GEOGLYPH Team

Receiving recognition from the French Design Awards is not only an honour for the team, but also a deeply meaningful learning journey. The French Design Awards, hosted by internationally renowned organisations such as the International Awards Associate (IAA) and related curating bodies, aim to recognise creative designs in fields including architecture, interior, product, and packaging. Winning the favour of judges among the world's finest design talents allows everyone to deeply feel the joy of having their hard work seen and recognised. Being selected among outstanding designers from around the globe has allowed the team to profoundly experience the joy of being seen and recognised for their efforts. Design is not merely an expression of aesthetics, but also a way of understanding people. Whether in speech therapy, educational research, or product development, only through a genuine understanding of human needs can we create works that foster connection and meaningful impact. During this competition, the division of labour and collaboration among faculty and students provided valuable insight into the process of bringing an international design project from concept to completion. For students in particular, it has been an extremely precious experience of growth and learning. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and team participation, they were able to recognise their own value and strengths while gaining a strong sense of accomplishment. Our team also looks forward to continuing to integrate healthcare, AI technology, and human-centred design to develop more innovative works that combine social impact with health-related value.

This award not only brought greater attention to the team’s concepts, works, and product, but also further enhanced the international visibility and future competitiveness of the project. For the team, this recognition is not merely an important affirmation, but also a reinforcement of the value and potential demonstrated through the interdisciplinary integration of “medicine × design × technology.” This achievement also highlights how medical expertise can be transformed through design thinking into products and services that are both innovative and human-centred. It further opens up opportunities for collaboration with industry, academia, and the healthcare sector, creating more possibilities for future career development. For the student team members, this represents not only a significant milestone as their international award, but also a deeper understanding and inspiration regarding cross-disciplinary collaboration between nursing and design. At the same time, through participation in this competition and receiving this award, the team was able to engage with many partners who are concerned with environmental issues and women’s health education, making it a valuable and enriching learning experience.

During the creative process, “experimentation” plays a crucial role in breaking through existing frameworks. Our team believes that design should not be constrained by fixed ways of thinking, but should continuously explore whether more possibilities exist. For example, when people are accustomed to believing that certain products must rely on water or electricity, can we instead design works that function without either? When materials inevitably deteriorate and cannot exist forever, can their value be sustained through alternative concepts and forms? Therefore, the team places strong emphasis on the interactive experience between people and products. We believe that good design is not something fully defined from the very beginning; rather, it starts with bold hypotheses followed by continuous hands-on practice. Through ongoing observation, experience, prototyping, and user feedback, the design is constantly refined and evolved. Taking Meridian Massage Glove for Women’s Care as an example, the work itself is a cross-disciplinary experiment that integrates Eastern meridian concepts, women’s health needs, wearable design, and emotional stress-relief experiences. In the early development stage, the team repeatedly tested different hand-fitting structures, pressure point placements, and material sensations, while also reflecting on how to ensure the massage experience goes beyond functional stimulation to provide emotional stability and psychological healing. During the process, instructors also arranged for students and community members to participate in real-world testing. This allowed the team to gain first-hand user experience and feedback, which in turn informed continuous experimentation and refinement, ultimately leading to the most comfortable and effective design solution.

Our design team has drawn inspiration from many unexpected sources, including IV drip bottles in hospitals, as well as subtle observations from clinical rehabilitation and care settings. At times, some members have even experienced sudden flashes of inspiration while in a state of extreme fatigue or drowsiness. Upon waking, these ideas were immediately recorded and later became important starting points for the design process. Through their clinical experience, the team has come to deeply understand that truly important information often comes not only from spoken words, but also from subtle human expressions such as facial cues, pauses, hand movements, breathing rhythms, and even silence. These barely noticeable moments have led the team to reconsider the very essence of “design.” Therefore, part of the inspiration for Meridian Massage Glove for Women’s Care stems from these real-world clinical observations. The team hopes that the product will not merely function as a massage tool, but also serve as a form of companionship, emotional support, and a medium that guides users to reconnect with self-care. In addition, the team was inspired by traditional hot compress therapies and Chinese meridian massage techniques. This inspiration challenged the common assumption that modern design must equate to high technology. Instead, the team sought to integrate the most fundamental elements—such as stones, thermal energy, and acupressure—into a contemporary wearable device, allowing traditional healing wisdom to be reinterpreted and re-experienced in an innovative form.

