We were lucky to catch up with Munus Shih recently and have shared our conversation below.
Munus, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I recently showcased a collaborative project, Duty Free, with Nikki Makagiansar at WSA. The piece is a speculative e-commerce platform that challenges how our labor as designers is valued under capitalism. Inspired by time-banking and the solidarity economy, it reimagines time as currency, offering a transparent way to outline the labor that goes into our design services.
We see e-commerce as a prime example of how design often becomes an accessory to capitalism. In contrast, solidarity economies embrace friction. Conversations are to be had, needs are prioritized over products, and the idea of an “equal trade” is subjective. To strike a balance between friction and convenience, we appropriated, hacked and reframed typical e-commerce functionalities to align with this ethos.
On our site, users can customize services to fit their needs, with each service broken down into attributes that influence how much time the design process will take. We chose to represent each service abstractly using a parametric Toblerone—an iconic symbol of duty-free stores—to visually communicate how different attributes affect the “cost” of the service. During the checkout process, users are asked to match the value of our offerings by suggesting what they can offer in return. These suggestions aren’t tied to capital but focus on but rather, needs we’ve identified and ways we could feel cared for, like cooking us a meal, giving a ride, or facilitating a difficult conversation for us.
The project was originally conceived for NEW INC’s 2024 DEMO Day as part of the Cooperative Studies track. For the physical installation, we built an uncanny, liminal office space where participants could “shop” the website on an iPad and receive a printed receipt as part of their experience.
This project is especially meaningful to me for two reasons. First, it demonstrates how design and code can be used to develop alternative modes of exchange, free from the constraints of the traditional economic system. The site is meticulously hand-coded by us, highlighting that design and code can be tools for more than aesthetics—they can also serve critical, purposeful, and innovative work.
Second, Duty Free is a true collaboration. Its development wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Tee Topor and Hong Hua, alongside the invaluable guidance of Willa Köerner. This project embodies the spirit of cooperative studies, where collaboration is key and no one person can achieve everything on their own.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am Munus Shih (he/they), a Taiwanese Hakka designer, creative coder, teacher and organizer currently based in Brooklyn, NY. I use data and generative design to tell compelling stories, with a focus on bringing critical and diverse perspectives to the world of code.
Currently, as a Creative Technologist at Athletics, I develop interactive prototypes, draw code sketches, and build professional enterprise websites. Prior to this, I worked as a Design Engineer Intern at Design Systems International and contributed to open source projects and helped develop decolonial teaching resources as a fellow at Processing Foundation. Outside of work, I’ve taught classes at Parsons and Cooper Union. I also co-organize SPONACT!, a Taiwanese queer art & code collective, and co-hosted the 2023 Processing Community Day Taiwan.
A lot of my practice centers around the idea of bringing more critical and diverse perspectives to code. I recently started a practice with Nikki called “Munus&Niktari”, which we describe ourselves as an R&D&D practice — research, design and development. We’re deeply interested in how code can be used to augment research, artistic expression, and design in new, meaningful ways. Equally important, we view code as a framework for collaboration and a method of working. Our practice is currently incubated by NEW INC’s Year 11 Art and Code track.
At Munus & Niktari, we take on commissioned work, but we also initiate our own projects. Our multidisciplinary expertise allows us to work across various fields, from visual identity systems, generative and computational art to web design. What sets us apart is that our collaboration stems from a shared political ideology. Nikki and I are both designers, developers, and teachers, with a deep commitment to open, equitable, and intentional design processes.
