Umeå Institute of Design Tops Global Rankings

The Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University (UID) tops the Red Dot Design Ranking for the ninth consecutive year. This achievement highlights the innovative power of Umeå students’ design concepts.

The accomplishment marks nine consecutive years of leading the ranking, underscoring the school’s leading position in design education on an international level.

This year, the winning student projects from the Umeå Institute of Design showcase a range of innovative designs – from smart body cameras for the police, to a training kit for people with cystic fibrosis, and next-generation products for maritime safety.

Proud and Grateful

– Reaching the top spot once again highlights our students’ incredible achievements and the quality of our teaching staff who support them,”says Demian Horst, Head of the Umeå Institute of Design. We are incredibly grateful to nurture such a diverse and talented group of young creators. Our goal is to educate designers who are responsible, highly skilled, and ready to face future challenges.

Helping Young People with Respiratory Diseases

Inspired by the opportunity to make a positive change, Red Dot-winning student Yuchen Lan designed a motivational training kit for young people suffering from cystic fibrosis. By targeting patients at a young adult age, the time when they typically start managing treatments themselves, she hopes to motivate patients regarding their daily treatment.

– Cystic fibrosis is a rare disease where patients are diagnosed from birth. Those who suffer from it have a shortened lifespan, and their daily needs revolve around necessary treatments to maintain lung function. I chose this topic because I hope to make their lives a little more colorful, says Yuchen Lan.

The Winning Concept

Yuchen’s final concept, Moii, is a progressive training kit for “Airway Clearance Therapy,” which trains young people to perform their home therapy more effectively, and gradually frees them from cumbersome equipment. The kit consists of three main components: modular breathing devices for airflow detection, a portable chest mobility unit, and an intuitive mobile application.

How the Red Dot Design Ranking Works

The ranking measures success by looking at organizations’ ability to produce exciting new design concepts. Universities are evaluated exclusively based on design projects created by their students.

The Red Dot Design Ranking names two winning schools worldwide. The Umeå Institute of Design was once again named the winner in North and South America and Europe. National Taiwan University of Science and Technology retained its top spot on the list for universities in the Asia-Pacific region.