By: MAX BLUE
Shuyi Liu, a name widely recognized in the professional design community, is celebrated for her innovative approach to service experience design and its societal impact. Her career is emblematically marked by a commitment to creating designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also serve a greater social purpose. This dedication has not only positioned her as a pioneer in the integration of artistic vision and practical functionality but has also established her esteemed status in viewing design as a medium for social dialogue and influence.
Liu’s design philosophy revolves around the intersection of design and well-being, emphasizing that each creation is not merely a product but a tool for fostering social dialogue and impact. This philosophy is vividly reflected in her work, with each design serving as a testament to her commitment to using design as a tool for social improvement and emotional resonance. Her creations demonstrate the power of design to connect human experiences, evoke emotional resonance, and continually bring about positive changes in society.
Photo Courtesy: Shuyi Liu
Recently, her innovative projects, the AirSphere board game and the Stardust Weaver app, received recognition from the International Design Awards (IDA), signifying high regard for her work’s innovation, creativity, and societal impact. This recognition not only enhances Liu’s professional image but also confirms her status as a transformative figure in the design world.
Shuyi Liu’s original design, the AirSphere board game, one of her IDA award-winning projects, ingeniously combines emotional health, service design, and environmental awareness. It aims to address contemporary societal challenges, such as rising stress levels and increasing detachment from nature. Through thematic exploration on a hexagonal board and an accompanying interactive digital guide, players embark on a unique mental health journey, closely linking personal growth with broader societal and environmental goals. “AirSphere,” with its combination of tactile and digital elements, offers an unprecedented method to promote mental health, deepen environmental awareness, and encourage players to find peace and harmony in a stressful world. In developing AirSphere, Shuyi faced the challenge of balancing educational content with engaging gameplay. Her solution was a meticulous design process that harmonized complex environmental data with intuitive game mechanics, resulting in a game that is both entertaining and enlightening, appealing to diverse audiences and showcasing the potential of design for societal impact.
The Stardust Weaver app, another IDA honorable mention, innovatively uses artificial intelligence to guide emotional expression, encouraging emotional journaling through the unique method of sending postcards back from pet identities. This approach, novel in the market, inspires users to express their emotions and share personal feelings in a supportive and empathetic environment through its unique and heartwarming metaphorical story. “Stardust Weaver” combines scientific research with personal user experiences to create a comprehensive and effective emotional support system, significantly increasing engagement and therapeutic effects. The project strengthens user connections and a sense of belonging by offering science-based content and encouraging community sharing, helping them find solace and coping strategies through shared stories and strategies. In developing “Stardust Weaver,” Shuyi overcame many challenges, especially in creating a user experience that is both soothing and engaging. By deeply understanding user needs and closely integrating aesthetics with functionality, Shuyi successfully addressed these challenges, making the app not only highly supported by users but also positively impacting them, thereby highlighting design’s crucial role in meeting modern mental health needs.
Photo Courtesy: Shuyi Liu
Due to the achievements of her projects, Shuyi Liu successfully passed the rigorous review of the association and was invited by President Dianqing Yang to join the Sino-Korean Creative Design Association, taking her design career to new heights. The association aims to promote ideological, technical, and cultural exchanges within the Sino-Korean and global design communities, bridging cultural differences through design, encouraging innovation, and advancing the development of the design field. For Liu, this honor not only affirms her status as a leading figure in the design world but also recognizes her efforts and achievements in promoting cross-cultural dialogue.
Shortly after joining the association, Shuyi Liu was invited to participate in competitions and exhibitions organized by the association, with the 2024 INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL INHERITANCE EXCHANGE ART COMPETITION winner exhibition being prepared intensively. Her work, AirSphere, will be displayed at the Keizai Museum in Daegu, South Korea, in March, presenting her innovative designs to an international audience. This not only provides her a platform to showcase her work but also perfectly aligns her design philosophy with the association’s mission—to promote cultural exchange and social value. These international collaborations greatly enrich her career, offering unique opportunities to explore new ideas, face challenges, and interact with like-minded design professionals, deepening her concept of using design as a medium for cultural expression and innovation. This experience not only elevates her professional status but also reinforces her commitment to using design to connect different cultures and communities, further enhancing her ability to create designs with global resonance.
Photo Courtesy: Shuyi Liu
As an honorary member of the association, Liu’s role as a judge in the association’s International Cultural Heritage Exchange Art Competition not only recognizes her achievements and status in the design field but also acknowledges her deep understanding of artistic and cultural nuances and innovation. In her upcoming role as a jury member, she will bring valuable insights from her rich international experience and unique perspective on integrating design with social and cultural factors to the judging process. Her design philosophy—viewing design as a medium for telling cultural stories and building emotional connections—will surely be fully reflected in the judging process. Through this philosophy, she can accurately identify works that are technically excellent and convey deep cultural narratives and social relevance.
Becoming a member of the jury not only solidifies Liu’s professional reputation in the design world but also aligns with her ongoing goal of using design as a tool for promoting cultural dialogue and social impact. This role provides her with a unique opportunity to shape global art trends and guide the next generation of designers and artists, allowing her to exert greater influence within the global design and art community, fostering cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.
Regarding future plans and goals, Liu’s deep insights into the design field and her commitment to societal impact are evident. Her efforts in protecting intellectual property, especially in patenting unique elements of the AirSphere board game and the Stardust Weaver app, not only secure the originality of her work but also reflect her professional attitude towards innovation and work integrity. These actions highlight the originality and technical innovation of her design work, showcasing her keen insight as a designer.
Upcoming, Liu has been invited and confirmed to display her AirSphere board game at three globally renowned venues—LE CARROUSEL in the Louvre, Paris, the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest/Olympic Stadium) in Beijing, and Art Space in Florence. These exhibitions not only mark significant milestones in her career but also provide platforms to present her work to an international audience. Through meticulous negotiations and collaborations with gallery curators and cultural institutions, she looks forward to these exhibitions enhancing her professional image and conveying the messages of environmental consciousness and cultural exchange to a diverse global audience.
In the long term, Liu’s vision transcends personal achievements; she aims to use design as a channel for social impact, promoting social well-being locally and globally. She is committed to creating works that resonate with diverse audiences, raising public awareness of design’s role in addressing social issues and improving quality of life. Future projects will explore new areas such as sustainability, cultural heritage, and technological innovation, integrating these themes into her design work to inspire social change, encourage public understanding and appreciation of design’s potential,and thereby make a lasting positive impact on society.
Reviewing Liu Shuyi’s career journey and achievements to date, we see a continuously evolving design pioneer, from the international success of AirSphere and Stardust Weaver to joining the Sino-Korean Creative Design Association, serving as a judge in the International Cultural Heritage Exchange Art Competition, and her outstanding performances in intellectual property protection, participation in international exhibitions, and expansion of social influence. These achievements not only demonstrate Liu’s exceptional talent and professional status as a designer but also reflect her deep understanding and practice of design values and potential.
In summary, Shuyi Liu’s career journey and achievements have not only written a brilliant chapter in her own professional development but also made an indelible contribution to the advancement of the design community and society as a whole. Her experience inspires all designers to drive design development with innovative thinking and a strong sense of social responsibility, while also reminding us of design’s powerful role as a tool for communication and change, with its true value lying in promoting social welfare and cultural exchange, inspiring the pursuit and imagination of a better life.
Published by: Martin De Juan
