【Corporate Interview】Masterwork Automodules-Domestic and International Marketing Driving Global Brand Expansion

Amid the ongoing wave of automation and smart business transformation, Masterwork Automodules continues to make its mark with strong R&D capabilities and a global outlook. Specializing in the integrated application of cash handling solutions—from self-ordering kiosks and bill payment machines to banknote validators—the company remains committed to a fully in-house model, independently designing, developing, and manufacturing its products. Driven by this philosophy, Masterwork Automodules strives to deliver efficient, stable, and market-oriented solutions.

In this exclusive interview, King One Design sat down with Kenji Huang, Marketing Director of Masterwork Automodules, who shared insights into how the company has maintained steady growth in an increasingly competitive automation market, the innovative mindset fueling its global connections, and his experience collaborating with King One Design on exhibition booth planning.

【Company Profile】

Company: Masterwork Automodules

Interviewee: Kenji Huang, Marketing Director

About:

Masterwork Automodules focuses on the research, development, and manufacturing of financial equipment and self-service devices, with a global presence spanning over 100 countries. Thanks to its vertically integrated capabilities—covering components, hardware, and software—the company provides comprehensive smart solutions for industries such as restaurants and banking, advancing the shift toward unmanned operations and cashless business models.

This year marks Kenji's ninth year at Masterwork Automodules, where he currently focuses on marketing. Throughout his career, he has accumulated extensive product knowledge and market experience, along with a deep understanding and hands-on practice in design expression and brand visual consistency.

Q: Could you introduce the main services offered by Masterwork Automodules?

A: Since its establishment, Masterwork Automodules has focused on the development of automated cash handling equipment. Our products range from self-ordering kiosks and bill payment machines to banknote validators, covering virtually every aspect of cash circulation applications.

"We adopt a fully integrated business model, handling everything from design and R&D to manufacturing in-house. This approach gives Masterwork Automodules a high degree of control over product quality and the flexibility to quickly adapt to market demands, allowing us to maintain exceptional agility in both quality control and market responsiveness."

In terms of clientele, Masterwork Automodules initially worked primarily with banks and security companies. As our technology matured and our product lines expanded, we have, in recent years, actively ventured into the retail sector. We now offer comprehensive self-service solutions tailored for applications such as unmanned stores, self-checkout systems, and smart bill payment services.

As our technology has matured, our focus in recent years has shifted toward the retail market, particularly self-checkout and payment solutions. This shift has allowed us to get closer to consumers and enhance the user experience.

Q: The company’s current development is focused on the overseas market. Why did you choose to establish a factory in Europe?

A: Masterwork Automodules' ultimate goal is: "A global company doing global business." As our technology continues to advance, Masterwork Automodules has been actively expanding into international markets, with our performance in Europe showing increasingly promising results, strengthening our global competitive edge. To better serve local markets and effectively respond to customer demands, we chose to establish a production base in Europe. This decision has significantly improved delivery efficiency, helping customers seize valuable market opportunities, while also reducing transportation and operational costs, embodying our customer-centric business philosophy.

Many people are curious why we didn’t first expand in Taiwan before going overseas. However, from the very beginning, the company chose to directly face the high standards of international markets, which has been a great training ground for our product capabilities.

The decision to establish a factory in Europe not only allows us to have a more immediate and responsive supply chain locally, but also demonstrates our flexibility and cooperation to our customers. With stable and growing demand, Masterwork Automodules has already established a solid market foundation in Europe, becoming an important hub for future development.

Q: How can improvements in product design lead to enhanced market feedback?

A: In the early stages of Masterwork Automodules, the product design style was not yet unified, and there was less continuity in the design styles across different product lines. The early Masterwork products were mostly in black, which gave them a more solid and stable appearance, but lacked brand recognition and approachability. As the company began to expand its product lines and enter the retail market, I had the privilege of being involved in this process. Besides sticking to black, we also started experimenting with other color schemes.

Starting with the self-ordering kiosk, although the first design was outsourced, in subsequent product developments, we gradually introduced consistent color schemes, material choices, and UI styles. The goal was to establish a sense of "product family," so that Masterwork's machines would not only be functional but also visually appealing and recognizable as part of the brand. I’ve tried to ensure that, within my scope of influence, each machine looks like it comes from the same family.

The design transformation of our products has received a positive response in the market. When the new design was first launched, many customers’ initial reaction was, "Is this a Masterwork product?" The design innovation disrupted customers’ preconceived impressions of the brand and laid a solid foundation for the company’s expansion into the retail market. Many customers provided feedback, saying that this new look and design were exactly what they had been hoping for. Design is no longer just about the exterior packaging; it is the key first impression users have of the product and a valuable asset in market competition.

Q: From localization to globalization, how does Masterwork Automodules use exhibition booths to create a space for dialogue with the market?

A: I believe that an exhibition is not simply about showcasing products; it's more like a formal event. We treat participation as an opportunity to engage in dialogue with the local market. Through design and space, we let the brand speak for itself. Given that our clientele primarily consists of banks and security companies, details are particularly important in the exhibition. Our customers have high expectations for professionalism, so the booth presentation cannot be just aesthetically pleasing; it must also tell a story through the details, allowing them to immediately feel the professionalism and uniqueness of Masterwork Automodules.

I hope that our exhibition design can have a consistent visual language, to the point where international clients can immediately recognize, "This is Masterwork." This is a crucial step for the brand.

In both marketing and exhibition practice, strategy and execution are equally important. From initial planning to on-site execution and even post-exhibition follow-up, I am deeply involved. An exhibition is a highly integrated task; it’s not just about showcasing products, but also about extending the brand’s values.

Q: Do you have any expectations or feedback for King One Design in the future?

A: I was truly impressed with King One Design’s work. While I did suggest maintaining the original design direction, King One not only successfully preserved the existing design language but also cleverly incorporated their own elements, giving the overall design more depth and innovation. From an outsider’s perspective, it might seem like the typical Masterwork style, but as someone involved in the process, I can clearly feel the attention to detail that King One put into it, and I greatly appreciate that.

I have given very high recognition to our collaboration at EuroCIS and the Dental Exhibition. For me, exploring better design with King One Design has been a very valuable journey. I don’t want it to be a one-way process of giving instructions and execution; instead, I hope we can spark inspiration together and find a design language that is unique to both Masterwork and our collaboration.