Umeå Institute of Design secures top spot on Red Dot Ranking eighth years running

Umeå Institute of Design (UID) has once again clinched top position on the prestigious Red Dot Ranking. With an impressive streak of eight consecutive years at the helm, UID's design education continues to make its mark on the international stage.

The Red Dot Design Ranking assesses the performance of universities based on the merit of the design projects executed by their students over the past five years. This year, UID's winning student projects showcase a diverse range of designs, from an AI-powered streaming kit to a menstrual well-being assistant.

"Securing the top position is more than anything a real testament to the remarkable achievements of our students and the quality of their education," says Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design. "We are truly privileged to get to nurture such a rich pool of talent. Our ambition continues to be to develop designers who are responsible, eager and well prepared to confront the challenges of the future. Their creative voices and powerful ideas seem to suggest that”.

Innovative student project tackles menstrual health

One of the winning projects this year is Yuchen Lan’s Orbi, a personalized concept allowing women to better manage menstrual cycles, leading to better health while also reducing the overuse of menstrual supplies. On average, a woman will experience approximately 450 menstrual cycles in her lifetime, amounting to a substantial ten-year duration dedicated to this natural biological process. Consequently, there is a growing consensus that menstrual wellness warrants greater recognition and emphasis.

“Menstruation is a very personal issue. Each woman's cycle, use, and needs are different. Therefore, 'Orbi' is designed to be completely personal. By allowing the user to record usage rates for the first three cycles, 'Orbi' obtains individual data and establishes a schedule tailor-made for the user”, says Yuchen Lan.

Orbi introduces a holistic system that integrates a user-friendly mobile application with innovative hygiene containers. Its primary objective is to carefully assess the user's menstrual status, leveraging scientific principles to calculate a personalized menstrual schedule, and deliver timely reminders. Furthermore, Orbi notifies the user when abnormalities or unusual blood levels are detected, making it easier to communicate issues with one’s gynaecologist.

Portable streaming kit connects creators and viewers

With the surging popularity of live streaming, Red Dot winning students Adrian Heymann and Tian Yuan saw an opportunity to explore concepts that could help bridge the gap between streamers and viewers. Their final design, Airo, is as a portable, wirelessly connected streaming system, empowering creators to share their narratives from virtually any location.

“We always wanted to create an easy-to-use product that can suit novice streamers as well as professionals. The end goal has been to foster deeper connections between content creators and their audiences”, says Adrian Heymann.

Through digital motion tracking, Airo enables streamers to maintain their focus on the action, while the connected stream app empowers viewers to select and control their preferred perspectives. Multiple audio and camera modules are seamlessly integrated into the setup, allowing Airo to effortlessly transition between different views, generating camera movements that would traditionally necessitate a manual operator. Utilizing smart technologies, for example machine learning eye tracking, constant eye contact during streaming could be achieved between streamers and guests.

“Winning a Red Dot is not only a powerful recognition towards the design concept itself, but also meaning the created design idea could be seen and shared globally among all the talented designers to spark more creative ideas, and in the end make our life better”, says Adrian Heymann.

ABOUT Red Dot Ranking

The Red Dot Design Ranking for Design Concept is a reflection of sustainable design and innovation capability of an organisation. It recognises six honorary lists for Companies, Design Studios and Universities, in the Americas & Europe and Asia Pacific regions. The ranking is based on the results of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept. It takes into account all levels of awards at the Red Dot Award for Design Concept over the past five years.

National Taiwan University of Science and Technology maintained its #1 position at the list for Universities in Asia Pacific, with Massey University moving up the rank at the second position. Hongik University is now ranked #3 in the list. In the list for Universities in Americas & Europe, Umeå Institute of Design and Savannah College of Art and Design maintained their first and second position for the eighth consecutive year while University of Montreal, School of Design maintained its #3 position in rankings.

For more information, please contact:

Jens Persson, communications officer, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University
Phone: 46 90 786 50 63, +46 73 626 35 51
Email: jens.persson@umu.se