Our team envisions product design as an ongoing process of understanding people, refining problems, and continuous reflection. Taking the award-winning project GEOGLYPH – Meridian Massage Glove for Women’s Care as an example, its name is inspired by geoglyphs—large-scale symbolic markings on the earth’s surface. “GEO” represents the land and the energy of natural minerals, while “GLYPH” refers to the acupoint markings on the glove and the wisdom of traditional Chinese meridian theory. The acupoint layout forms a visualised operational system resembling geoglyphs on the earth’s surface, supported by structured contact points for precise pressure application. The product is a patented glove specifically developed for women’s menstrual health, integrating nursing care, traditional acupressure massage, and wearable design concepts. It adopts a non-electric, non-pharmaceutical physical intervention approach, combined with warm mineral stone heat therapy to alleviate menstrual pain. Our team regards “empathy” as the core value of this design, aiming to deeply understand user needs and continuously refine the product based on feedback. At the same time, we pay close attention to global socio-economic disparities. In resource-limited regions, locally sourced sustainable textiles are used to reduce distribution costs and lower barriers to access. In more economically developed regions, the design incorporates diverse skin tones and artistic elements from different cultures, giving the product both cultural identity and aesthetic richness. Furthermore, the design embraces gender inclusivity and a de-labelling approach. Through intuitive and user-friendly interaction, psychological barriers are reduced, and men are encouraged to participate in caregiving and companionship roles. In addition, the team views design as a form of social practice. We have collaborated with the “Jane Goodall Institute” to implement the project in four African countries, engaging directly with schools and communities and reaching over 3,000 individuals. The initiative aims to reduce dependence on medication, promote reusable cloth sanitary pads, and encourage local production and sewing practices, thereby reducing plastic waste, creating employment opportunities, and fostering a positive cycle of resource reuse. It also seeks to reduce school absenteeism caused by menstruation, while promoting gender equality and the development of mutual support networks.

The team believes that the key to balancing client expectations with adherence to our own design philosophy lies in “communication” and “understanding.” Only through open dialogue and the willingness to see things from the other party’s perspective can we find a balance that is both meaningful and mutually acceptable. We believe that truly good design is neither about stubbornly insisting on one’s own ideas nor completely yielding to external demands. Rather, it is about discovering, through collaboration and co-creation, a direction that not only addresses practical needs, but also preserves design values, human warmth, and aesthetic integrity. In this way, a work can simultaneously embody functionality, beauty, and emotional connection, allowing it to create a lasting and meaningful impact.

During the development of Meridian Massage Glove for Women’s Care, one of the team’s greatest challenges was finding a balance between healthcare functionality, emotional healing experiences, and aesthetic design. At the same time, we needed to translate the more abstract concept of “emotional sensation” into a tangible design language, so that the product would not only provide massage functionality, but also convey a sense of care, comfort, and self-healing. As a result, the team conducted repeated testing and refinements in areas such as material selection, hand-fitting comfort, texture design, and exterior form, ensuring that both tactile and visual experiences could create a consistent emotional atmosphere. In addition, interdisciplinary integration was also a major challenge. Fortunately, our team received professional support and guidance from the healthcare field. Through continuous questioning, discussion, and brainstorming among team members, combined with the use of information technology tools to improve collaboration efficiency and overcome design blind spots, we were able to further refine the overall design. Ultimately, through repeated revisions and integration, the team successfully developed a practical, reusable, and zero-electricity design by combining natural stone materials with the structural form of the human hand.

