more about their company here. You can also listen to the full interview in Mandarin here:
