Luxi Yu, an intern at FFBA, specializes in product and service design. With a background in fashion design and creative direction, she sees design as storytelling—beyond aesthetics, it’s about empathy, innovation, and harmony between people, products, and their surroundings.
In my design process, I think of clients and users not just as consumers, but as friends who I really care about and want to support. I approach each project by thinking deeply about who these people are, what they like, and empathizing with them on an emotional level.
When I think of users and customers as real individuals with unique needs and desires, I shift the focus from creating products to building something meaningful. This perspective allows me to design with empathy, aiming to design solutions that actually improve their lives. In essence, my design process is done with a love for real people.
Yes, I believe cultural heritage plays a significant role in shaping the design process. As someone from Asia, I am deeply influenced by the region’s rich traditions of craftsmanship, storytelling, and meticulous attention to detail. These cultural elements often inform my design choices, particularly in the use of color symbolism, intricate patterns, and the pursuit of aesthetic harmony that bridges tradition and modernity.
They serve as a foundation, inspiring me to create designs that honor the past while embracing contemporary innovation.
VELA is a project we are very proud of, and we question and criticize the traditional gynecological examination. It didn't have to be this way, and VELA's solution shows our love and support.
We care about women's rights and experience, and even in the field of medical testing, whether it is structural function or detail innovation, we are solving the unhappiness of traditional gynecological examination.
Winning has been incredibly validating for our practice. It’s given us broader recognition and strengthened our confidence when presenting to clients, showing that our ideas and values resonate on a global scale. This achievement demonstrates that design success goes beyond profitability—it’s about making a positive impact in people’s lives.
We’re grateful for this recognition and inspired to continue creating meaningful, people-centered designs. On a personal level, the award has inspired me to keep learning and evolving as a designer. It’s a reminder to stay curious, take risks, and continuously refine my craft.
China’s design industry stands out for its remarkable diversity, shaped by a rich blend of regional cultures, evolving mindsets, and vast market demands. It is a dynamic fusion of tradition and modernity, offering boundless opportunities for research and innovation.
The country’s unparalleled manufacturing capabilities transform concepts into reality, enabling rapid prototyping and large-scale production with remarkable efficiency. Moreover, its vast and diverse population provides a wealth of perspectives, with open-minded individuals eager to share insights and collaborate. While China’s multifaceted environment presents unique challenges, it also drives innovation, compelling designers to rethink and refine their approaches constantly.
This combination of cultural depth, manufacturing strength, and creative potential makes China an exhilarating hub for design.
The MUSE Design Awards website itself is an excellent resource, offering a vast database of inspiring work. For developing specific skills, online platforms can teach you everything from drawing to software to understanding manufacturing processes. However, as I often tell my students, the best resources are all around you in real life.
Engage with people, observe, and learn from real interactions. Understanding human needs and experiences firsthand is invaluable, as design ultimately serves people. So, immerse yourself in real life—it’s the richest resource a designer can have.
Luxi Yu, an intern at FFBA, specializes in product and service design. With a background in fashion design and creative direction, she sees design as storytelling—beyond aesthetics, it’s about empathy, innovation, and harmony between people, products, and their surroundings.
Explore the journey of Ayomide Adeyemo, the Silver Winner of the 2025 MUSE Design Awards. As the creative director of 54Folks, she has been immersed in fashion for as long as she can remember. From styling to mastering design, her journey has been shaped by constant experimentation, leading to deeper understanding and innovation in the field.