Breaking the Mold
Bold inspiration and youthful passion are the hallmarks of 22 Design Studio, which was founded in 2005 by Sean Yu and Yiting Cheng, two industrial design students who had just graduated from the Industrial Design Department of National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan.
As they created their studio, they were full of hope for the future and awash with dreams of the unique designs they wanted to share with the world. They were wise enough to realize that they wanted to keep their initial motivation alive – despite the realities they knew they would face. For that reason, they named their studio “22” to continually remind them of the passion and ideals they had when they were 22 years old.
In the years since, it’s obvious they have succeeded in doing just that. Today, they take their inspiration from the surroundings of their studio in Taipei. “The city houses us, moves us and protects us, largely by the use of concrete and steel. At 22, the city also inspires us. We re-envision concrete and steel’s uses and repurpose their image of strength and boldness to create a product line that includes timepieces, writing tools and jewelry.”
After experimenting with various materials, they discovered an innovative application of high-density concrete that allows for fine applications. Sean Yu was excited to “turn the roughness of concrete into fine forms,” and he openly confesses to “liking concrete because it is cheap, but through different processes, it can be very smooth and elegant.”
That elegance is apparent in the sharp, clean and inspiring lines of timepieces such as the 4th Dimension wall clock and desk clock, and watch; precision writing instruments such as their Sketch Pencil; and office inspirations like the Tangram City Sculpture. Every stage of design and production is carefully crafted by hand at their studio to bring discerning clients innovative and forward-thinking creations that are as resolute and uncompromising as the materials from which they are made.
