The Museum of Failure in the Swedish coastal city of Helsingborg was founded in 2017 and has toured Los Angeles, Shanghai and Paris. You can find a collection of failed products and services from around the world. These products were developed with the mission to “think outside the box” or “solve the problem.” Also, they were challenged in the process of being introduced and eventually failed because they couldn’t meet consumer preferences and needs.
The Museum of Failure aims not to undermine the people’s confidence or to judge and shame others for their failures simply. Instead, innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire people to take meaningful risks.
Samuel West, the museum’s curator said: “All you have to do is to read business literature to get sick of the success stories of entrepreneurs.” “It is the same narrative every time and I was fed up. Literature also tells us that about 80-90% of innovations fail, but we never hear about those. It is from failures that we learn.” The exhibition will showcase over 100 failed inventions covering 60 brands, divided into themes such as technology, food, transportation and medical.
New TRA head pledges to improve safety and management
Former Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA, 台鐵) deputy head, Tu Wei (杜微), officially became the director-general of the agency in an official ceremony on Tuesday. Tu Wei pledged to reform the TRA in three aspects — safety, stability, and reforms — while promising to conduct a thorough review in response to the deadly accident that unfolded earlier this month. To begin with, Tu Wei plans to improve equipment safety, construction safety, and traffic safety.After conducting a comprehensive evaluation of relevant safety issues, the TRA will propose immediate and feasible solutions to problems regarding the system, employment, and equipment, he said. Next, the new TRA head wants to improve safety mechanisms, including traffic safety and construction safety.
To prevent contractors to disregard safety regulations, TRA will also enhance the monitoring system and route conditions of all stations, so that any abnormalities found could be reported and taken care of immediately.Next, Tu said that the TRA should value both the sufficiency and efficiency of its manpower. Education and training programs should also be implemented to strengthen staff’s performance, he added.As for financial stability, Tu pointed out that aside from subsidies from the government, the agency should also promote dual-core development to increase revenue from both its own and subsidiary businesses. Last but not least, Tu ensured that the TRA will undergo its transformation on the premise that all of its workers’ rights are protected. He also said that the government shares his determination on the reform and promised to help complete the transition. During the ceremony, Tu Wei said that TRA’s recent accidents including the deadly Taroko Express train crash and the obstruction of railway tracks are unacceptable by the public who demand change.He ensured that the TRA will seek assistance from the government and relevant ministries, and communicate with the agency’s union to put forward a thorough reform plan in hopes of restoring the faith of passengers and the public.
「失敗博物館」來台展出！大品牌最慘烈NG產品曝光 Museum of Failure’ to showcase collection of failed products in.
The “Museum of Failure” from Sweden is scheduled to debut at Warehouse 5 of the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (松山文創園區) on June 26 this year. The Museum of Failure in the Swedish coastal city of Helsingborg was founded in 2017 and has toured Los Angeles, Shanghai and Paris. You can find a collection of failed products and services from around the world.
Did you know that Colgate once introduced frozen beef lasagna? (Although officially never admitted) Or maybe you’ve had colored ketchup? (Not really, because they don’t sell it anymore). You may not know that Apple sold a tablet computer in the 90s. (Yes, but they stopped selling them because of the unresponsive touch screen.) Wear an electric shock mask so that the electrical stimulation can help you lose cheek fat? (Maybe, but the effect is very little, and the shape is very much like Saw.)
These products were developed with the mission to “think outside the box” or “solve the problem.” Also, they were challenged in the process of being introduced and eventually failed because they couldn’t meet consumer preferences and needs. The Museum of Failure aims not to undermine the people’s confidence or to judge and shame others for their failures simply. Instead, innovation and progress require an acceptance of failure. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire people to take meaningful risks.
Samuel West, the museum’s curator said: “All you have to do is to read business literature to get sick of the success stories of entrepreneurs.” “It is the same narrative every time and I was fed up. Literature also tells us that about 80-90% of innovations fail, but we never hear about those. It is from failures that we learn.” The exhibition will showcase 展示 over 100 failed inventions covering 60 brands, divided into themes such as technology, food, transportation and medical.
One Forty co-founder highlights migrant workers’ multifaceted identities
In the latest episode of Podcast show "Taiwan Made Simple", Kevin, the co-founder of One Forty discussed various migrant issues.The 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan have become an indispensable part of the labor force, keeping local industries thriving amid the pandemic. Yet, most Taiwanese people don’t know about these foreigners apart from being cheap labor.
One Forty, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving migrant workers for the past six years, has worked to answer this interesting question. In the latest episode of 4-Way Voice’s Podcast “Taiwan Made Simple”, Kevin, the co-founder of One Forty, dug into this important issue as well as their series of initiatives “Your Shining Moment” planned to launch this year intending to flip the stereotypes on these Southeast-Asian friends. In the latest episode of Podcast show “Taiwan Made Simple”, Kevin, the co-founder of One Forty discussed various migrant issues.
In the episode, Kevin shared with the audience the founding of the organization, the process of educating tens of thousands of migrant workers and organizing large-scale migrant events, as well as his insights and feelings along the journey. In addition to helping migrant workers, Kevin said that One Forty strives to be “a bridge between the general public and migrant workers”, introducing more Taiwanese to the relating issues while facilitating cultural exchanges and understandings from both sides through cultural events. This includes “Your Shining Moment”, the biggest initiative the organization has held that has kickstarted earlier this month. Kevin shared on the show the content and vision behind them while introducing the upcoming activities.
Despite the fact that most migrant workers have very little free time to practice their hobbies, many of them still manage to develop interests in different realms, becoming musicians, novelists, dessert makers, fashion designers, or models. "Your Shining Moment” hopes to allow them a stage to “shine” and show their different identities to the public. Since its founding in 2015, One Forty has been dedicated to changing migrant workers’ fates through “education”. The physical and online Chinese courses they provided have helped tens of thousands integrate into Taiwan’s society, while their free entrepreneurial classes equipped them with professional skills and business knowledge that they need in order to avoid falling into an economic bottleneck after returning home.Taiwan’s online media 4-way Voice has recently launched a podcast named, “Taiwan Made Simple,” where immigrants, as well as NGO workers, share insights on relevant issues considering Taiwan’s migrants, highlighting the hardships faced by the community.