Jiahui Yu, a UX Designer at Advantage Solutions, is driven by a deep curiosity about the world. She focuses on understanding users and creating solutions that truly meet their needs, believing great design anticipates unspoken desires and fosters genuine connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am Jifeng Shen, the project leader of TouchNav. As a practitioner in industrial design and interaction design, I have been committed to exploring how technology can better serve special groups. Over the past few years, I have conducted in-depth research in the field of accessible design, with a particular focus on the needs of the visually impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our interactions with visually impaired friends, my team and I observed the limitations of existing navigation aids – over-reliance on voice prompts not only interferes with users’ perception of their surroundings but also increases cognitive load. This discovery prompted us to think: how can we develop a more intuitive and less intrusive way of navigation? Through in-depth user research and repeated design iterations, we developed TouchNav, a navigation cane based on tactile feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the project leader, what makes me most gratified is seeing that this project has not only received recognition in the design field but more importantly, positive feedback from visually impaired users. When I see that our design can effectively help the visually impaired improve their independence and sense of security in travel, I deeply feel that all these efforts are worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q2. What made you become\/why did you choose to become a creative?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve always been passionate about design and technology, but what really made me decide to enter the creative field was seeing how technological innovation could truly change people’s lives. Especially during my studies in industrial design, I deeply realized that design is not just about aesthetics, but more importantly about solving real problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before developing the TouchNav project, I had the opportunity to interact with some visually impaired friends. Their stories made me realize that as designers, we have both the responsibility and ability to improve the quality of life for special groups through innovative design. I believe that true innovation should have social value. It is this belief that drives me to constantly explore how to transform complex technology into simple, practical solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q3. Tell us more about your business\/company, job profile and what you do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a Master’s student in Design Management at Macau University of Science and Technology, I’ve been fortunate to lead the TouchNav project, which perfectly aligns with my academic and professional interests. The program has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of how design management principles can be applied to create meaningful social impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During my studies, I’ve learned that effective design management goes far beyond just creating products – it’s about orchestrating the entire innovation process from conception to implementation. This understanding has been instrumental in developing TouchNav, where we’ve had to balance user needs, technological capabilities, and project resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our project team represents a diverse blend of expertise, bringing together industrial designers, interaction specialists, engineers, and user researchers. This interdisciplinary approach has been crucial in addressing the complex challenges of creating an accessible navigation solution for the visually impaired. As project leader, my role has been to ensure that these different perspectives work in harmony toward our common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The academic environment at MUST has provided an excellent foundation for applying design management theories to real-world challenges. We’ve utilized design thinking methodology, implemented rigorous project management practices, and employed sophisticated user research methods. This project forms a significant part of my master’s research, demonstrating how design management principles can drive innovation in accessible technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TouchNav represents more than just a product development project – it’s a practical application of design management principles to create social value. By focusing on user-centered design and leveraging our team’s diverse capabilities, we’ve been able to develop a solution that genuinely improves the independence and quality of life for visually impaired individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q4. What does ‘creativity’ mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In developing TouchNav, we demonstrated this by creatively transforming navigation data into tactile feedback, making spatial information more intuitive for visually impaired users. This required thinking beyond traditional boundaries and combining insights from various fields – industrial design, interaction design, and accessibility research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the most powerful creativity emerges from working within constraints. The challenge of designing a navigation system without visual feedback pushed us to explore new possibilities, ultimately leading to more intuitive solutions. Most importantly, I’ve learned that creativity isn’t about innovation for its own sake – it’s about creating meaningful impact that genuinely improves people’s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through TouchNav, I’ve come to understand that creativity is most valuable when it’s guided by empathy and a deep commitment to solving real human needs. It’s a powerful tool for positive change when focused on understanding and serving user needs while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q5. To you, what makes a ‘creative’ idea and \/or design?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To me, a truly “creative” design harmoniously combines innovation and meaningful impact. Creative ideas emerge from deeply understanding real problems and finding unique, yet practical solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe creative design is about transforming complexity into simplicity while maintaining functionality. It’s not just about being different or novel – it’s about making something genuinely better and more accessible. Creative solutions often challenge conventional thinking, but they must always serve a clear purpose and enhance the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most importantly, creative design should bridge the gap between what exists and what could be. It requires balancing innovation with practicality, ensuring that new ideas actually improve people’s lives rather than just being different for the sake of being different. When a design solution feels both surprising and obvious – that’s when you know you’ve found something truly creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winning Entry<\/p>\n\n\n\n TouchNav<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jiahui Yu, a UX Designer at Advantage Solutions, is driven by a deep curiosity about the world. She focuses on understanding users and creating solutions that [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":35137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[372,540],"tags":[9,12,382],"yoast_head":"\n
To me, creativity is about transforming complex challenges into meaningful solutions through innovative thinking. It’s not just about generating novel ideas – it’s about deeply understanding user needs and finding unique ways to address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExplore the journey of Jifeng Shen<\/a>, a Silver Winner in the 2024 MUSE Creative Awards. As the project leader of TouchNav, he combines his expertise in industrial and interaction design to harness technology in service of special groups. With TouchNav, he transforms design management principles into action, crafting solutions that drive meaningful social impact.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n