Ziqi Liu's Rebranding of FIT Museum Wins Coveted Red Dot Design Award

For 30 years, the Red Dot Design Award has been among the most sought-after recognitions among designers worldwide. With more than 18,000 entries yearly from design professionals, companies, and organizations from over 70 countries, the Red Dot Award is now one of the world’s largest and the most renowned design competitions.

This year’s Best of the Best Red Dot Award for design concept went to Ziqi Liu for her innovative rebranding initiative for the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, dubbed the most fashionable museum in New York City.

This award ceremony was held in Singapore on October 10, and included the presentation of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept winners’ exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum Singapore, overlooking Singapore’s Marina Bay waterfront promenade.

Best of the Best

The ‘Best of the Best’ distinction is the competition’s highest honor. It is awarded to premier designs that disrupt their respective fields, and it’s only bestowed upon a select number of entries that rise above and beyond others. In connection with the award, Liu’s branding project will also be featured in the Red Dot Museum in Singapore and the Red Dot Yearbook.

A graduate of ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, Liu is a graphic, user interface, and experience designer based in Los Angeles. According to Liu, she aimed to give the 55-year-old museum a “fresh, contemporary aura.”

The project culminated with Liu developing a branding system with custom codes tailored to generate distinct designs referencing classic button patterns and garment techniques. Liu said that the buttons in the design transcended their useful role, and served as a metaphor for connection and unity.

Modular Design Meets Code-Driven Innovation

She also said that the design concept’s symbolism resonated with the Museum’s ethos at FIT by emphasizing diversity, inclusivity, and the spirit of inventive thought. In undertaking the rebranding project, Liu said she wanted to “instill a sense of youthful energy” into the museum brand, something she achieved by applying a modular visual construct throughout its identity.

Creating the new brand wasn’t easy. “One of the pivotal challenges I grappled with during this rebranding process,” said Liu, “was crafting a visual narrative that not only struck a chord with the fashion community but also encapsulated its ceaseless dynamism.” Striking the balance between reflecting the industry’s past and its changeability was the crux of the project.

Liu drew upon her experiments with typefaces, codes, and patterns to accomplish this. In particular, she included elements that mix coding and design, working with Adobe Creative Suite and Processing.

This allowed her to combine web and generative design in her brand identity. She incorporated clothing button patterns in the brand, but as a geometric motif, which suggests to the viewer that the buttons could be removed or rearranged in another way. Using the Processing tool, Liu could also implement unique, unconventional patterns.

The result was a tempting array of circles and crosses displayed in vibrant colors. The patterns included have a childlike sensibility, which Liu ultimately rendered in a modular system.

“Harnessing the power of Processing for code-driven design empowered me to create a myriad of unique patterns,” said Liu. “This serves as a visual testament to the ever-adaptive, pulsating heart of the fashion realm.”

Showcasing Liu’s award-winning work at the Red Dot Museum and Yearbook

As mentioned, in winning this year’s Red Dot Award for design concept, Liu’s work will be featured in the Red Dot Yearbook for Design Concept 2024/2025. Red Dot yearbooks are noted as being compilations of exceptional designs. The yearbooks also document the Red Dot competition and provide an overview of design development in recent years, offering designers access to the best work out there. The yearbooks also serve as references for libraries, firms, and designers.

The Red Dot Design Concept Yearbook is a Red Dot publication that showcases what the future of design might portend. Here all kinds of design concepts, prototypes, and product ideas that meet the specs of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept jury are featured. Readers get access to intriguing new ideas and concepts that push the boundaries of what is currently possible.

As an award winner, Liu’s brand will also be on display at the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore, which has a collection of more than 400 exhibits in product and communication design from over 50 countries. Located along the waterfront in the Asian island country, the museum is considered to be the physical embodiment of the Red Dot Design Award.

Liu’s Groundbreaking Work in Design

Following her Red Dot Award success, Liu continues to make waves in the design industry with multiple award-winning projects. One of her latest works, “When Innocence Hurts,” recently captured both Gold at the International Design Awards and Silver at the MUSE Creative Awards. The project breaks new ground in accessible design by incorporating Braille elements, making it equally impactful for sighted and visually impaired audiences.

“I wanted to create something that could truly reach everyone,” Liu said of the project. “Design should never exclude anyone from the conversation.”

Liu’s influence extends beyond social impact projects into the commercial tech sector. At Horizon Brands, she recently led a complete overhaul of their smart lighting application interface. The redesign has been particularly noted for its user-friendly approach in the growing smart home market. Sources at the company report significant improvements in user engagement since the launch.

In the medical technology sphere, Liu’s innovative work caught the attention of industry giant ResMed. Her user interface design for a pediatric medical device proved so revolutionary that the company acquired the intellectual property rights. “The acquisition speaks to the commercial viability of human-centered design in healthcare,” noted industry analyst Sarah Chen.

Currently splitting her time between projects at Simplehuman and Mesghali Studio, Liu continues to expand her portfolio in environmental design and brand experiences. When asked about her rapid rise in the industry, the ArtCenter College of Design graduate remains focused on the future: “Every project is an opportunity to push boundaries and create meaningful impact.”