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MUSE Design Awards Panel

The MUSE Design Awards Jury is exceptional in the depth of expertise it draws on from its extensive judging community, composed of highly respected and experienced professionals who have distinguished themselves in their field. Judges are handpicked from a diverse range of marketing and advertising companies as well as disciplines from around the world, bringing industry knowledge and category-specific skill sets to evaluate every entry.

It is with great gratitude and honor that we celebrate these amazing judges for dedicating their time, knowledge as well as hard work to maintain the awards at the highest standards. Without this prestigious group of industry experts' commitment and enthusiasm, the award program would not be possible.

MUSE Design Jury - Tiago do Vale

Portugal

Tiago do Vale

Senior Architect, Tiago do Vale Architects

As an architect from the University of Coimbra, Tiago is the current Senator and Member of the Assembly of the University. He is also an editor for the Design Media Publishing’s “Urban Complex” book, and its Chinese edition by Liaoning Science and Technology Publishing House “城市综合体”. With his books published throughout the world, Tiago do Vale has given lectures and signed articles on architecture, urban planning and rehabilitation in several publications.

Tiago do Vale regularly lectures and writes about architectural matters. Do Vale was a curator of the 2014's "Urban Dialogues, International Architecture Congress", in Portugal and of the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 editions of the “Mesturas, International Architecture Encounters Galicia-Portugal” (Spain and Portugal).

He was a juror for several prestigious awards worldwide during 2016 and 2017 in Moldavia, and Portugal, as well as for the Architecture MasterPrize since its 2020 edition.

MUSE Design Jury - Frederick Rickmann

Denmark

Frederick Rickmann

CEO and Co-Founder, DNgroup Aps

Frederick Rickmann is one of that new breed of modern design thinkers who can bring new solutions to a wide range of disciplines. From large urban developments in China to the small intricacies of industrial design, Frederick Rickmann has the ability to run through changes in scale and size - through materials, processes, and time. The result is a chain of design-based companies that span the globe and the spectrum of design.

Frederick Rickmann is a frequent speaker at many universities and corporate design events across Scandinavia, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. As a strategic thinker, he is often consulted as a policy advisor by a number of international governmental and private institutions. In addition, Frederick Rickmann is frequently invited to serve as a jury member on international design awards.

Within the design profession, Frederick Rickmann has held the chairmanship of the Association of Danish Designers, was the founding Board Chairman of the Scandinavian Design College, and is now a board member of the elite DESIGNSALON.

MUSE Design Jury - Ralph Christian Bremenkamp

Germany

Ralph Christian Bremenkamp

Founder and Creative Director, RCBD

Ralph Christian Bremenkamp is an industrial design expert with over 17 years of experience in designing innovative and beautiful, award-winning products for fortune 500 companies. He regularly set marks in the academic field, his designs were published in several international design books and he was a Jury member in various design competitions - just recently for the renowned IF design awards.

During the past years, he has worked as a Principal Design Director for global innovation consultancy frog design and as a Creative Director for BMW Designworks. In 2015, he has founded RCBD GmbH - a small and agile product design studio located in Munich, Germany.

MUSE Design Jury - Rituparna Simlai

United States

Rituparna Simlai

Principal Architect and Landscape Architect, Studio Arth LLC

With remarkable design talent, Rituparna gained additional experience and expertise at renowned design firms in Delhi, California, and Florida on geographically diverse projects scaling from residential design to large master planning and infrastructure projects. Early in her career, she has already earned numerous design and service awards and honors, and accolades from clients at her own firm. Within two years of inception, under her direction, the portfolio of the studio extended beyond landscape design for high-end residences in Coconut Grove, North Miami, and New Delhi to working on research and analysis for ecologically-restorative and socially-just projects in Vietnam, China, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste.

Rituparna was honored with the Exception Emerging Professional Award by the Florida chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

MUSE Design Jury - Neil Poulton

France

Neil Poulton

Head of Agency/Principal, Neil Poulton Industrial Design

Neil Poulton is a Scottish born product designer, based in Paris, France. He specializes in the design of simple, mass-produced objects and has won numerous international design awards. Poulton designs and develops best-selling, award-winning products for manufacturers including LaCie, Artemide, Megalit and Atelier Sedap. Poulton is best known for his designs in the fields of technology and lighting design and is often associated with manufacturers LaCie and Artemide.

Time magazine has included Poulton in 'The Design 100 – The people and ideas behind today's most influential design'. The Centre Georges Pompidou museum in Paris includes six Poulton-designed objects in its Permanent Contemporary Collection. His first major solo exhibition 'design by neil poulton' was held in the Glyptotheque (Zagreb) museum in 2013. Poulton’s Scopas lamp for Artemide was inaugurated into the first Permanent Scottish Gallery of V&A Dundee, Scotland, in 2018.

In 2019 Neil Poulton was named one of le FD100 - the 100 designers who are sharing French Design all over the world.

MUSE Design Jury - Samuel Chuffart

Italy

Samuel Chuffart

Global Design Director, Icona Design

Icona’s Global Design Director, Samuel Chuffart, was one of the company’s founding members in 2010. With a team of just two designers, from these humble beginnings, Samuel Chuffart has grown the company to astonishing heights. Twelve years on, Icona’s client list is now a Who’s Who of global automakers with a significant impact on the new energy vehicles, and new mobility vehicles. Mr. Chuffart manages a team of 74 designers across four continents and dozens of projects simultaneously. At Icona, he has been responsible for such iconic and successful designs as the revered Fuselage, the multiple award-winning Nucleus, the EdisonFuture EFT-1, The Changan Lumin Corn, Weltmeister Maven concept, as well as the Icona Vulcano, the world’s first titanium supercar.

After graduating from Art Center College of Design California in 1998, Mr. Chuffart began his career at Nissan’s European design studio in Munich, followed by London and later Michigan and California.

