Design Intelligence Award 2023 winners announced in China

The Design Intelligence Award (DIA), the largest and first international academic award for design and innovation in China, concluded in December with the award ceremony. Established in 2015, DIA is a platform for the evaluation, promotion and cooperation of contemporary design, an innovative accelerator that aims to turn brilliant ideas into reality and uphold the fundamental value of human intelligence as a fusion of technology and art, playing a role as a spokesperson for global creativity towards an increasingly intelligent and sustainable future.


Zhejiang Vice Governor Ke Jixin


Wang Jian, Member of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chair of the DIA Academic Council, and Peter Childs, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Founding Dean of Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London

The 2023 edition of the award focused on the theme 'Design Evolution'. Design as an evolving practice in the intertwining of technology and concept; from handmade in the age of craftsmanship to industrial production in the industrial age, production in the information age and intelligent production in the age of artificial intelligence, the way design is created is constantly changing. Design is evolving from the satisfaction of basic needs to the creation of new needs, from independent existence to integrated community. 

The award ceremony in December 2023 - during which the 'DIA Project' was presented and the DIA 2024 call for entries was launched - was held at the Liangzhu Campus of the China Academy of Art. The projects 'Health Font - A Phonetic-based Braille Input Font' by Alibaba Health (China) Technology Company Limited and 'BrainRobotics Mini Hand' by Zhejiang Qiangnao Technology Co., Ltd won the Gold Award, the most coveted prize.


BrainRobotics Mini Hand by Zhejiang Qiangnao Technology Co., Ltd

The DIA 2023 edition was a huge international success, with more than 7,000 applications from 41 countries worldwide, and a total of 336 shortlisted works from 19 different countries, including 30 outstanding works selected for the final stage and 306 works selected for the Honourable Mention Award. The Italian division of the award collected a total of 58 applications from Italian studios and designers, from which the following finalists were further selected for the Honourable Mentions through the work of the jury: Dotdotdot, Design Group Italia, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Laura Noè, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China Academy of Art, Gaetano Dragone, China Academy of Art, Politecnico di Milano, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, National Institute of Design - Andhrapradesh, Italtrike Srl, Sanming University, University of Florence, Sanming University, Cristina Coronado Osornio and Alberto Ghirardello Design Studio.


Fondazione Luigi Rovati Platform by Dotdotdot


Fu Zao by China Academy of Art Yuxin Xia

Participants in the competition include not only leading advanced manufacturing companies from around the world, but also leading laboratories and renowned international design schools. The selected entries represent cutting-edge projects, showing a new trajectory in which digital technology and tangible industries engage in a joint effort towards progress.


Valentino by Italtrike Srl


Gaetano Dragone by Gaetano Dragone

In March 2023, DIA joined 38 international organisations of designers, art institutes at home and abroad, and digital technology and advanced manufacturing companies to launch the Design Intelligence Union (DIU). By the end of November, membership had expanded to 60 companies. Guided by the four-dimensional integration of 'art, science, business and education' and through the integration and innovation of intelligent design, DIU aims to create a globally influential platform for exchanges and cooperation, to build a cross-sectoral network that deeply integrates design innovation and intelligent manufacturing industries, and to promote an optimal innovation ecosystem for intelligent design and manufacturing.