From Theory to Practice:
How Chinese Universities Are Advancing Inclusive Design In Practice

In China, inclusive design often doesn’t start in the market—it begins in classrooms, from small-scale research projects or the personal commitment of educators. From what I’ve observed, many of today’s social innovation initiatives originate in academia. They grow through the hands-on efforts of students and faculty, and eventually extend into society through collaborations with companies and NGOs. These partnerships are rarely perfect, but they reflect a sincere attempt to connect design education with real social needs.

Tongji University: From Theory to Product through Collaborative Networks

At Tongji University’s College of Design and Innovation, inclusive design has evolved far beyond a classroom topic. Through partnerships with companies like Microsoft China and Xiaomi, the university has co-developed the Chinese version of the Inclusive Design Handbook—not just as a teaching tool, but as a real-world framework for building accessible, human-centered products.

What stands out in these collaborations is the triangle model they’ve built: universities provide theoretical structure and design methods, companies offer technological development and testing contexts, and foundations like YouRen (友人基金会) help connect with actual users for long-term social testing. One project, for instance, aimed to make smart speakers more usable for visually impaired people—not just by changing surface-level aesthetics, but by rethinking interaction logic from the user’s intent. The result wasn’t “design for the disabled,” but design that naturally worked for everyone, with accessibility as the core—not the add-on.

Brunel University: Cross-National Research with Local Roots

Professor Hua Dong from Brunel University is another key figure advancing inclusive design in China. She founded an Inclusive Design Research Centre in China and has led multiple collaborative projects between Chinese and British institutions. What’s powerful about her work is that it doesn’t just “bring knowledge in” from the UK—instead, it uses problems rooted in China’s urban and rural communities as the foundation. The inclusive design cases she presented at the Milan Triennale, for example, were deeply informed by field research in Chinese neighborhoods.

Her work builds on years of dedication: she’s published six books and nearly 200 papers in the field, and helped lead the Inclusive Design SIG under the Design Research Society. She’s helped turn international exchange into grounded, practical contribution.

The Diguá Community: Grassroots Design as a Model for Urban Revitalization

If the cases above reflect university-to-industry models, then the Diguá Community project, led by Professor Zhou Zishu from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, shows how design can engage directly with local neighborhoods. The team began by converting an unused underground space in an old Beijing community—but instead of imposing a ready-made plan, they started with fieldwork and soft interventions like art workshops to build trust. Over time, they set up democratic discussion processes to define the space’s functions, and eventually supported resident-led management to ensure sustainability.

What made this project special was its gradual pace and its respect for context. It didn’t try to make the space “look polished” quickly. Instead, the aim was to rebuild relationships among people, and let spatial transformation grow organically. The focus shifted from just designing “for” the community to designing “with” it—and eventually enabling design “by” the community.

The Diguá Community Project — A Grounded Approach to Social Design in China

As a designer and researcher deeply engaged in inclusive and social design, I had the chance to conduct a focused interview with Zhou Zishu, the founder of the Diguá Community project and author of the book *Diguá Community*. His work is one of the few long-term, deeply rooted practices in Chinese social design, making it both rare and worth learning from. Our conversation revealed not only the values that drive his work, but also the complexities of doing design in real grassroots settings.

Zhou Zishu

A Book for Practitioners, Not Academics

The book *Diguá Community* is intentionally written not for academics, but for community workers on the front lines. It’s practical, direct, and meant to be read in fragments—something someone could open between meetings, or during lunch. Zhou wanted the content to be usable, not symbolic. He told me that the best feedback didn’t come from scholars, but from grassroots officials and community staff in places like Xiong'an, Zhejiang, and Xinjiang. For him, real influence means being understood by people actually trying to change things.

From Graduation Project to Living Community Models

Zhou’s design journey started in 2013-2014 with a graduation project that focused on the "Beipiao" population—migrants living in underground basements in Beijing. What began as a design intervention quickly shifted. He realized that projects based on emotion or imagination were limited; real change required stepping into the everyday lives of others, understanding discomfort and conflict from within. That led to the first real prototype of the Diguá Community, built in Anyuan Beili, Beijing. It wasn’t just a physical renovation—it brought in local street officials, residents, and multiple stakeholders, forming a real model for how to reimagine shared space. The project then evolved into newer versions, with each iteration tested and adjusted based on local feedback.

Reframing Design in Post-COVID Chengdu

After Beijing’s underground spaces were shut down post-COVID, Zhou moved his work to Chengdu. That shift was more than geographic. In Chengdu, he began to question the entire idea of scalability. Every community, he found, had its own rhythm, its own rules, and its own limitations. Trying to copy-paste one model into another context rarely worked. Instead of presenting design as a solution, Zhou reframed it as a kind of conversation—a way to open topics, raise questions, and gently reshape local dynamics.

Design as Support, Not Authority

He believes Diguá is not a space-making agency, but a support system. It provides tools, research, technical input, but never imposes a "brand." He drew inspiration from the Chicago School of sociology and scene theory, adapting them to China’s urban reality. Diguá tries to find the right balance—supporting local governments without overpowering them, helping uncover local talents and creating employment opportunities through design.

Building Human-Centered Engagement

One of the strategies he found most impactful was holding events like "Family Letters," which helped reframe the relationship between designers and residents. Instead of seeing people as "users" or "data points," these activities reminded everyone that community members are the main audience, the ones whose lives are directly affected. Design must first be accountable to them.

The Landscape of Social Design in China

Zhou also spoke candidly about the current state of social design in China. He described a tough environment, shaped by both structural governance changes and uneven social development. He sees great potential in deeply rooted, long-term work, but also recognizes the pressure many young designers face: short project cycles, donor demands, and the ongoing challenge of making a living without commercial compromise. Many social design practitioners come from middle-class backgrounds, which gives them some flexibility, but also makes long-term dedication difficult.

New Collaboration Models and Economic Realities

That’s why he emphasizes building hybrid models—blending service work, light commercial consulting, and civic partnerships. Some of Diguá’s partners are government-contracted social organizations; others are independent groups with community ties. The goal is to create multiple entry points and modes of support.

Social Media as a Tool, Not a Goal

On social media, Zhou is pragmatic. He acknowledges its potential to build momentum, spread case studies, and trigger chain reactions of interest. But he also warns against performance-driven narratives. For him, visibility is useful, but not the endgame.

Local Context as Global Contribution

What struck me most was his quiet confidence that Chinese social design doesn’t need to imitate Western frameworks. There is value in staying local, staying close to reality, and allowing meaning to emerge through practice. The act of trying—especially in uneven or difficult environments—is already a kind of resistance.

Advice to the Next Generation of Designers

For younger designers, Zhou offers a few words of advice. First, forget about scalability in the traditional sense. The most rigid systems are often the least human. Each unique situation can be a design opportunity. Second, stay elastic. Design needs to respond to social, economic, and political shifts—not stand still. Third, go beyond design itself. Read policy. Study community organizing. Understand how decisions are made, and where interventions might matter. Only by doing this can designers move from surface solutions to deeper, structural participation.

The Diguá Community is not just a project or a publication. It is a living method, grounded in contradiction, collaboration, and change. It reminds us that naming things—"social design," "urban innovation"—matters far less than doing them. The real work, Zhou insists, begins where certainty ends.