Local Government Public Design Draws Attention with 'IF Design Award' Win

Main Prize in Product Concept for Yongin City's 'Inmyeonggujoguemhwan'
Features Intuitive Usability and Universal Design

Public design by frontline basic local governments has become a hot topic after winning the German 'IF Design Award,' one of the world's top three design awards.

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 13th that its self-developed 'Inmyeonggujoguemhwan (Turning Easy Cue)' design won the main prize in the product design concept category at the 'IF Design Award 2025.'

Design of Yongin City's 'Life-saving Ring' that won the main prize at Germany's 'IF Design Award'. Provided by Yongin City

This award is known as one of the world's top three design awards alongside Germany's 'Red Dot Award' and the United States' 'IDEA (International Design Excellence Award).' It evaluates the distinctiveness, excellence, and functionality of designs across nine categories including product, communication, user experience, service design, and architecture. This year, over 10,000 entries were submitted from more than 70 countries.

The 'Inmyeonggujoguemhwan' design submitted by the city this time received high praise for improving the complicated usage of existing lifebuoys and focusing on shortening rescue time. Its design is characterized by intuitive usability and the ability to save people with minimal effort. The usage is indicated with icons so that anyone can easily understand how to use it, and it applies a 'universal design' that allows rescue with only a quarter of the force required when using conventional lifebuoys.

This design was developed by the city last year through the 'Public Design Project Enhancing Daily Safety.' The project aimed to create and apply standard design guidelines for disaster safety facilities and emergency evacuation signs to ensure the safety of citizens visiting riverside trails and waterfront parks. Through this project, the city plans to develop 'cognitive health design' this year, considering the cognitive, sensory, and physical characteristics of the elderly.

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin City, said, "We are pleased that the public design developed by the city has been recognized for its excellence at a global design competition," adding, "We will continue to develop various designs to make urban spaces safe and attractive."

This year's IF Design Award ceremony is scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany, on the 28th of next month.