Over eight years at Nissan’s design studios Mr. Chuffart was directly responsible for several highly acclaimed design concepts and production cars for Nissan. They ranged from compact cars such as the Micra production and Evalia Concept to large iconic cars like the Crossbow. Mr. Chuffart was instrumental in the creation and realization of the Nissan DNA which is known today.

Following Nissan, Mr. Chuffart was a Senior Designer at Jaguar Land Rover where his talent was immediately utilized for the creation of the next generation L405 Range Rover which appeared in 2012. He was later appointed Chief Designer at Stile Bertone in Turin in 2008. As Chief Designer of Stile Bertone, Mr. Chuffart garnered worldwide experience, successfully realizing numerous design projects.

MUSE Design Jury - Stephen Chow

Hong Kong SAR

Stephen Chow

Managing Director, CAN Design Limited

Stephen is the Managing Director of CAN as an award-winning architect with over 20 years of architectural experience in the Asia Pacific. Stephen is a registered Architect and Authorized Person in HKIA, he is also a guest lecturer at the University of Hong Kong and a studio lecturer at the Hong Kong Design Institute.

His diversified and awards-winning portfolio showcases his expertise in master planning, mixed-use, super highrise tower, retail, and urban regenerations scheme, etc. With an eye for quality and a superior sense of style, Stephen has been the chief designer on numerous iconic projects. As an open-minded, creative, and passionate architect, Stephen believes in the importance of a holistic design approach, and he also steps in the new trend research and absorbs new ideas from other industries.

Stephen’s design manifests humanity and sustainability in the urban fabric and he strives to open the design realm into infinite possibilities, transforming clients’ visions into sustainable designs that encompass life, work, and play in the built environment.

MUSE Design Jury - Sebastiano Boni

Italy

Sebastiano Boni

Head of User Experience, Huawei

Sebastiano Boni is a multidisciplinary Design Director on a mission to make technology more human.

Currently based in Milan, he drives Huawei Aesthetic Research Centre's User Experience practice and team, making technology smarter and more human for over 500 million customers worldwide.

As a passionate designer, Sebastiano has ventured into different disciplines of design, developing an integrated vision and transdisciplinary approach. He believes that design is the only key to bridge the gap between humans and technology and, ultimately, creating services and products that feel more natural.

In over 15 years of his career, he has helped design the visual language system of insurance groups that impacted the lives of over 55 million people worldwide, reimagined digital banking in Greece during Capital controls, developed digital platforms for banks to provide a better service to employees and customers, envisioned the future of retail stores in the age of AI and a lot more.

MUSE Design Jury - Catherine Yu

China

Catherine Yu

Founder, CHAMPARTE

The founder of CHAMPARTE DESIGN, Catherine Yu, is an outstanding female design representative of China‘s post80s generation, has been engaged in interior design and art soft decoration for more than ten years. In 2011, CHAMPARTE DESIGN was founded with awe of architecture and interior design. Catherine is good at interpreting the understanding of contemporary space design comprehensively and stereoscopically in the way of metaphor in art and culture.

CHAMPARTE DESIGN hopes that the design can show imagination and poetic lifestyle with elegance. The team of CHAMPARTE DESIGN is composed of design elites from home and abroad, of which 70% are senior designers who have worked for more than ten years and have the international perspective and cross-border integration experience.

MUSE Design Jury - Bret Recor

United States

Bret Recor

Founder & Creative Director, Box Clever

Bret is a veteran in the industry, having worked with brands like Knoll, Herman Miller, Away, Nebia, and more, and is an expert in creating physical experiences that delight consumers and help companies lead market categories. Under Bret’s leadership and vision, Box Clever was recently included in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Design Companies of 2021. Beyond this, his work on projects like Away luggage, Caraway cookware and bakeware, Eddi soap dispensers, Nutshell coolers, and more have gained major traction for their innovative and effective product design. He approaches each of these projects with the same mindset – how can we design items that people will enjoy using and that will benefit their lives in a positive way? Although different, each of his designs achieves the same end – functional, beautiful objects. Recent coverage for Bret's projects include:

Fast Company: The best-designed gifts of 2021 (featuring Eddi and Nutshell)
Forbes: Eddi’s Brand New Hand Washing System Will Help You Ditch Plastic For Good
Fast Company: Move over, yeti. This stylish cooler is made from coconuts
Core77: The Eco-Friendly nutshell Cooler Performs Better Than Styrofoam-Filled Coolers

MUSE Design Jury - Mark Turner

United Kingdom

Mark Turner

Creative Director, Kre8ive Partners

Mark Turner is a highly experienced Creative Director skilled in Art Direction, Typography, POS, Web Design, and Print, with a proven track record of working in the retail and private sectors of the Graphic Design industry. He is currently ranked as the top 100 packaging designers in the world.

He is also a member of the International Association of Designers (IAD) and a Creative Partner of the World Design Consortium.

He has won International Design Awards for packaging, branding and has exhibited in the Museum of Design (MOOD) in Italy and has permanent design work in one of the Design Museums in China.

As a traditionally trained designer with over 30 years of experience, with innovative and forward-thinking designs, Mark is passionate about all aspects of design but his greatest love is packaging.

MUSE Design Jury - Tang Jun

China

Tang Jun

founder and chief architect , JUNYUN Architecture Design Office

Tang Jun is a class-1 registered architect with nearly two decades of experience in the architectural design field. Tang Jun has steered and completed a host of iconic public projects and real estate projects in major cities nationwide, including but not limited to Phoenix Courtyard, Shanshui Shijian, The One Park, Urban Living Room of Dahuangshan Silicon Town, G60 Brain Tech Innovation Base and Mountain Art Center, which have won a great many international design awards. Projects he took part in include high-rise buildings, commercial buildings, offices, hotels. residences, schools, and many more.

MUSE Design Jury - Takbir Fatima

India

Takbir Fatima

Director, DesignAware

Takbir Fatima is an architect and director of the experimental architecture and interdisciplinary design studio, DesignAware and a generative design/computation workshop, the Fractals Workshop.

Takbir has been to various cities in India and Middle East and has taught online worldwide. Takbir also has a MArch from the Design Research Lab at the AA School of Architecture.