In addition to frequently reigniting creativity through interdisciplinary exchange and generating new perspectives and breakthrough ideas, our team also places great importance on drawing inspiration from professional expertise, work experience, and everyday life. Whether through observations made in clinical care settings, the emotions revealed in human interactions, or the subtle yet authentic feelings found in daily experiences, these moments can all become important sources of creative inspiration. Many truly meaningful and impactful designs are rooted not in the pursuit of form alone, but in a deep and delicate understanding of people and life. Creativity does not emerge out of nowhere; rather, it naturally evolves and flows through a continuous process of observation, reflection, accumulation, and transformation. Therefore, when encountering creative stagnation, we intentionally step away from high-intensity work environments and allow time for rest and changes in perspective, enabling our thoughts to settle and reorganise. For example, we seek inspiration from diverse fields such as art, technology, psychology, healthcare, and the observation of nature and culture. Through the collision of different forms of knowledge and experience, new directions of thinking can emerge. At the same time, everyday conversations with colleagues, students, friends, and people from various professional backgrounds often bring unexpected inspiration and fresh insights in the most natural and unplanned moments.

In light of the unequal distribution of global medical resources and the harsh realities brought about by illness and suffering, many tragedies that could have been prevented continue to occur due to the lack of adequate care and support. This design is grounded in the core value of empathy, with the hope that the product can truly “become a blessing to others.” Through design, it seeks to overcome limitations in resources while pursuing functional innovation, and incorporates the natural beauty found in the earth’s original materials. Through the product’s tactile qualities, interactive experience, visual atmosphere, and even the sense of safety and emotional comfort it provides during use, women from different cultures and backgrounds are able to receive physiological care that combines scientific support, emotional reassurance, and dignity. Amid pain and discomfort, the design aims to offer a sense of gentle support and compassion, while also demonstrating the humanistic value and professionalism of design. Ultimately, it responds to people’s deeper needs for dignity, understanding, and companionship.

With the rapid advancement of information technology, artificial intelligence, digital technology, and interdisciplinary integration are continuously reshaping the landscape and mindset of design. Contemporary design is no longer confined to a single professional field; instead, it increasingly emphasises the integration of technology, humanity, and lived experience. Therefore, a successful designer must not only personally experience different cultures and environments to broaden an international perspective, but also cultivate the ability to observe daily life keenly, understand users’ needs, and actively engage in cross-disciplinary collaboration. Through the exchange of diverse perspectives, designers can spark new creativity and discover new possibilities. In this rapidly changing era, the role of designers has gradually evolved from being merely creators to becoming integrators, communicators, and problem-solvers. In addition to possessing professional skills and innovative thinking, designers must also understand social trends and people’s genuine needs in order to develop solutions that combine functionality, aesthetics, and human-centred care. For emerging designers, beyond embracing interdisciplinary learning and fostering innovation through the collision and integration of different fields, “empathy” is an essential core quality. Truly impactful design often comes from a designer’s willingness to see from the user’s perspective and understand their emotions and needs. Only by placing human experience at the centre of design can design transcend mere form and style, and genuinely convey warmth, value, and lasting influence.

Our team hopes to collaborate with the Spanish modern artist Joan Miró and the renowned humanitarian architect Shigeru Ban. Joan Miró was celebrated for transforming natural elements such as stars, birds, and women into symbolic forms, using bold primary colours and free-flowing lines to create a surrealistic universe filled with childlike imagination, dreamlike beauty, and poetic expression. In contrast, Shigeru Ban is known for building shelters for disaster victims using simple paper tubes. Through his environmentally conscious philosophy and humanitarian spirit, he has helped address social issues while demonstrating how design can embody both humanistic care and social responsibility.

We hope people will ask about the meaning behind this work and whether it can truly reach those who need it most. This design is grounded in the core value of “empathy,” with the hope that the product can genuinely “become a blessing to others.” Through design, it seeks to overcome limitations in resources while pursuing functional innovation, and incorporates the natural beauty found in the earth’s original materials. Through its tactile qualities, interactive experience, visual atmosphere, and even the sense of safety and emotional comfort it provides during use, the product offers not only physical stress relief, but also psychological reassurance and stability. At the same time, it serves as a reminder that caring for oneself is not a luxury, but something deeply important. By adopting a low-cost and environmentally conscious design approach, the product can also be delivered to countries and communities in need, helping to genuinely improve people’s lives while demonstrating the humanitarian and social value that design can create.