Carnivals of Democracy:

A bold, intrepid spirit has always been part of the Taiwanese DNA,” says Lee Hou Ching, secretary general of the National Cultural Association of Taiwan. It’s just that the raw energy was repressed under successive authoritarian regimes. Analyzing the Taiwanese people’s fervor for elections from a historical perspective, Lee tells us that this pent-up force has finally been released as our democracy gradually matures, hence the dynamic character of local civic engagement.

In a country that sets great store by freedom, voters can express their passionate support for any candidate.

The evolution of campaign materials

Lee, who formerly served as a campaign advisor, casts his eye over the evolution of campaign materials in Taiwan. He divides it into three stages. In 1994 Chen Shui-bian, standing for mayor of Taipei, employed the upbeat slogan “Happiness, Hope, Chen Shui-bian” to counter the solemnity and gloom with which local politics had been associated. He also distributed booklets to tell his story to the public. “This established the concept of crafting a candidate’s political image, and I think it marked a watershed for campaign materials,” Lee says.

In 2010, again during a Taipei mayoral election, Su Tseng-chang’s team moved from visual design into video production by launching Open Taipei, a collection of music videos dedicated to Taiwan’s capital city. Crossing traditional media boundaries, they even experimented with film series and promoted Su’s political vision through short-form videos and Facebook.

When Chen Shui-bian stood for mayor of Taipei in 1994, he sought not only to promote his political vision but also to let the public know more about him as a person. The concept of crafting one’s political image marked a watershed for election campaigns in Taiwan. (MOFA file photo)

Aaron Nieh designed this “rainbow card” for public transport services in Taipei to help raise funds for Tsai Ing-wen’s presidential election campaign, attracting the attention of people who supported LGBTQ+ rights. Through design, political messages can reach beyond echo chambers and resonate with a wider audience. (© aaronniehworkshop)

For the 2016 presidential election, designer Aaron Nieh and his team fashioned a visual identity for Tsai Ing-wen. From the campaign’s primary visual language to its implementation on flags and billboards, this identity rested upon a coherent set of guidelines. It was the first time Taiwan’s creative energy had been systematically deployed in the context of an electoral campaign. (photos by Jimmy Lin)

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During the presidential election of 2016, Tsai Ing-wen’s team commissioned designer Aaron Nieh to fashion a visual identity for their campaign. They upgraded their campaign materials by designing popular objects which gave expression to Tsai’s persona. This was the first election campaign in Taiwan to channel local creative energy in a systematic way.

From campaign headquarters decorated in the style of arty cafes to rallies featuring themed parades, design has become an essential part of modern election campaigns in Taiwan.

Rallies in Chiayi, the Sanctuary of Democracy

One of the most iconic spectacles of Taiwan’s electoral culture is the election-eve rally at the Central Fountain in the Southern Taiwanese city of Chiayi. Here, rival camps take up positions at the roundabout, attempting to outdo each other in enthusiasm. Lee Hou Ching tells us that the fountain has been the heart of Chiayi since the Japanese colonial era (1895–1945). The fact that Chiayi was one of the areas that suffered most in the February 28 Incident of 1947, Lee says, accounts for the locals’ passion for democracy today. What’s noteworthy is that despite the fierce sense of rivalry, people here share a fundamental belief: “They come here to show support and compete in terms of morale and momentum, rather than to eliminate their opponents.” Dubbed the Sanctuary of Democracy, Chiayi embodies Taiwan’s distinctive democratic culture. courtesy of Guo Zhenlong

“Taiwan’s elections are carnivals that celebrate democracy.” —Lee Hou Ching

photo by Jimmy Lin

Aesthetic reforms

No matter how heated election-eve rallies may be, the public display remarkable self-discipline when they turn up at polling stations to cast their votes. Contributing to this mature democratic scene is a reform of electoral aesthetics led by the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) in collaboration with the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Chang Chi-yi, president of the TDRI, says that matters related to elections can touch sensitive nerves, and introducing aesthetic concepts into elections is especially challenging. Nonetheless, considering the high level of public participation in electoral affairs, the TDRI took the initiative to approach the CEC for collaborative opportunities.

Putting people at the center, and aiming to address the most pressing issues, the TDRI began by reforming the election bulletins. Working within existing budgets and regulations, they changed the two-­column layout to a more readable four-column format, replaced the traditional calligraphic typeface with a sans-serif font, and transformed complex voting flowcharts into easy-to-understand 3D-style illustrations.

Opting for a minimalist aesthetic, the Taiwan Design Research Institute uses a restrained palette for election information centers, to give focus to the presentation of vote count data. (courtesy of TDRI)

Replacing text-based flowcharts, the 3D-style illustrations help voters grasp the voting process immediately.
(courtesy of TDRI)

The Taiwan Design Research Institute has redesigned the layout of election bulletins to make the content easier to read. The design has won two Golden Pin Design Awards. (courtesy of TDRI)

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The revamped election bulletin won a 2022 Golden Pin Design Award, giving the TDRI the confidence to forge ahead with improving polling stations. The previously multicolored election signage gave way to standardized signs, on which black text on red backgrounds was replaced by red text on white backgrounds. The new color scheme reduces the use of red and is easier on the eye. Even the backdrops for televised policy presentations and election certificates have been given new, minimalist looks, which exude a dignified and rational charm. These new designs are being implemented across Taiwan, and the CEC has received a Best Practices and Initiatives Award from the Association of World Election Bodies.

From passionate rallies to the calm and restrained atmosphere that reigns on polling day, the link between design and public affairs sheds light on Taiwan as a free and inclusive society. Lee’s comment is apt: “If elections may be seen as carnivals that celebrate democracy, then those in Taiwan are absolutely the most diverse and creative carnivals in the world. After all, here in Taiwan, democracy is by now well and truly woven into the fabric of our daily lives.”

The Taiwan Design Research Institute has introduced a standardized color scheme for election signage, which used to be confusingly multicolored. The redesigned signs are easy to read, and polling stations look less cluttered. (courtesy of TDRI)

“National progress doesn’t necessarily come from grand infrastructure projects, but from the continuous refinement of everyday details that people can actually experience—this itself is a sign of progress.” —Chang Chi-yi