Pushing Boundaries in Design: Recent Student Achievements and Awards

We are proud to share a series of exciting accomplishments from our students and recent graduates. Their work is being recognized globally through design awards, conference acceptances, and international showcases. This is a testament to the creativity, rigor, and vision of the Berkeley MDes community.

iF Design Award – TactileLink

Congratulations to Nuoran Chen, Yilin Niu, Siming (Susie) Jin, and Zhequn Wu for winning an iF Design Award for their thesis project TactileLink. This graphic education platform for the blind enhances interaction with raised-line graphics through auditory cues and scales beyond one-to-one support to group learning contexts. Learn more here.

CHI Conference Acceptance – EKPHRASIS

Kudos to Shayne Shen and Bob Tianqi Wei, whose thesis project EKPHRASIS was accepted at CHI, one of the world’s leading conferences in human-computer interaction. Their work demonstrates how design and research can come together in powerful new ways! Check out the conference proceedings and Shayne’s reflection on the work in her LinkedIn post. 

Expo Osaka 2025 – Netherlands Pavilion 

Benal Johnson is leading the design for several installations at the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025 with Tellart, helping shape an experience that millions of visitors will encounter. The pavilion invites the public to imagine a future of collaboration with nature, water, and one another. Explore more about this experience here.

SF Design Week Honorable Mention – Embodied Museum

Congratulations to Jiawen Chen, Abdi Ambari, Omar Mohammed, and Nile Tan, whose project Embodied Museum received an Honorable Mention in the SF Design Week Awards (Student Work category). Created in dialogue with the Asian Art Museum, the project reimagines cultural diversity and visitor experience in today’s museums. Check out their work!

Core77 Design Awards Honorable Mention – Memoria Net Zero

Kudos to Jiawen Chen, who received a Student Honorable Mention in the Core77 Design Awards for her speculative project Memoria Net Zero. This project envisions a sustainable digital afterlife through biodegradable materials and body-heat-powered technology. Read more about it!

Humane Tech Hackathon – Winning Project by Belinda Liu

“Building a Design Rubric for Next-Gen EdTech changed how I see design…” Congrats to Belinda Liu and her team for winning 1st Place at the Humane Tech Hackathon in San Francisco! Their project proposed a framework for designing technology that supports human well-being, earning top recognition from judges representing OpenAI, PicnicHealth, and METR. Learn more about the win here!

These achievements highlight the breadth of innovation and impact being pursued by the Berkeley MDes community… from inclusive design to speculative futures, sustainability, and beyond. We congratulate our students and alumni for pushing boundaries and shaping what design can do in the world.