She has over 12 years of experience in the field of architecture and is closely connected with academia, teaching at the Boston Architectural College, CEPT University and Meta Open Arts (formerly Facebook Analog Research Lab).

She has served as a juror in multiple events as well as academic juries, and has exhibited her work at various design platforms. Takbir has also been a TEDx speaker in 2017. DesignAware was longlisted as the Dezeen Emerging Architecture Studio of the year 2020.

MUSE Design Jury - Asbjoerk Stanly Mogensen (Brian Hoehl)

Netherlands

Asbjoerk Stanly Mogensen (Brian Hoehl)

CEO, Bikedezign / Design Director Accell Group

Asbjoerk Stanly Mogensen (Brian) is the Global Head of Design at Accell Group. As a pioneer in the bicycle Industry, Brian Hoehl was nominated as Designer Of The Year in Europe during 2017 and 2018. He works as "the glue" between fantastic bikes' brand keys and identity as well as the industrial design DNA behind that keeps the product lines consistent. Building brands using design thinking processes is what he does. With a decade of experience developing and designing products for companies around the world, Brian Hoehl is a winner of more than 200 International Design Awards. He is also the designer and inventor of the original battery inside the downtube, now known as Bosch power tubes. In the last 12 years, he has worked with many automotive companies developing e-mobility vehicles and concepts at Accell Group.

Brian has been designing a number of award winning e-vehicles for PININFARINA in Italy directly for the owner Mr Paolo Pininfarina, and one of them is the worlds' most award winning e-bike - the PININFARINA Evoluzione

Brian is ranked No 1 amongst the DAC vehicle designers. He is ranked number 3 in USA for overall designs and number 8 at the world design rankings.

Brian is a guru in developing brands and brand keys with his background in the adverting industry as design director of enVision back in the days, the biggest advertising agency in Scandinavia. enVision in Aarhus is a part of Bozell group New York.

Brian is also a mentor at the University of Copenhagen mentoring young upcoming designers.

Brian is exceptionally good in organization and execution matters. He puts results above anything else.

A true entrepreneur, Brian’s claim is: “innovate or die”...

MUSE Design Jury - Annabella Hevesi

Hungary

Annabella Hevesi

Head of Design, I O Line and Round

Annabella gained various experiences and knowledge being in the design industry for 8 years. She has been influenced by visual culture since a very young age and developed an even deeper interest then. She spent 5 years studying product design at the Moholy - Nagy University of Art and Design, and then founded the design company I O alongside with Bella Gábor in 2017. She has strong opinions about what good design should be like. Being the head of design of I O has taught her a lot about the challenges of today's design market and the contemporary directions.

Besides the awards won, Annabella worked on prestigious projects, such as the renovation of the Gresham Palace or designing a contemporary furniture collection for the Hungarian Opera House.

MUSE Design Jury - Misak Terzibasiyan

Netherlands

Misak Terzibasiyan

Architect-Director (Owner and Founder), UArchitects

The founder and principal Architect of UArchitects (Urban design and Architects), Misak Terzibasiyan, is personally and professionally focused on an international context as well as on the influence of cultural themes. This is mainly based on his ethnical background, as Misak Terzibasiyan was born in Helsinki (Finland).

He studied at the University of Technology in Eindhoven (The Netherlands) and worked with a number of international architectural offices before founding the company in the cultural and architectural icon, the city of Eindhoven. UArchitects is an international office that welcomes different nationalities.

Our investigative attitude is expressed in the intensive dialogue we undertake with our clients. The scope for reflection is not confined to the projects themselves; we also look into the wider cultural context of architecture and urban development. We are making a social contribution, investigating the position and responsibilities of the architect and urban design.

Reflection is beneficial when interacting with other cultures and it helps us understand our position concerning general themes that are an intrinsic part of society. Understanding the identity of society is fundamental for us when we are designing projects in other cultures and places. This does not refer to a typical critical regionalism, but rather an open approach based on the context and our profession.

MUSE Design Jury - Joon Kwon

South Korea

Joon Kwon

Managing Director / Co-Founder, LR Seoul

Joon Kwon is the Managing Director / Co-Founder of LR Seoul, since 2021.

He has started his career at GREY GROUP, Korea in 2008. Then, he joined Geometry Global followed by Havas as an executive creative director. During 13 years of his Creative career, he has created numerous successful advertising campaigns of renowned global brands such as BMW, Emirates, Heineken, and LG. He has been rewarded with various advertising awards.

He is also a creator committed to working for a better society. His works have been recognized with prominent design awards such as the iF Design Award and IDEA (International Design Excellence Award) in the Social Impact category.

MUSE Design Jury - Hannah Churchill

China

Hannah Churchill

Founder, hcreates interior design

Hannah Churchill is an interior designer with a passion for all things creative, hailing from the South Island of New Zealand. After working at one of New Zealand's top architecture firms, Hannah moved to Shanghai in 2009 to broaden her horizons and began working on her own independent projects, founding hcreates in 2010. Since then, wherever she travels, different cultures and communities expand and influence her design ideas. With a decade of design experience in China, Hannah has crafted more than 100 spaces with an impressive collection of Restaurants and Bars. Hannah continues to expand her portfolio in workspace design and lifestyle spaces with gyms, yoga studios and medical practices.

MUSE Design Jury - José Martinez Silva

Portugal

José Martinez Silva

CEO, Partner and Founder, ATELIER CENTRAL

As the CEO, founder and main leader architect of ATELIER CENTRAL (AC) since 1991, José Martinez Silva, has designed a wide range of projects from the small scale of a private home to the large scale of urban design, residential, educational, civic, hotel, resorts, commercial, leisure, industry, and deep specialization in Brand Design with special emphasis on the automotive sector.

Throughout 1990-1991, he has worked with well-known architects such as João Luís Carrilho da Graça and Gonçalo Byrne. He is a member of the South Regional Board of the Architects Association, a jury member in multiple competitions, and is frequently invited as a guest speaker at conferences, seminars, master classes, and lectures.

