Summer 2025 “Future of Tech Innovation” Product Realization Bootcamp – Recap

From July 1 to 14, 2025, the "Future of Tech Innovation: Human-Centered Digital Lifestyle Design" Product Realization Bootcamp was successfully held under the guidance of the Beijing Guanghua Design Development Foundation. It was jointly organized by the School of Innovation and Design at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and Skyworth Intelligent Systems Technology Co., Ltd.

The program was planned and coordinated by IndusCreate Institute of Educational Research, with full execution support from Shenzhen Three Eyes Design Strategy Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Dake Industrial Design Co., Ltd. In addition to students from SUSTech, the bootcamp attracted outstanding students recommended by mentors from universities including Anhui Jianzhu University, Guangxi Normal University, Guizhou Normal University, Liaoning Shihua University, Shandong University, Sichuan Normal University, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, and Zhejiang Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (listed alphabetically by initials).

Opening Ceremony

Opening remarks by Prof. Guan Daowen, Dean, School of Innovation and Design, SUSTech

Speech by Mr. Li Zhao, General Manager, Skyworth Intelligent Systems Technology Co., Ltd.

Course Highlights

The bootcamp featured expert instructors from diverse fields including hardware R&D, industrial design, interaction design, brand operation, materials and manufacturing, smart production, and innovation education. Throughout the full cycle—from brief analysis, user research, idea generation, design development, prototyping, to final presentation—students received systematic professional guidance and abundant resources.

This immersive, closed-loop educational approach of "theory → practice → feedback → re-practice" enabled students to gain a holistic understanding of the full journey from design thinking to engineering realization and market orientation, closely aligning higher education with real-world design practice.

Lecture 1 Real-World Design Workflow from an Enterprise Perspective

Li Hechun, R&D and Design Director, Skyworth Intelligent Systems Technology Co., Ltd.

Lecture 2 Design Methods Based on Usage Logic and Decision Making

Li Zhe, Founder, Three Eyes Design Strategy Co., Ltd.

Lecture 3 Balancing Artistic and Industrial Design Language

Qiao Mu, Co-founder, Dake Industrial Design Co., Ltd.

Lecture 4 International Cross-Disciplinary Design and Cost Awareness

Deng Qiuping, General Manager, Chuanggu Makerspace, Zhongshan

Lecture 5 Holistic Design of Tech-Connected Consumer Ecosystems

Liu Ye, Director of Product Design, Keep Sports Consumer Products Division

Lecture 6 CMF Design: Deconstruction and Reconstruction

Liu Zongping, Founder, Liangcaiyoushe CMF Innovation Lab

Lecture 7 Classic Product Design Styles: Origins and Applications

Qiao Mu, Co-founder, Dake Industrial Design Co., Ltd.

Lecture 8 From Homework to Masterwork: Refining Design Details

Wang Zijian, Executive Dean, IndusCreate Institute of Educational Research

Industry Visits & Field Research

Beyond classroom learning and hands-on projects, students participated in several on-site visits to companies, engaging directly with R&D personnel, designers, engineers, and marketing professionals. These exchanges gave students a deeper understanding of the real-world operational logic and technological ecosystems of innovation, design, and manufacturing sectors.

Such immersive exposure expanded their understanding of the designer’s role and the collaborative mechanisms between various stages of production. Observing how products are conceived, developed, and balanced across user needs, engineering, and branding provided valuable, firsthand insight into real-world design workflows.

Station 1 Shenzhen Institute of Technology Innovation

Tour led by Prof. Li Xu, Vice Dean, School of Innovation and Design, SUSTech

Station 2 Shenzhen Star General Robotics Co., Ltd.

Tour led by CEO Zhang Chengwen

Station 3 Artop Design Group Co., Ltd

our led by Gao Jie, Executive Vice Dean,Artop Design Academy

Station 4 Skyworth Group Co., Ltd.

Tour led by Li Hechun, R&D and Design Director

Station 5 Shoupin Intelligent Manufacturing (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Tour led by General Manager Zhang Wenming

Final Project Presentations

After two weeks of intense collaboration and refinement, 6 out of 7 student teams successfully completed all required tasks, from user research and concept generation to prototyping and final presentation. Project themes covered trending areas such as smart home, personal care, smart office, and pet companionship.

Students demonstrated significant growth in product strategy, design language, interaction logic, and manufacturing processes. As some results are currently under patent review, design details are not disclosed at this time. Full project showcases will be released in a later special feature.

(Note: Students are listed in alphabetical order by surname within each group.)

Team 1: “Furgo-Pal”

Li Heyue (SUSTech)

Wang Yuchao (SUSTech)

Yan Ziyi (SUSTech)

Team 2: “Buddy Brush”

Li Hongxuan (Guangxi Normal University)

Weng Wujing (Sichuan Normal University)

Yang Ke (SUSTech)

Team 3: “TuoJie T-REX”

Gao Siqi (SUSTech)

Wang Furong (Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts)

Xu Yang (Zhejiang Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering)

Team 4: “Joy Morph”

Luo Xiandong (Sichuan Normal University)

Zhang Tuo (SUSTech)

Zhu Jinghua (Xi’an Polytechnic University)

Team 5: “Air Trace”

Chen Deqiang (Guangxi Normal University)

Shan Yuxin (Shandong University)

Liu Guanxu (Guizhou Normal University)

Wang Tongye (Anhui Jianzhu University)

Team 6: “PINGO”

Dai Xincun (SUSTech)

Gao Cong (Liaoning Shihua University)

Ma Jia’en (SUSTech)

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony followed the final presentation session, hosted by Prof. Li Xu, Vice Dean of the School of Innovation and Design at SUSTech. Certificates of honor were awarded to all participants, mentors, and supporting organizations. Alongside the bootcamp instructors, guests from universities, design firms, manufacturing enterprises, and investment institutions joined in this final event.

Mentors and guests offered insightful evaluations of each team’s design concept, implementation strategy, and presentation. They encouraged students to continue honing their interdisciplinary integration and practical implementation abilities in future learning.

Attending Mentors & Guests (in alphabetical order by surname):

Chao Guang, Founder & CEO, Shenzhen BioGenesis Technology

Deng Qiuping, General Manager, Chuanggu Makerspace

Gao Jie, Executive Vice Dean, Artop Academy

Li Hechun, R&D and Design Director, Skyworth

Li Xueliang, Assistant Professor, SUSTech

Liu Ye, Director of Product Design, Keep

Li Zhe, Founder, Three Eyes Design

Meng Jian, GM of Strategic Development, Artop Design Group Co., Ltd

Sun Xiaohua, Chair Professor, SUSTech

Wu Yuhan, Founder, Huadonghui Cultural Development

Wang Zijian, Executive Dean, IndusCreate

Zhang Wenming, General Manager, Shoupin Intelligent Manufacturing

Zhang Yimeng, GM, Artop Education Division

After the ceremony, students engaged in open discussions with mentors and guests on topics such as refining their designs and exploring career paths.

As a design practice project integrating PBL teaching, real-world briefs, and interdisciplinary collaboration, this bootcamp not only yielded outstanding interim results, but also built a sustainable channel for industry-academia collaboration. It provided practical experience for talent development models and original project incubation.

 

Looking Forward

The organizers and partners will continue to integrate high-quality resources to develop more advanced educational and practice-oriented design initiatives. In the context of emerging productive forces, they aim to build bridges for students into the real world of design, injecting the industry with young talent that is sincere, diverse, insightful, and action-oriented.

We believe that with the dual engine of academic education and enterprise practice, more young designers will deeply engage in human-centered, future-oriented design innovation.

 

Contributor: Wang Zijian, IndusCreate Institute of Educational Research
Reviewed by: Li Xu, School of Innovation and Design, SUSTech