Top 10 Awards Among Over 10,000 Entries at One of the World's 3 Major Design Competitions
Excellence in Safety and Communication-Themed Designs Recognized ... Highest Number of Awards in a Year
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Students and faculty teams from the Department of Design at a domestic university swept awards at a world-renowned design competition.
The Department of Design at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, President Lee Yong-hoon) won 10 main awards at the German ‘iF Design Award 2021,’ one of the world’s top three design awards.
This is the first time the university’s Department of Design has achieved double-digit awards in a single year at the iF Design Award.
The competition is an internationally prestigious design contest held annually in Germany since 1953. Winning works are exhibited in Hanover, Germany, and every year thousands of entries from around the world compete for the top honors.
The award-winning teams include Professors Kim Gwan-myeong, Kim Cha-jung, Kim Hwang, Park Young-woo, Lee Kyung-ho, and Lee Hee-seung.
Professor Kim Hwang’s team produced a total of seven winning works: four independently, two jointly with Professor Kim Gwan-myeong’s team, and one with Professor Lee Hee-seung’s team.
The joint research team of Professors Kim Cha-jung and Park Young-woo, Professor Kim Gwan-myeong’s team, and Professor Lee Kyung-ho’s team each received one main award for their projects.
This year, the Department of Design led multiple awards focusing on safety and communication themes.
It is evaluated that their challenge to solve problems in the difficult medical field due to COVID-19 and the construction sites where safety is emphasized led to these good results.
They also showed strengths in smartphone application design. Seven out of the ten winning works were app designs. Introducing platforms that promote communication and connection across various fields was key.
Professors Kim Cha-jung and Park Young-woo’s team, together with KAIST Professor Nam Taek-jin, focused on issues in COVID-19 medical sites.
They designed the Pass Box and ‘TOQUE,’ which connect patients and medical staff in isolation wards. These products feature two-way sterilization and communication functions, enabling delivery of items and communication without protective suits.
Professor Kim Hwang and Professor Kim Gwan-myeong’s research teams received two main awards for ‘Wave Hat’ and ‘Wave App.’
The smart safety helmet and its operating application design, which measure various biometric signals such as brainwaves of construction site workers to prevent accidents, were recognized. This product design was done in collaboration with Ulsan-based company HHS Co., Ltd., adding meaning as an ‘industry-academia collaboration.’
Professor Kim Hwang’s team introduced designs enriching users’ daily lives, such as the platform ‘Legato’ for classical musicians and ‘HITPAN,’ which connects cosmetic information with beauty creators.
The ‘Booklet,’ a project by Professors Kim Hwang and Lee Hee-seung, also received positive reviews for bringing the space and culture of neighborhood bookstores online.
Several app designs applicable in the healthcare field were also selected as award-winning works.
Professor Kim Hwang’s team developed the health management app ‘Echo’ for diabetes care and the comprehensive support app ‘beHAV’ for psychiatric patients and hospitals,
while Professor Lee Kyung-ho’s team proposed ‘Skina,’ a social media platform using artificial intelligence for those concerned about skin problems, earning them awards.
Professor Kim Gwan-myeong’s team won a main award with ‘GOOPI,’ an elbow rehabilitation device based on medical data. This product allows easy patient-customized rehabilitation therapy at home or small clinics.
President Lee Yong-hoon said, “This achievement recognizes the Department of Design’s meticulous consideration of various problems encountered in our daily lives, including medical and construction sites,” and added, “I applaud the research teams who boldly challenged field issues and achieved excellent results.”
This year’s iF Design Award was organized by Germany’s ‘International Forum Design,’ receiving over 10,000 entries from 52 countries worldwide across nine categories.
Professor Kim Hwang, Lee Heeseung, and Kim Gwanmyeong's team from the Department of Design at UNIST.
Professor Lee Kyungho's team who designed Skina. From the left, Togzhan Kusainova, Azhar Smakulova, Professor Lee Kyungho.
Professor Kim Hwang's team, who collaborated on the application design of Echo, HITPAN, Legato, and beHAV. From the left: Researchers Gwak Byung-guk, Oh Hye-jin, Professor Kim Hwang, Kim Jung-min, Kim Hyo-bin, and Lee Ji-young.
The team of Professors Kim Gwanmyeong and Kim Hwang, who designed the Wave Hat and Wave App. From the left: Professor Kim Gwanmyeong, researcher Choi Hyemin, researcher Lee Jiyoung, and Professor Kim Hwang.
TOQUE design team. From the left, Professor Kim Cha-jung, Lee Min-hyuk, Kim Na-ri, Researcher Park Young-joon, Professor Park Young-woo.
Booklet design team. From the left, Professor Heeseung Lee, Byeongheon Kim, Researcher Seongwon Jang, Professor Hwang Kim.
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