Our Model 2137 product participated in the industrial design competition and was awarded the Best Innovation Award.
2025-10-23
Our Model 2137 product participated in the industrial design competition and was awarded the Best Innovation Award.
In today's era, where technology and design are deeply integrated, a product's appearance has long ceased to be merely a vessel for functionality—it has become a direct expression of a company's innovative strength and brand value. This year, our company's independently developed Model 2137 stood out at the "Global Industrial Design Innovation Competition," earning the prestigious "Best Creative Award" thanks to its groundbreaking design concept. This accolade not only recognizes the team's three years of dedicated research and development but also marks another significant milestone for Chinese industrial design on the global stage.
---
Breaking the Impasse: A Leap from Function-Oriented Design to Emotional Resonance
The birth of Model 2137 began with what initially seemed like a paradoxical proposition: How could we create a product in an increasingly homogenized smart hardware market that not only meets functional requirements but also resonates emotionally with users? Instead of adopting the conventional approach of "piling up specifications," the design team shifted their focus entirely to user behavior and psychological needs, ultimately embracing a design philosophy centered on "seamless interaction with a sense of warmth and presence."
The product features an overall streamlined, one-piece design that eliminates the sharp edges and visible seams commonly found in traditional devices. Instead, it seamlessly integrates the screen, buttons, and body through a delicate 0.3-mm micro-arc curvature. This innovative design not only enhances the ergonomic grip but also creates a captivating "flowing light and shadow" visual effect—when light gently sweeps across the device's surface, it evokes a dynamic, water-like aesthetic reminiscent of ripples on the surface of water. In their award citation, the judging panel specifically noted: "The 2137 model breaks away from the cold, rigid stereotypes of industrial products, bringing a sense of 'life' to technological devices for the first time."
Innovation: Disruptive Design in the Details
In the core interaction area, the team creatively introduced "invisible touch-layer" technology. By embedding pressure-sensing modules directly into the body material, the product's surface completely eliminates physical buttons while still enabling the system to recognize 12 distinct operational commands based on finger pressure and gesture patterns. This innovative design not only prevents wear-and-tear issues associated with traditional buttons but also elevates the user experience, lending it an almost ceremonial quality. As one tester remarked: "The moment your fingertips gently touch the device, it feels as though you're engaging in a dialogue with a work of art."
The color system is equally ingenious. The design team abandoned the industry's conventional metallic color palette and instead developed two gradient coatings: "Morning Mist Gray" and "Twilight Blue." Through a multi-layered nanocoating process, these colors dynamically shift hues depending on ambient lighting conditions—appearing softly matte under warm indoor light while revealing a cool, metallic sheen in bright outdoor settings. This "breathing color" design allows the product to seamlessly integrate into diverse usage environments.
Challenge: A Difficult Leap from Laboratory to Mass Production
The realization of the concept proved far more complex than anticipated. During the prototype phase, the team encountered three major technical bottlenecks: First, the micro-arc curvature process resulted in a yield rate of less than 30%, with the cost of a single mold being five times higher than that of conventional methods. Second, the false-touch rate of the invisible touch layer reached 15% during initial testing, significantly exceeding the industry standard of 5%. Third, achieving consistent color variation control for the gradient coating posed a significant challenge, making it difficult to meet the demands of large-scale production.
Faced with significant challenges, the design team formed a joint task force together with their supply chain partners. By integrating an AI-based quality inspection system, they successfully boosted the yield rate of high-quality curved-surface products to 82%. Additionally, they developed a machine-learning-driven pressure algorithm model that reduced the false-touch rate to just 2.3%. Furthermore, an innovative "zone-specific spraying plus laser color calibration" process was introduced, ensuring that the color difference (ΔE value) for each product remained below 1.5. These breakthroughs not only enabled the flawless realization of creative concepts but also propelled the entire industry toward higher manufacturing standards.
Behind the Honor: A Paradigm Shift in Design Thinking
The success of the Model 2137 reflects China's manufacturing industry as it transitions from "following" to "keeping pace" and ultimately to "leading." Traditional industrial design typically focuses on balancing cost and efficiency, whereas the team behind the 2137 has proactively integrated design thinking into the product definition phase. By leveraging tools such as user journey mapping and emotional design, they have successfully established a three-dimensional value system that encompasses "function, experience, and emotion."
This transformation has received an enthusiastic response in the market. Within three months of its launch, the product captured 23% of the niche market share and even sparked a lively discussion on overseas social media about "China's New Aesthetic in Design." An international design magazine commented: "The 2137 model demonstrates that Chinese companies are not only capable of manufacturing products but also of setting new aesthetic standards for them."
---
Standing on the podium, Design Director Li Ming gazed at the flashing cameras below, his mind drifting back to that sweltering summer three years ago. Back then, the team had been crammed into a creative workshop no larger than 50 square meters, passionately debating over more than 300 sketches. Today, those once-crumpled drawings have transformed into dazzling trophies displayed in the exhibition hall—and even more valuable is the subtle yet profound shift in how the entire industry now perceives "Chinese design."
The story of the Model 2137 product is far from over. Like a pebble dropped into a lake, its ripples are steadily spreading: In the supply chain, several manufacturers have begun upgrading their precision manufacturing equipment; in the education sector, three universities have introduced new research programs focused on "emotional design"; and in the consumer market, younger generations are increasingly raising their aesthetic expectations for domestic brands. Perhaps this is precisely the true value of innovation—it not only transforms products but also reshapes the very DNA of the industry ecosystem.
Related News
Contact Us
Add: NO.4 Haiyu one road FuYu Industrial Zone Leliu Town Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province.
Tel: +86-0757-26368660 / +8613413291786
E-mail: sales.01@xiaorenlei.com
