USP alum Yong Zi Fong (Industrial Design + NOC + USP, Class of 2019) – on the right of the photo – and her teammate Ng Ai Ling clinched the top accolade, the Grand Prix Award, at the 2019 Taiwan International Student Design Competition – also known as the world’s largest international student design contest. Despite facing strong competition with more than 21,000 works submitted, Zi Fong and Ai Ling impressed the judges to clinch the top prize. They received NTS$400,000 and a trophy during the award ceremony held in Taipei City on 6 December.

So, what’s the winning idea? The ladies designed “The Dyslexperience” – an interactive empathy book specially designed to raise awareness on how having dyslexia feels like. With the enhancement of projection mapping on a physical surface of a book, they designed a sensory experience to communicate the emotional ordeal faced by dyslexics everyday, allowing those who do not understand to see from the lens of those with dyslexia. Thus, making the invisible diagnosis visible.

When asked what inspired them to pursue this design idea, Zi Fong said, "The Dyslexperience started off simply to advocate for a cause that meant a lot to us, inspired by a USP classmate who faces the challenge of dyslexia his entire life… and the moment that sparked the conceptualisation of this project (that we can make it happen) actually took place during my Critical Reflection class (the capstone module at USP).”

Zi Fong is humbled and very grateful to have been in USP. The recent graduate shared, “Doing design can sometimes be very time-consuming, so I'm utterly thankful for the space and mental breather that USP provided me, where I was constantly surrounded by the most inspiring community and professors. It was always refreshing to be able to channel that energy back into my work, mind rejuvenated from the dialogue in classes or in the dining hall. I'm thankful for this opportunity and I hope to be able to continue to create more inclusive work for social causes through design."

It is through moments like this that we learn to appreciate our diverse yet closely-knit community, of how we can find inspiration in one another and have the courage to try to make an impact in the world. Continue to soar high, Zi Fong! We are very proud of you.

Learn more about The Dyslexperience here.
This achievement was also featured on NUS Facebook.