Exploring Chiang Mai Design Week 2024 Through the Minds of 4 Leading Creators

        With the main theme of Scaling Local: Creativity, Technology, Sustainability, the 2024 Chiang Mai Design Week, set to take place between 7 and 15 December 2024, will explore the potentials of the Northern region, seeking ways to integrate creativity with technology with the aim to achieve sustainability and to push local products to global market.

        TCDC Chiang Mai strikes up conversations with the four members of the committee in charge of selecting creators to join in this year’s festival. They themselves are leading designers and entrepreneurs in Thailand’s creative industry. Let’s have a look at their perspective on the theme of SCALING LOCAL, the direction of the creative industry in the Northern region, and the outlook of the products featured in the 2024 Design Week!

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Craftwork + Technology = Economic Sustainability

Amornthep Katchanon

Founder of AmoArte and

Consultant to the Design & Objects Association (D&O)

“From the outlook of the participants in this year’s festival, I think what’s very interesting is the direction of creative enterprises moving towards adopting more renewable resources and materials which help promote environmental sustainability. However, given our theme this year, the technology aspect is not really evident. This might be because most of the creative works in the north are handicrafts, so the designers might not be much concerned about technology.”

“However, I think more technology should be employed. It might not have to be something advanced or on industrial scale, just some instruments or equipment to help facilitate certain manufacturing processes. I think this will greatly elevate the level of our craftwork. That said, I’m not against 100% handmade products. They’re undoubtedly the charm of the creative goods in Chiang Mai and the Northern region, but if you’re looking at the prospects of professional and economic sustainability, I think it’s vital to welcome new technologies into the scene.”

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Innovation to Individuality

Piyanan Mahanuphap

Consultant to Northern Handicraft Manufacturer and Exporter Association (NOHMEX)

“In recent years, designs that depend on technologies like 3D printers or multimedia creative works have gained more popularity among local creators, which is a positive trend. However, it would be great if we can be innovative in the thought and manufacturing processes, starting from the very source of the materials, like the technology that goes into making the fabric, or an innovation to combine natural materials with technology to add value to the product. This would make the creative works unique while strengthening brand identity.”

        “Let me give you an example. There’s a particular brand that uses dried leaves and turns them into substitute material for leather. They have patented and used the material for their products. With innovation being at the core of their brand, this is the ultimate goal in terms of sustainability. Because it’s not only about preserving the environment, your brand must be able to survive as a business. What’s important is your brand must be outstanding and must go along the same direction as global trends. It might start as a small idea on a local scale, but if your business can persist, your brand will grow. And if your brand grows on the foundation of sustainability, I believe that’s the key to success.”

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Creative Designs Are Not Exclusive to Designers

Neither is Technology to the IT People

Wisut Limaree

Founder of Asiatides Paris and Owner of Wit’s Collection

        “With decades of experience running Asiatides as a mediator between producers and buyers of design products across Asia and Europe, I am well aware that the works of creators in the Northern region are of great beauty and intricacy, including those of the upcoming generation as well. The problem is most of these works cannot reach potential buyers, probably because of limitations in production and marketing, or the lack of a mediator connecting products to prospective buyers. It’s not only the creativity of the product. What’s equally important is how you’re going to sell it on a larger scale.”

“As for this year’s participants, I think we’ve got great feedback from a new generation of entrepreneurs. But it would be best if educational institutes encourage more university students to submit their works. I’m not talking about just some project presentations, but actually producing a tangible prototype of their works. This would spark students’ interest in coming to the festival. In fact, during the festival, we’ve already got professional showcase programs, workshops, and business matching in place to support people in the industry, but if there is more space for displaying the works of students, young people in general, not only those studying design, might become more interested in the festival as well.”

        “I think a lot people are still stuck with the notion that the design festival is exclusive to those in the art and design circle, while if you look at design weeks abroad, you’ll see that there are people from all walks of life showcasing their works, from engineers, programmers, content creators, and many more. It’s true that the name is design week, but ‘design’ here is not only about designers. It’s the design of anything that helps facilitate our life, endows it with an aesthetic sense of beauty, or even elevates its overall quality. So, designs do not concern only designers, just like technology, one of this year’s main themes, is not restricted to those in the IT circle. It’s what surrounds us in our everyday life.”

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Progress Over Result: The Importance of Small Steps Along the Way

Sumet Yodkaew

Owner of Minimal Records and Lecturer at

Media Arts and Designs, Chiang Mai University

“In this year’s design week, I’m responsible for two parts. That is, I’m acting as a member of a committee selecting the works to be showcased, and also as an organizer for LABBfest., which is a music festival featuring several artists based in the north. Looking at the first part, I see that there are a lot of returning showcases from festivals during the past years coming back with significant developments in many ways, from presentation strategies, branding tactics, to business expansion ideas. Many showcases exhibit thought processes similar to those in art research, interacting with time, seasons, specific contexts, and the daily lifestyles of locals, which makes them relevant for the audience. However, considering the dimension of technology, one of the key ideas of the festival, there is still a need to expand more towards this aspect.”

        “That said, I think the design weeks, or any other creative festivals for that matter, are only about presenting only the achievements. What’s important is we get to observe the improvements or processes of each creator, both individually and collectively, so that they can be lessons or inspirations for others. The charm of the festival is we get to see creators with existing bodies of works coming up with different concepts, as well as those with new developments or even the ones with flaws in their work which can be fixed with more experience.”

        “So is the case with LABBfest.. Apart from escalating the scale of the event, we have also invited music festival organizers from Japan to performances of local acts, not to mention promoters from record labels, who have been joining the festival for three consecutive years. I hope this will provide more opportunities for our local artists.”

        “I think Chiang Mai’s creative community and music scene share certain things in common, in that we have quite a great deal of space and opportunities in our ecosystem, and there are a lot of talents in the locality. What they lack, however, is a distinct character or individuality that would make them stand out among the crowd. To achieve that, one needs to gain more experience and exposure and constantly sharpen their skills. The chance to observe the works of other artists in this kind of festival or events will prove to be a great help in doing so.”