His work has been published in well-respected magazines, websites, blogs, and has been recognized in international competitions, distinguished with prestigious awards and prizes such as 2017 American Architecture Prize – The Firm of the Year Awards 2016, International Space Design Award Idea-Tops 2016 - Best Design Award of Cultural Spaces (Montemor-o-Velho School); Architizer A+Awards (BMWi City Sales Outlet); Valmor’s Award 2011 (Vergílio Ferreira School), among others.

In 2014 launched the Start-up myBUILDIN, an online platform that extends AC’s accumulated know-how to help users to estimate the refurbishing costs of their houses/offices/shops according to the chosen finishes and construction works.

Recently he established ATCENTRAL Group, a privately held real estate investment and advisory firm, reinforced by a reliable history of AC’s architectural services and managing.

MUSE Design Jury - Vasil Velchev

Bulgaria

Vasil Velchev

Media & Product Life Cycle Manager, Europe, Ideal Standard International NV

Graduating as a master of electrical engineering, Vasil Velchev actually has more than 10 years of experience as a graphic designer in international companies. In the beginning, product design was more like a hobby, but after some worldwide publications and awards he started to believes more in his ideas.

Several years ago he started a project called MAGMA which has the purpose to collect all of his creations under one roof. The name was chosen on purpose. It tries to describe the designer's feelings about the original idea that stays at the beginning of every project, to wit: it has to be always in 'liquid' form, to be transformed constantly in order to see every form it could take, to be kept alive till the idea became a solid product.

Vasil is also a member of the Grand Jury panel for other prestigious awards, and he has won about 20 international awards in various categories, mostly in furniture design from design awards worldwide.

MUSE Design Jury - Arin Bhowmick

United States

Arin Bhowmick

Chief Design Officer, SAP

Arin Bhowmick currently serves as Chief Design Officer (CDO) for SAP, for its entire portfolio and functions, with over 900 designers globally. Previously, Arin was the CDO for 100+ software products at IBM, leading a global (over 20 + studios) multi-disciplinary, 700+ product design team, with the singular goal of building universal products that users love, across every customer touchpoint.

He led IBM product design teams to win over 60 international Design and Innovation awards. In 2018, IBM's design thinking practice was recognized by Forrester. In 2021, Harvard Business School featured a case study on how IBM integrated design in its product development processes.

MUSE Design Jury - Pierfrancesco Arnone

Italy

Pierfrancesco Arnone

Architect, Pierfrancesco Arnone Studio

Pierfrancesco Arnone graduated in architecture from the University of Palermo.

By 1998 his profession is given to product design and interior design by seeking a blend of primary materials and manufactured to give harmony to the forms, elements in every day and researching methods of recycling waste materials to be applied to design. Moreover, thanks to the contacts with companies from research and product development, he is committed to designing products that apply innovative materials.

In 2004 he founded his own studio in Bagheria, where he lives and designs his works, which are commissioned by international companies. Its activity covers: product design: designing the piece of furniture to lighting, from flooring to furniture and worked with various reputed companies both nationally and internationally as Officine Mandelli, Francolight, Fogazza, Waterjet G & G, Calligaris, Snaidero, Europeo, and many more.

MUSE Design Jury - Somchana Kangwarnjit

Thailand

Somchana Kangwarnjit

Founder, Prompt Design

Somchana Kangwarnjit graduated from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang with a degree in industrial design. In 2007, he founded Prompt Design, helping his clients to build brands and businesses by delivering new experiences in strategies and design executions.

MUSE Design Jury - Jae Leong

Malaysia

Jae Leong

Judging Committee Chairperson, International Awards Associate (IAA)

As the chairperson of IAA's extensive judging committee, Jae serves as a leader within the organization, spearheading efforts to ensure quality and creative excellence in key areas such as design, creative advertising, marketing communications, video production, and business. She is also a primary award representative at IAA and has successfully administered assessments throughout her career.

Jae places particular emphasis on coordinating strategic arrangements across diverse jury panels, establishing herself as one of the industry's finest. With a keen eye for management, Jae has executed her role meticulously, making sure that each entrant receives the evaluations they rightly deserve for their efforts. Moreover, her work with professionals worldwide has positioned her at the nexus of specialization, allowing her to develop top-notch communication and relationship management skills.

MUSE Design Jury - Wang Zhike,Li Xiaoshui

China

Wang Zhike,Li Xiaoshui

Founder, TOPWAY SPACE DESIGN CO., LTD (FOSHAN)

FOSHAN TOPWAY DESIGN was co-founded by Wang Zhike and Li Xiaoshui in 2002. The practice mainly works on quality commercial spaces and upscale residences, offering integrated solutions ranging from project planning, architecture, interior, landscape to furnishings.

Based on modernist aesthetics and guided by naturalism, TOPWAY SPACE DESIGN CO., LTD (FOSHAN) conceived a space suitable for the current context and explores the trends of future spaces as well. They combine oriental artistic conceptions with western structural aesthetics to strike a balance among functionality, humanism, and art, intending to create a unique, poetic space. Meanwhile, they emphasize the importance of commercial logic and operational principles for space and attach great importance to the executions and realizations of design concepts, hoping to maximize the commercial value for brands.

MUSE Design Jury - Jeremy Smith

New Zealand

Jeremy Smith

Design Director, Irving Smith Architects, Adjunct Professor

Jeremy is the Design Director of Irving Smith Architects, a research-based design practice working in sensitive environments throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad. The practice has won a string of international awards, multiple New Zealand Architecture Awards in public, residential and commercial categories, and have three times represented New Zealand at the Prague International Architecture Festival, where their Soft Context: Soft Architecture exhibitions presented their practice approach of participating with existing landscapes before generating new contexts.