Nikki and I are both designers, developers and teachers. As practitioners, we design and make art through code, and as teachers, we teach people how to do that themselves. Here you can see some of our slides for our interaction design class at The Cooper Union, where students explored HTML, CSS and Javascript as a medium for expanding on traditional communication design principles. We also give talks and workshops in various spaces, and participate in open-source contributions and community events. Bottom right is a picture of us reading excerpts of the Processing Community Catalog at Hex House. We are really inspired by FLOSS (free, libre and open-source software), and we are working on adopting a lot of the open-source values into our process in pursuit of fostering transparent, equitable, and intentional collaboration.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
One thing people often find challenging to understand about my journey is how fluid and interconnected the different roles I play are. I wear multiple hats—designer, creative coder, teacher, and organizer—but these roles don’t exist in isolated compartments for me. Instead, they blend seamlessly and naturally inspire one another.
As a designer, I’m always thinking about how to communicate ideas visually and conceptually, and I bring those ideas to life through interactive, dynamic systems in code. Much like how design systems function, coding allows me to work with variables and structures that push design beyond static visuals. It transforms design into something that can evolve, respond, and engage. Teaching strengthens this process, as breaking down complex concepts for others helps me reflect on and refine my own approach. As an organizer, I bring creatives together through events that connect design and code, fostering collaboration and community.
The lines between these roles blur even more during collaboration. Sometimes, I’m developing a website from start to finish, handling both design and development simultaneously. Other times, I’m focusing solely on one aspect—whether it’s design or coding. I may also handle a specific element of creative coding to empower designers or, in other cases, operate as a bridge for communication between the two disciplines, like a design engineer or organizer. Whether I’m working on commissions, teaching students, or collaborating with others, I shift effortlessly between these roles. While coding algorithms, I’m always thinking like a designer, ensuring the work is both systematically intuitive and visually impactful.
What might be difficult to grasp is that these roles aren’t just a checklist of skills—they’re all part of a single, unified practice. This multifaceted approach allows me to view problems from multiple angles, experiment with new methods, and find solutions that may not be immediately obvious. It’s something Nikki and I are actively cultivating at Munus & Niktari, where we both navigate the excitement and challenge of wearing many hats. The journey is rarely linear or predictable, but that unpredictability is what makes it both exciting and rewarding.
The key insight here is that creativity often thrives at the intersections of different disciplines. It’s not about choosing between being a designer, coder, or teacher; it’s about embracing how these identities complement and elevate each other. This blending of roles makes my work distinctive and allows me to continuously evolve.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I’ve truly enjoyed my time at NEW INC, and I highly recommend it to others. NEW INC is an exclusive incubator program for creative entrepreneurs and cultural innovators, founded by the New Museum in New York City. It’s a unique space that bridges art, technology, and business, fostering a community for individuals working at these intersections. What sets NEW INC apart from other incubators is its emphasis on creative practices and how they can be developed into sustainable ventures. It’s not just about growing a business in the traditional sense; it’s about exploring new models for how creative work can thrive within broader systems while remaining true to the values that inspire it.
What’s exciting about NEW INC is the structured environment it provides, where creatives can access mentorship, workshops, and resources that are specifically tailored to creative fields—something that’s often lacking in conventional business spaces. It encourages members to think critically about their business models, the value of their labor, and how to build socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable practices. Especially in the creative economy, where companies can often undervalue your work or cut ties unexpectedly, understanding how to grow and sustain your own practice is key to building long-term stability as a creative.
For me and Nikki, NEW INC has been instrumental in shaping our practice, Munus & Niktari. It’s allowed us to take a step back and assess how we value our work, and how we can create systems of exchange and collaboration that break away from dominant capitalist models. It’s given us the opportunity to connect with like-minded creatives, collaborate across disciplines, and rethink the potential of our labor in ways that ensure sustainability for the long term.
Last year, we were part of the Cooperative Studies track, and this year we’ve rejoined under the Art and Code track. Our goal is to continue experimenting with new artistic expressions through technology while also considering how to translate that into impactful work that exists outside traditional economic structures. NEW INC empowers creatives to think holistically about their practice—artistically, socially, and financially—and that’s what makes it such a valuable resource.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://munusshih.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/munusshih
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/munusshih/
Image Credits
616.png – Photos by Maximo Xtravaganza