• Summary of Workshop Results
• A Hands-On Method of Design — Practice and Reflection in the Chinese Context
Summary of
Workshop Results
Workshop Result
After conducting initial research, we identified two major gaps in China’s design education—particularly in inclusive design.
1. Lack of Real-World Engagement
Many student design projects are developed without direct user investigation. Instead of engaging with real people and real problems, students often rely solely on online research or literature. This disconnect results in solutions that are out of touch with actual needs.
2. Design Confined Within the School System
Most inclusive design efforts happen within classroom assignments, isolated from real-world application. To challenge this, we partnered with teachers who had left academia to start their own design ventures and collaborated with organizations like the Shanghai Industrial Design Association and other schools to carry out a workshop outside of the traditional educational system.
The Workshop as a Practical Experiment
This workshop tested how inclusive design could move beyond theory into real-world practice. We focused on the kitchen—an essential part of daily life, especially for the elderly, disabled, or those with limited mobility—as a starting point for student designers to engage with real users and real challenges.
Most students were used to designing within the safety of academic assignments. Through guided fieldwork and user interviews, they began uncovering hidden, everyday problems and translating them into tangible, inclusive solutions.
The results weren’t just conceptual—they were functional prototypes that earned a spot at Dutch Design Week 2025 in Klokgebouw. More than a project, this workshop marked a shift in mindset: from designing for theory to designing for impact. It showed that with the right methods, students can create design that genuinely improves lives.