Press Release
Leijing Zhou Is Honored with the Bronze A' Design Award for Guardian Deaf-mute Helmet in Safety Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment Design
Leijing Zhou acknowledged for safety clothing and personal protective equipment design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Guardian Deaf-mute Helmet by Leijing Zhou, designed for Zhejiang University, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Safety Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Bronze A' Design Award Means
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Guardian Deaf-mute Helmet
Guardian is a safety helmet designed for deaf and mute cyclists. The helmet replaces sound-based warnings with vibration alerts and a head-up display. Sensors and cameras detect vehicles approaching from behind, and the helmet vibrates gently to warn the rider. Light-emitting diode modules flash to show turn directions. After an accident, an emergency call is placed automatically, and a light tap sends a preset message. The shell is made of lightweight acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, with a memory foam lining and a knob for a snug fit.
About Leijing Zhou
She has studied in the UK, the Netherlands and Singapore for many years. Her research direction is human-computer interaction and intelligent design. She has won more than 10 Red dot design awards, IF design awards etc. and published nearly 10 international journals and papers. She has participated in organizing the world industrial design conference, the world ecological design conference and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization ecological design leading class as the core personnel.
Award Record
With this recognition, Leijing Zhou is a winner of 6 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2022 - 2023 to 2024 - 2025 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Safety Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment Design Award
The A' Protective Equipment Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good protective equipment by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to protective equipment designers, safety clothing manufacturers, personal protective equipment brands and industrial designers from all countries. Entries typically include helmets, gloves, goggles, respirators, earplugs and safety boots. Awarded protective equipment designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/protective-equipment
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/172601
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/172601
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!172601
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/112694
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Guardian Deaf-mute Helmet
- Function
- Deaf-mute Helmet
- Category
- Safety Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Manufacturing and Fashion
- Colors
- Gainsboro, Dark Slate Gray, White Smoke, Silver and Black
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Zhejiang University
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Leijing Zhou
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #172601
Credits
- Team
- Menghan Li, Xiaofei Gong, Xiaotong Guan, Xinmiao Shen, Ding Ding, Kaiyue Cai, Jinjie Li, Qianyi Wang, Keyin Chen, Zixiang Wang and Zihan Zhang
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Due to their inability to communicate effectively through speech and sound, deaf-mute individuals may face significant dangers when traveling, lacking essential information about road conditions. The deaf-mute safety helmet robustly protects cyclists with smart technology, sensors, and an advanced HUD system. It alerts them to traffic conditions through precise vibrations, sustaining alertness. The helmet significantly bolsters safety while cycling, lowering accident risks.
- Inspiration
- This project was inspired by the overlooked risks faced by deaf-mute cyclists in sound-dominated traffic environments. Motivated by a desire to create inclusive safety solutions, I explored how smart technology could bridge the sensory gap. Grounded in user-centered research and assistive tech studies, the design aims to challenge auditory bias in urban mobility and offer a more equitable, responsive riding experience for all.
- Research
- Amid honks and sirens, sound protects most but leaves deaf-mute cyclists exposed. We conducted user-centered design research aiming to improve their travel safety. Through interviews, observations, and journey mapping, we gathered insights from deaf-mute individuals and cyclists. Results revealed key dangers like missed warnings and lack of emergency help. This led to features like vibration alerts and auto-alarm, promoting inclusive design and raising awareness in both society and mobility products.
- Challenge
- The hardest part was designing a system that replaces sound-based warnings with intuitive, non-auditory feedback. Socially, deaf-mute cyclists are often overlooked, with few products considering their needs. Technologically, integrating sensors, HUD, and vibration modules into a compact, wearable form was complex. Limited reference cases and data made user research crucial. Overcoming these challenges required empathy, iteration, and creative use of existing tech in new ways.
- Realization and Technology
- The design was developed through user-centered research, focusing on the travel challenges faced by deaf-mute individuals. Prototyping involved computer-aided design modeling and iterative testing with simulated vibration and head-up display feedback. The helmet is envisioned using lightweight acrylonitrile butadiene styrene for the shell, memory foam for comfort, and integrates sensors, cameras, and light-emitting diode modules to ensure safety and usability.
- Operation and Interaction
- The helmet is easy to use—just wear it and ride as usual. It gently vibrates to warn you if something gets too close from behind, and flashes lights to keep you alert. When it's time to turn, it shows directions and flashes the right signal. If an accident happens, it automatically calls for help. With just a light tap, you can also send a preset message. It fits snugly with a twist of the knob, making cycling safer and more reassuring.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in June 2023 in China and finished in October 2024 in China.
- Specifications
- 250 (mm) x 200 (mm) x 200 (mm)
- Keywords
- Inclusive Design, Deaf-Mute Safety, Smart Helmet, Assistive Technology, Urban Mobility, Vibration Feedback, Road Safety
