A Taste of Taitung Life key visual applications: poster, standee, and phone mockup | Howdy Creative

Beyond Display: Curating an Immersive Tribal Craft Exhibition

Exhibition Design

Howdy Creative curated the Kakawasan (嘎嘎哇桑) craft exhibition for the Shishan tribal community in Taitung, translating the everyday, intangible feel of shell-ginger weaving and shimenawa rope craft into an integrated online-to-offline exhibition built around the senses.

Challenge

Traditional crafts often struggle to stay relevant in a contemporary market. The shell-ginger weaving and shimenawa rope craft from Taitung's Shishan tribal community carry deep cultural roots, but the products alone could not easily convey the relaxed spirit behind them, known locally as "Sang Ji Le," amid the noise of urban life. Building an identity that was distinctive and easy to communicate was the core challenge.

Goal

The core goal was to build Kakawasan into a complete lifestyle brand rather than just a craft product line. The aim was to create an immersive experience so participants, whether online or in person, could feel Taitung's sunlight, air, and warmth, and to use the exhibition to raise the tribe's visibility and product value as a model for local revitalization.

Approach

  1. Used "OMO (Online-Merge-Offline) integrated communication" as the core strategy, connecting the online and offline experience design.
  2. Built an immersive physical exhibition space through scent (shell ginger fragrance), touch (craft texture), and sight (imagery of Taitung's mountains and sea).
  3. Extended the brand spirit online through LINE stickers and Instagram filters, breaking geographic limits and letting the content spread through social media.

Outcome

The Kakawasan exhibition delivered its integrated online-offline communication on schedule. The physical exhibition space and social media content both carried through the "Sang Ji Le" theme, translating shell-ginger weaving and shimenawa rope craft from mere product display into a lifestyle experience people could actually feel.

  • Year2025
  • Client有限責任台東縣東海岸原住民社區合作社 (Taitung East Coast Indigenous Community Cooperative)
Key visual for the Kakawasan exhibition curated for the Taitung East Coast Indigenous Community Cooperative | Howdy Creative
Full view of the Kakawasan exhibition booth with woven craft products on display
A Taste of Taitung Life exhibition booth, full view
Kakawasan booth signage with key visual and shimenawa rope decoration
Taitung East Coast Indigenous Community Cooperative booth signage
Visitors browsing and purchasing shell-ginger woven products with staff at the exhibition
Visitor interaction at the exhibition
Close-up of a Shishan tribe shell-ginger woven veneer tray
Shell-ginger weaving craft detail
Styled fashion display of shell-ginger woven hats and bags
Shell-ginger woven hats and bags, lifestyle application
Outdoor display of a shimenawa amulet piece titled 'Love-Brewed Wine'
Shimenawa amulet craft piece

Related links

FAQ

How do you design a tribal craft exhibition so visitors feel the craft, not just look at it?
Howdy Creative designs for the senses, using scent to trigger memory, letting visitors physically touch the texture of the craft, and turning one-directional display into a lifestyle scene people can experience firsthand.
How does OMO integrated exhibition marketing actually work?
The physical space carries the immersive atmosphere, while online content, stickers and filters extend the reach with light, shareable interaction. Howdy Creative keeps the theme and visual language consistent across both so online and offline don't tell different stories.
Want something similar? See our services:Exhibition DesignTalk to us