Jeremy writes for Architecture New Zealand, has judged national architecture awards in New Zealand and India, and at World Architecture Festivals in Singapore, Berlin, Amsterdam and Lisbon, while continuing to regularly lecture about the practices work and research around the world. He is the 2023 John G. Williams Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design in Arkansas, USA, an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Free State in South Africa, an International Advisor to the Saveetha College of Architecture and Design in Chennai, India, and formerly an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, where he teaches iterative design at Masters-level and undertook a design-based PHD between practice commitments. Key to his practice, teaching and research is understanding how buildings inhabit an environment that constantly undergoes change, be it in city or rural landscapes.

MUSE Design Jury - Hans-Petter Bjørnådal

Norway

Hans-Petter Bjørnådal

Architect, Bjørnådal Arkitektstudio

Hans-Petter Bjørnådal (1977) is a Norwegian architect, graduated from the Bergen School of Architecture (BAS) in 2003. Besides architecture and scenography, he is focused on the research of nomadic cultures and the connection between the modern man and nature.

His works have been internationally published in Topos, Byggekunst, Architectural Worlds, Architizer, Designboom, and Arch Daily among others. The environmental theatre Klemet was a finalist in the Architizer 2015 + Awards.

MUSE Design Jury - Yolande Wong

China

Yolande Wong

CEO, Beijing Zhijian Culture Communication Co.,Ltd

Ms. Yolande Wong has been deeply engaged in the media industry for ten years and has rich experience in brand management, media communication, and marketing planning. She is also one of the first brand operation managers in the design field to put forward and practice the strategy of market segmentation in China. She not only has a unique experience in the Chinese market but also has the ability to provide global services to customers. Ms Wong is also a Senior Freelance Journalist and the Chief Content Operating Officer of DESIGNKEEPER.

She has served in hundreds of design companies and decoration groups such as Golden Mantis, Grandland Group, Matrix Design, and Tengyuan Design, planning and implementing dozens of design projects & activities, managing up to 1000 people. Her articles are often seen in “Chinese Architectural Decoration”, “Personage Decoration” and other publications.

MUSE Design Jury - Ching-Wen Huang

Taiwan

Ching-Wen Huang

Chief Design Officer, D.H.I.A International Design CO.,Ltd

Ching-Wen Huang is the Director of D.H.I.A International Design, where her professionalism and experience allows her to inject life into each living space and workspace she touches.

Emphasizing on quality of life and value, her designs are philosophized with the ideology of ‘design from life, life from design’. Her success is also attributed to her impeccable communication with her clients and the understanding of their point of view, allowing each design to have a soul of its own.

Her recent accolades include being named a Top 100 Best Interior Designer in "Interior Design”, winning Gold and Jury Awards in Dubai International Competition, two Silver Awards in Novum Design Awards and winner at the International Property Awards.

MUSE Design Jury - Marco Mascetti

Italy

Marco Mascetti

CEO, MrSmith Studio

Marco Mascetti is the founder and owner of MrSmith Studio, a Milan based design studio active since 2005, with two offices in Italy.

The consultancy offered by the Studio focuses on the "Design As An Input®" approach, ie the ability to integrate the skills of Design in the company before and regardless of the final phase of designing a product.

This allows MrSmith Studio to realize, together with its customers, projects in which the creative component is effectively integrated with technological, process and functional innovations.

The different experiences acquired over the years have led to the creation of a team of highly qualified professionals who, under the direction of Marco Mascetti, collaborate in the development of a holistic approach to the project.

MrSmith Studio promotes the idea that "Design Thinking" can best express itself only when managed by Designers.

MUSE Design Jury - Pablo Vidiella Huguet

Spain

Pablo Vidiella Huguet

CEO, HenkaLab

Pablo Vidiella was born in 1984 in Madrid, where he is currently based. Interested in arts, he decided to study Architecture, obtaining the degree in 2013. After that he moved to London, where he started working in a well-known architectural practice, having the opportunity to work in different fields and scales of architecture and design, getting in touch with technical and digital fabrication. Back in Madrid, he decided to train and focus exploring and investigating creation boundaries as a personal challenge until today.

MUSE Design Jury - Kurt Kupper

Switzerland

Kurt Kupper

Board Member, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet

Kurt Kupper is an experienced C-level manager with a deep international background and extensive high-profile network mainly in the world of prestigious brands and a successful global brand creator.

After obtaining Swiss federal diplomas in advertising and sales management, Kurt Kupper followed MBA studies at New York University. He began his career with the shop-fitting group Umdasch, and then became CEO of the U.S. branch of a leading Swiss beverage company. After this, he moved into watchmaking, first working for Hublot as Chief Executive of the U.S. branch, and then for Binda, an Italian producer and distributor of Longines and Breil watches. Kupper returned to Hublot as Chief Executive, at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland where he led the company’s turnaround. He was appointed as CEO of Reuge SA in September 2006.

Kupper is also a Board Member of both the Testuz winery and the Swiss Export Association; gives lectures about Luxury Marketing at universities, and is a founding member of the China Luxury Industry Association.

MUSE Design Jury - Wu Wei

China

Wu Wei

Founder and creative director, IN.X Design

As the founder and creative director of IN.X based in Beijing, the interior architect Wu Wei is a master in Chinese catering space design. He is the designated designer for some popular restaurants in China, such as Siji Minfu Roast Duck Restaurant, Hu Da Restaurant, etc. With the design philosophy of “Strategy First, Design Follows”, he has maintained close strategic partnerships with many leading Chinese catering brands. With deep attainments in aesthetics and global perspectives in business, he provides accurate business and design strategies for brands, thus, creating sustainable vitality for brand development. Wu Wei has witnessed and nourished the development of new generation catering brands.

MUSE Design Jury - Paolo Cappello

Italy

Paolo Cappello

CEO, Paolo Cappello Design Studio

Paolo Cappello is born in 1980 in Verona and graduated in Industrial Design at Politecnico di Milano. After a three years collaboration with Ludovica+Roberto Palomba in Milan, in 2007 he set up his own studio in Verona where he collaborates with other professionals in architecture, communication, and graphics.

