On April 13, 2021, the winners of iF Design Award 2021 were announced. The interdisciplinary innovation design team guided by Associate Professor Xia Jinjun from the Department of Design, the School of Arts of CQU wins the iF Design Award 2021.

The iF Design Award was established in 1953 and is an independent design award that is recognized globally. The selection is held regularly by F Industrie Forum Design, the industrial design institution with the longest history in Germany. The iF Industrie Forum Design selects the winners of iF Design Award every year, and is widely known for its “independence, preciseness and reliability”. The iF Design Award has been established to improve people’s understanding of design.

After appraisal by the independent iF review meeting composed of international experts, the works “PPE removal assistance system” of the interdisciplinary innovation design team of industrial design from the Department of Design was appreciated by 98 international judges and won the iF Design Award.

PPE removal assistance system is an auxiliary service system for unloading of personal protective equipment. The interdisciplinary innovation design team of industrial design has carried out design research on epidemic protection, and worked with the medical team of Infection Department of the First Affiliated Hospital (Southwest Hospital) of Army Medical University, the team has carried out joint design research on the challenges in work of nurses and doctors and PPE protection in the war on COVID-19. Through product design, interactive design, user-friendly design, service design and other forms of design, a sound system of service and use has been established, to provide protection for medical workers. Team members studied the challenges faced by medical workers during the outbreak of the pandemic, and tried to solve these challenges through design based on “medical care & care for medical workers” design concept and make the angels in white warm when they are fighting in the front line.

The interdisciplinary innovation design team of industrial design was substantially supported by the School of Arts, the Teaching Affairs Office and the Innovation Practice Center of College Students. The design research lasted for one and a half year. During this period, the design team carried out various design experiments at the Infirmary of Huxi Campus of Chongqing University and the Southwest Hospital to iterate the design results. At present, the design results have been delivered and brought into operation.

The iF Design Award 2021 is the recognition of achievements of the joint interdisciplinary design research that combines arts, science and technology of the School of Arts as part of the “Double-first-rate” Construction of Chongqing University, and is of great significance to the development of the first-rate disciplines in product design of the provincial level and ministerial level and construction of new arts disciplines of Chongqing University.