The Department of Design at UNIST has once again been recognized for design excellence, worldwide. They announced that three its design concepts were honored with the main awards at this year’s International Forum (iF) Design Award competition.
Among many other outstanding design and innovation achievements, those who have been honored with the iF Design Awards 2023 are Professor Hwang Kim, Professor Dooyoung Jung, Professor KyungHo Lee, and their design teams within the Department of Design at UNIST.
The two award-winning mobile app design concepts are ‘Myle: Worker’s Health Management Platform’ by Professor Hwang Kim and Professor Dooyoung Jung, ‘Trillogue: Mobile Application for Tourism’ by Professor Hwang Kim, and ‘ICE : Fashion Low Back Brace’ by Professor KyungHo Lee. Above design concepts have been awarded the prestigious iF Design Awards 2023 awards in the communication and professional design categories, respectively.
Myle: Worker’s Health Management Platform l Image Credit: UNIST Design Department
Myle is a digital healthcare service platform that facilitates collaboration among users, employers, and medical personnel to enhance the health of industrial workers via a population health management system. It aids workers and medical staff in managing workers’ health in challenging environments effectively. Through Myle, users can enter and manage their medical, mental, and lifestyle data. Additionally, the app offers personalized healthcare services based on the data input and shares them with medical staff to receive detailed and effective health counseling services.
Trillogue is a digital service platform that helps travelers discover their own unique travel style and find other travelers with similar interests. In today’s diverse world, individual travel styles and interests have expanded. However, current travel and tour options on the market are dominated by destination and budget, and do not reflect these individual characteristics. With Trillogue, users can discover and participate in trips that allow them to learn new things and gain new values, and it encourages them to design unique trips for themselves. It is an invaluable tool for travelers who want to discover and understand themselves better.
Trillogue: Mobile Application for Tourism l Image Credit: UNIST Design Department
ICE is a wearable healthcare technology designed to alleviate lower back pain by controlling the tension of the brace. Studies show that 38% of office workers worldwide experience low back pain, making the proper management of this condition a serious matter. Although doctors recommend wearing back braces for only 1-3 hours a day, patients tend to wear them all day long, which can affect their health. However, traditional back braces are inconvenient to wear under clothing and can be challenging to put on and take off throughout the day. With ICE, patients can control the tension of the brace without having to remove it, making it easier to manage their low back disorders and develop long-term healthy habits. By improving one’s posture, ICE helps improve overall well-being.
ICE: Wearable Health Technology l Image Credit: UNIST Design Department
At this year’s competition, the design team was highly praised by the judges for providing original solutions that went beyond the typical scope of healthcare or travel services, respectively.
Researchers Hejin Oh, Jejun Park, Yungu Kang, and Jinbaek Lee (Department of Design, UNIST), who contributed to the development of Myle, stated, “We collaborated on this project for more than two years with occupational and environmental health experts and medical professionals.”
“Travel is the closest thing to discovering a new world,” said Yu Jin Lee (Department of Design, UNIST), who participated in the production of Trillogue. “It will be a service that helps make life more colorful and richer through the experience of discovering one’s taste in the trip.”
The iF Design Award, organized by the iF Design Foundation in Berlin, Germany, celebrates its 71st anniversary since its inception in 1953. With the world’s longest history, it is one of the most prestigious design awards, often regarded as one of the top three in the world. This year, over 10,000 creative projects from 56 countries were submitted and evaluated for the award.
