Integrating Design Thinking into Literary Creation: Master’s Student Shares Insights at the Taipei International Book Exhibition

Naomi Sím (Shen Wan-Ying), a master’s student from our institute, was recently invited by the National Museum of Taiwan Literature to appear at the 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition as an emerging Taiwanese writer. She participated in the panel discussion titled “Translation and Transits of Taiwanese Literature.” At the event, she engaged in dialogue with Taiwanese translator Jenna Tang, American translator Jeff Miller, Korean translator Kim Tae-sung, editor Will Buckingham from the UK-based independent publisher Wind&Bones, and Kuo Pei-Yu, editor-in-chief of Guerrilla Publishing.

This invitation not only recognizes Naomi Sím’s creative achievements but also highlights the effectiveness of our institute’s interdisciplinary training. In her literary practice, she incorporates design thinking concepts such as “user-centeredness” and “translation” learned in class. After the event, she shared with the institute: “My training here has taught me to view the literary translation industry from a macro perspective.” She believes that her short story Cuilan ê Love Letter gained international attention partly because she conducted “user experience research” during the early stages of writing—treating readers as “users” and even developing “personas” to guide her creative process. By considering topics that might resonate with potential readers before writing, her approach resembles a form of design practice. Naomi humorously remarked that she may not be a traditional literary writer, but rather a “designer-novelist.”

Her outstanding performance at the event reflects the institute’s core mission of integrating creativity, industry, and design thinking. The institute will continue to encourage students to step beyond the classroom and transform their design capabilities into tangible actions that impact the industry.