He received many international prizes for his works, most recent ones have been: 2008 Promosedia International Design Competition, 2008 Greener Gadgets Design Competition, 2008 Swarowski Crystal Visions, 2009 Antoniolupi Design Competition, 2009 Progetto Deco Design Competition, and 2009 Ossigeno Italiano Prize by Abitare Magazine.

Paolo also collaborates with Rolling Stone magazine writing the design column for the online edition. Paolo's works have been featured by main international magazines and newspapers as NY Times, Herald Tribune, Abitare, Interni, Ottagono, Residence, Icon, Elle Decor, Rolling Stone.

MUSE Design Jury - Chloe Fan

United States

Chloe Fan

CEO, design with FRANK

Chloe Fan is the Co-founder and CEO of design with FRANK. FRANK is an AI Powered design software that allows you to create your dream home with architectural drawings in just a few clicks.

Chloe graduated from the Cooper Union School of Architecture with a full scholarship in 2018. Recognition for her graduate work includes the highest academic honor, the Toni & David Yarnell Award for Excellence in Architecture. Wallpaper Magazine even named her an Outstanding Architecture Graduate of 2018. Her graduation projects have been exhibited at galleries in New York and at the University of Santiago de Chile.

She has worked on major museum projects, including the Grand Canal Museum and the Tesoro di Dan Gennaro Museum. Her work was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2018. In the same year, she also designed and invented a large-scale 3D printer, which was exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Her invention, "Instant Lounge", a 3D printer that prints furniture in real time, was unveiled at the 2019-2020 Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism.

MUSE Design Jury - Ryan Brazelton

United States

Ryan Brazelton

Chief Creative Officer, ChangeUp

Ryan is responsible for providing creative leadership and inspiration at retail experience and branding agency ChangeUp. He leads a multi-disciplinary team through all aspects of the design process, providing passion and vision toward innovative and differentiated experiences. He has delivered unique and effective solutions to clients including Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, The Vitamin Shoppe, Trek Bikes, Taco Bell, and many more.

MUSE Design Jury - Jiaru Lin

United States

Jiaru Lin

3D Senior Global Packaging Designer, Tom Ford Beauty

Jiaru Lin is a packaging designer from Taipei, Taiwan. After obtaining her M.S. Packaging Design at Pratt Institute, she has been working in New York. Jiaru’s project ranges from packaging design, graphic design, and to digital design.

She used to work at Baron&Baron and InterParfums, concentrating on packaging designs for beauty and fashion brands, with clients such as: GUCCI, Dauphin, NARS, Comme des Garçons, Anna Sui, ZARA, Oscar de la Renta, etc. She is currently a packaging designer at Tom Ford Beauty.

MUSE Design Jury - Chen Xi

China

Chen Xi

Deputy principal architect, Shanghai PTArchitects

Chen Xi has been engaging in architectural design for nearly two decades. Being the deputy principal architect at Shanghai PTArchitects (one of the major architectural design company in China), and a class-A registered architect, Chen Xi is committed to exploring the diversified relationships between architecture and people, as well as the environment. His project portfolio mainly includes high-rise offices, commercial complexes and upscale residences, and he has conceived a series of impressive works. By assuming the role of chief designer, he has steered multiple projects like Westown and Greater Bay Area Financial Center, which won many design awards locally and abroad.

MUSE Design Jury - Ronn Lee

China

Ronn Lee

Creative Director, BEAMY

Ronn is a multidisciplinary brand and design creative with over 20 years of industry experience – leading concept, branding, graphic design, interactive and product ideation projects across different industry sectors.

She is the Founding Partner and Creative Director of BEAMY, a branding and multi-disciplinary creative outfit headquartered in Shanghai, with offices in Singapore and New York.

A fearless pioneer, she moved from Singapore to Shanghai and eventually co-founded BEAMY, after discovering China’s burgeoning market potential for branding and creative services. Prior to Shanghai, Ronn worked as an Art Director in Tokyo. Her experience in Singapore, Japan and China has exposed her to vastly different working cultures, creative and design sensibilities.

Till date, Ronn’s works have garnered over 100 international design and creative awards. She is also on the jury panel alongside some of the industry’s greats in a number of international award shows.

MUSE Design Jury - Tao Chen & Jade Lee

China

Tao Chen & Jade Lee

DesignRe-explore Founder & Co-Founder, DesignRe-explore

Tao Chen & Jade Lee are the founders and co-founders of DesignRe-explore. DesignRe-explore (www.indesignadd.com) is an international media agency headquartered in Guangzhou with offices in London. DesignRe-explore has also established design industry platforms such as HEPER, an international design masterpiece sharing platform, and iawards, an international design competition platform. Tao Chen and Jade Lee have been working in the architectural and interior design industry for nearly a decade, and have extensive experience in brand strategy, public relations and marketing planning. They have served over 200 founders, partners and managers of architectural and interior design firms, and have selected and sent designers or organizations to participate in prestigious international design competitions and helped them win nearly 600 awards. Tao Chen and Jade Lee are committed to providing a platform for Chinese and foreign designers to exchange and collaborate, aiming to discover and promote original and innovative design works, and to promote design practitioners who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of real estate development, architectural design, interior design and aesthetic creativity worldwide, so as to select industry experts and design talents with innovative contributions, forward-looking ideas and aesthetic creativity, and to provide them with a preferred platform to showcase their best works and help their business development. The event is designed to select industry experts and design talents with innovative contributions, forward-looking ideas, aesthetic creativity, and provide them with a preferred platform to showcase their work and facilitate business development. Over the years, Tao Chen and Jade Lee have integrated and cooperated with more than 1,000 media outlets and have a media publishing matrix with art and design, real estate and home, news and information, culture and entertainment as the core.

MUSE Design Jury - XiongBo Deng

China

XiongBo Deng

Founder & Creative Director, ShenZhen Lingyun Creative Packaging Design Co.,Ltd.

Started working in packaging design and branding since 2010, it has been the 10th year for XiongBo Deng in this field. He is the founder and Creative Director of Shenzhen Lingyun Creative Packaging (LEADWAY) since 2013.

