Photo courtesy: Hua Hsiang Between the seemingly unrelated fields of design and healthcare, a young designer is quietly building a bridge. Hua Hsiang, a rising star in the international design community, has recently come into the spotlight again as his projects iGO and VoyEase were both shortlisted for the A’ Design Award & Competition. However, what truly shocked the industry was his announcement to apply his design talents to the medical field. “Design should not be merely decorative,” Hua Hsiang stated in an exclusive interview with our newspaper. “It should be a tool for solving problems, and the medical field is precisely an area with numerous urgent issues to address.” The nomination for the A’ Design Award is just the first step in Hua Hsiang’s conquest of the design world. This innovative designer’s ambitions extend far beyond. It is reported that Hua Hsiang and his team have already begun actively preparing for more challenging goals: next year’s Red Dot Design Award and the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). These two awards carry significant weight in the global design circle and are important benchmarks for measuring a designer’s capability. The Red Dot Design Award is renowned for its strict judging criteria, while IDEA is highly respected for its emphasis on innovation and sustainability. Standing out in these competitions not only means gaining industry recognition but also represents securing a place on the global design stage. For Hua Hsiang, challenging these top-tier competitions is not just about honor but an opportunity to introduce his unique design concepts to the world. Looking back on Hua Hsiang’s award-winning journey, the excellence of his work has long been internationally recognized. In the 2023 French Design Awards, the iGO project won the design award, while VoyEase took home the gold prize. In the same year, at the MUSE Creative Award, iGO and VoyEase won gold and silver awards, respectively. Furthermore, the iGO project also claimed a gold award in the influential American IDA competition, further proving the foresight and innovation of his design concepts. Facing the upcoming challenges, Hua Hsiang has shown ample confidence. “Our design concepts have always been affirmed by the industry, which motivates us to keep moving forward,” Hua Hsiang said in an interview. “Every award is a recognition of our work and an incentive for us to keep breaking through.” However, for Hua Hsiang, design is not just about winning awards. As his projects gain more and more recognition, Hua Hsiang is turning his attention to a field with greater social significance—the healthcare industry. This shift originated from his participation in a large-scale volunteer activity in the United States. During the activity, Hua Hsiang conducted in-depth investigations of multiple medical institutions, personally experiencing various challenges faced by the medical system. “Through this volunteer experience, I saw the enormous needs that exist in the medical field,” Hua Hsiang recalled. “From complex medical equipment to cumbersome medical processes, there is great room for optimization. I realized that as designers, we have a responsibility to use our professional knowledge to improve this field that concerns everyone’s life and health.” Inspired by this, Hua Hsiang began to actively explore how to apply the concept of interactive design to the medical industry. His team is studying the overall design of medical systems, including the user interface of medical equipment, hospital spatial layout, and patient service processes. “Our goal is to improve the efficiency and humanization of the entire medical system through design innovation,” Hua Hsiang explained. “This will not only improve patients’ medical experience but also help medical staff better perform their work.” This cross-disciplinary attempt has attracted widespread attention from the medical community and public health sectors. Many medical experts and policymakers have stated that the introduction of design thinking may bring revolutionary changes to the medical industry. “The addition of designers provides us with a brand new perspective. Their in-depth understanding of user experience may help us build a more efficient and humane medical system, ultimately benefiting the entire society.” Hua Hsiang’s initiative has also sparked discussions about designers’ social responsibilities. More and more designers are beginning to think about how to apply their professional skills to broader social issues. “Design should not just be about creating aesthetically pleasing products,” an industry veteran stated. “Attempts like Hua Hsiang’s to apply design thinking to key social areas represent the future direction of the design industry.” His bold venture into the healthcare sector is just the beginning of what many industry experts believe could be a paradigm shift in how design interfaces with critical social issues. By bridging the gap between aesthetic appeal and functional necessity, Hua Hsiang is paving the way for a new generation of designers who see their role as not just creators of beauty but as problem-solvers for society’s most pressing challenges. As Hua Hsiang continues to rise on the international design stage, the industry is full of expectations for his future development. Whether in competition performances or in exploring new design fields, Hua Hsiang has demonstrated the innovative spirit and sense of social responsibility that an excellent designer should possess. Looking forward to the future, the design community eagerly anticipates Hua Hsiang’s next moves. Will he expand his healthcare initiatives globally? Will he turn his attention to other sectors in need of innovative design solutions? Whatever path he chooses, one thing is certain: Hua Hsiang’s work will continue to challenge our perceptions of what design can achieve and inspire a new wave of socially conscious innovation. The post Design Saves Lives: Hua Hsiang’s Work May Revolutionize Global Healthcare Systems   appeared first on LA Weekly.