With the growing consumer awareness toward shopping experience and aesthetics, he believes that the brand and designer should create a more enjoyable experience and design service in China. His work recognized by Pentawards, The Dieline Awards, D&AD, The One Club, Red Dot Awards, iF design awards, IDEA, Graphis Design Annual, Core77 Design Awards, Topawards Asia, among others. And in 2020 won the Pentawards designer of the year.

At present, he is also a judge of Pentawards, ADC, and TOPAWARDSASIA.

MUSE Design Jury - Florian Seidl

Italy

Florian Seidl

Design Manager, Lavazza

Florian Seidl is an experienced, creative designer and currently Lavazza's design manager. In Turin, he has set up a compact, but a very talented in-house team from scratch and in that function, he's responsible for the corporate design of Lavazza. This ranges from domestic coffee and espresso machines to professional office machines and vending solutions, tableware, accessories, and packaging.

Numerous projects he and his team designed are already on the market and have won quite a few important design awards – iF, Red Dot and German Design Awards, and many more.

In the last few years, he helped to firmly position Lavazza on the map of modern Italian Design, making sure the approach and design are also communicated properly on a national and international level.

Before joining Lavazza, Florian was a senior member of the design team that developed the Fiat 500 successfully into a whole range of different models and many other projects that can now be seen on the road. At Kiska, he also has done work for KTM and as a freelancer for various other non-automotive brands. He always has a strong feeling for brand identity and is able to see the bigger picture beyond the project as a mere product.

MUSE Design Jury - Hsiao-Han Chen

United States

Hsiao-Han Chen

Senior Art Director, Motto

Hsiao-Han Chen is an award-winning Art Director based in New York City specializing in branding and packaging design. She is a mix of a hands-on and versatile creative as well as a strategic and methodical thinker. Her distinctive educational background in product, packaging, graphic design, and diverse work experiences have made her multi-disciplined with well-rounded design approaches and holistic understanding in brand development in various industries. She currently works at Motto, a global strategic branding agency that works with distinguished companies such as Google, Hershey’s, GoodNotes, Reckitt Benckiser, Ninjas In Pyjamas, Noovie, and more.Her projects are recognized by international design awards and featured in Forbes, The Dieline, Packaging of the World, Graphic Design USA, Core77, Beauty Packaging and more.

MUSE Design Jury - Andrew Smith

United Kingdom

Andrew Smith

MD and Chairman, B Smith Packaging Ltd

Andrew Smith has worked in the packaging industry for over thirty years and is the third generation. An engineer by training he is involved with the design and creation of the client's packaging from the start. He worked with Superdry from their initiation and has clients across many different sectors from premium wines and spirits, jewelers, High St clothing, E-commerce, Luxury goods.

He is honest, has an eye for detail, is entrepreneurial and has been at the forefront of packaging development and the transition from plastic to paper, recycled plastic bottle bags, and the 'bags for life' concept. His engineering background allows him to explore many different substrates and how they will display be stored in the environment whether that be High St, E-Commerce or wholesale. He is heavily focused on sustainability and the re-use, recycle aspect of packaging.

MUSE Design Jury - Zhou Wen Jun

China

Zhou Wen Jun

Founder, Design Director & Architect, Zhou Wen Jun Design Ltd / 524 STUDIO

Zhou has been invited to United States and Italy as Design Jury for several international design awards. Such as SPARK Architecture and Design Awards (2013.US), A' Design Awards (2013-2014.IT), Vertex Awards (2014-2015.US), A' Design Awards (2015-2016.IT), and Vertex Awards (2015-2016.US). His work has earned a plethora of international awards, mainly including: The Art Directors Club Cube (US), One Show Design Pencil (US), Red Dot Awards (DE), Cannes Lions (FR), Tokyo Type Directors Club (JP), HKDA global design awards (HK), A' Design Awards(IT), International Photography Awards (US), Japan Typography Association (JP), Design For Asia Awards(HK), GRAPHIS Gold Award (US), China National Art Exhibition highest prize (CN) and other awards. He graduated from the School of Architecture at China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). He then majored and graduated with a master's degree in urban image design at the School of Design, also at CAFA. He is a Cube Awarded Member of New York the Art Directors Club (ADC), Pencil Awarded Member of New York The One Club, Member of The Architectural League New York and Member of the China Artists Association. Zhou's work has been published and exhibited globally, such as United States, Japan, Germany, British, Brazil, China, South Africa, India, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Singapore, Austria, Chile, South Korea, Slovenia, Thailand, Argentina, France, and Switzerland.

MUSE Design Jury - Liu Xu

China

Liu Xu

Founder and chief designer, Shangze Design

Liu Xu is the Founder of Shangze Design. He is also a contemporary young designer. With creative spirit, Liu Xu has always adhered to the design concept of freedom and has designed hotels, recreation clubs, high-end real estate showflats, sales centers, offices and public projects.

He strives to propose the best solutions for owners in terms of design and engineering, and continuously injects innovative, artistic, and cultural design concepts into every design work. He is good at exploring more possibilities in traditional spaces, giving each design a distinctive personality and vigorous vitality. The extraction and application of space composition, traditional culture, art and philosophy, with digital analysis tools and international design methods, leads him to be committed towards creating real contemporary peak designs.

MUSE Design Jury - Vadim Kibardin

Czech Republic

Vadim Kibardin

B.A./CEO/Designer, KIBARDIN Design Studio

Vadim Kibardin grew up in Omsk, Russia, and graduated from the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art’s Industrial Design Department, Ekaterinburg in 1996.

In 2000 Vadim established KIBARDINDESIGN studio. He has been involved in the design of a range of different products, from consumer electronics, furniture, and interior settings to film sets. Since 2005 Vadim Kibardin has been living in Prague, where his Kibardindesign studio started production of his own trademarked goods which have been selling worldwide.

Kibardin’s approach to design emphasizes both innovation and functionality. He takes the minimalist philosophy of stripping an object to its essentials to a completely new level. By exploring new ideas, materials, and technologies, and executing them well, Kibardin’s work is highly artistic, smart, and always inspiring.

The most striking examples of projects by Vadim Kibardin have won the most prestigious international design awards such as “Good Design Awards”, “iF Product Design Award” and “Red Dot Design Award”, “Promosedia International Design Competition”, “Design and Design”, and “Charman design competition”.

Vadim Kibardin was nominated in the Design section of the 2013 World Technology Awards. These award finalists and nominees are those individuals (in 20 categories) and companies/organizations (in 10 categories) who are—in the opinion of the WTN fellows and founding members, through the awards voting process—producing innovative work of “the greatest likely long-term significance” in their fields. They are those creating the 21st century.

According to Wallpaper magazine, Vadim is on the list of 40 designers “who will change the world”, along with Jonathan Eve, Ora Ito, John Maeda, the Bouroullec brothers, and other professionals under age 50.

Ross Lovegrove said that Vadim Kibardin opened his eyes to Russian design. Vadim was the only designer to be given the German Chancellor’s grant in the area of industrial design. He has organized and participated in more than 30 personal and group exhibitions.

Vadim Kibardin is an inventor, author, scientist, and artisan. His designs bring about a positive social impact, materialize an ideology, and trigger specific human behavior. Most of his time is spent looking for materials or technologies that define the future of humanity.

MUSE Design Jury - Barry Imber

Canada

Barry Imber

Owner/Brand Strategist/Senior Graphic Designer, Insite Design

Insite, based in Burlington ON, was founded in 1993 and is led by Barry Imber and his partner Leslie Akse. Barry Imber strives to see the point and message behind the package and brand and he looks for the brand through the design, to see how the design told the story but also how it overcame physical challenges such as materials or containment of the goods inside and the additional layer of how the package, in itself, elevated the goods to complete a finished emotional and physical object that was greater than its parts. Finally, he looks to see if the finished product was successful in convincing him to engage with it as well as a win with audiences to achieve the goal.

MUSE Design Jury - Shuang Guo

United States

Shuang Guo

Fashion Design Director, Fame Fashion House

Shaly Guo is a talented New York-based designer from the School of Art Institute of Chicago with a very unique and imaginative style. She is also the Design Director of Fame Fashion House, Co-founder of Varena de Bella, ETFashion Couture Enlightenment Instructor, and currently in the process of establishing her own brand.

Her work is characterized by an imaginative flair with a touch of boldness and has been showcased at a variety of events including New York Fashion Week, Austin Fashion Week, and Chicago Fashion Week as well as international fashion magazines such as Vogue, Sanction, Soleil, etc. Prior to starting her own independent clothing line, Shaly Guo, she worked extensively under internationally renowned brands such as Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Club Monaco, etc. Shaly always has a passion for old toys as imaginative tools to cross the boundaries of reality and float into a fantasy world.

Shaly is a CFA member and a judge of ETFashion GDA.

MUSE Design Jury - Ilana Seleznev

Russia

Ilana Seleznev

Manger, Studio RDD

Ilana Seleznev is an accomplished leader in Product Strategy and Business Transformation within the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry, boasting 15 years of expertise in driving long-term strategic growth and maximizing profitability. Currently serving as the Director of the Enterprise Transformation Office, her focus lies in enhancing the profitability of Salesforce, the #1 customer relationship management software and the fastest-growing software company in history. Throughout her career, she has firmly established herself as a distinguished authority in the realm of SaaS Product and Business. One of her notable achievements includes spearheading Salesforce's International expansion, unlocking new strategic global markets that fuel revenue growth and bolster operating margins. Ilana is also a constant winner of various international awards due to her methodology "The Math Of Design Thinking Inside The Box" in which she developed, proving her tremendous excellence in the field.

Her prowess in the industry has garnered recognition and entrusted her with significant responsibilities. The executive leadership at Autodesk handpicked her to evaluate, rank, and select internal conference proposals from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, she has had the privilege of serving as a Globee Award jury member, contributing her expertise to recognize outstanding achievements in the industry. Driven by her passion for mentorship and giving back to the community, she has been honored to be a featured speaker at Product School, sharing insights and inspiring a community of 100k members globally. In a testament to her dedication to promoting Equality and inclusion, she has been elected to the prestigious Salesforce Women's Network Equality board in 2023, further amplifying her impact within the organization.

MUSE Design Jury - Yimeng Teng

United States

Yimeng Teng

Project Architect, Ro Rockett Design

Yimeng is a licensed architect and AIA member in the United States. She currently works for Ro | Rockett Design in Los Angeles as a project architect on large scale residential projects. Yimeng has an undergraduate degree in Highway and Bridge Engineering from Southeast University, and received her Master of Architecture from University of Virginia in 2015. She is a multiple award winner with projects exhibited and media coverage in both United States and China.

MUSE Design Jury - Peng Hsu Chen

Taiwan

Peng Hsu Chen

Design Director, Aesthetice of space design Co., Ltd.

Design Director Peng-Hsu Chen is a visionary in the realm of spatial design, deeply committed to aligning human living spaces with the natural rhythms of the earth. Embodying a philosophy of simplicity and humility, Chen skillfully infuses these principles into every aspect of his designs. His illustrious career spans over a decade, marked by significant participation in both national and international competitions. Chen's innovative approach and dedication have earned him consecutive international awards, cementing his reputation in the design world.

Beyond his accomplishments in design competitions, Chen is recognized for his extensive collection of international professional certifications. His expertise and insight have led to prestigious roles as a judge in design competitions across Taiwan and China. At the heart of Chen's design philosophy is a harmonious blend of earth sustainability, spatial aesthetics, and health considerations. He integrates environmental consciousness and human well-being into his designs through the careful selection and application of building materials.

Chen champions creation over mere manufacturing, placing the ecosystem at the forefront of his work and emphasizing the delicate balance between humans and the environment. His designs are meticulously crafted to ensure the health of users while respecting and cherishing the resources provided by nature. Through his work, Chen strives to achieve a sustainable coexistence between humans and their environment, creating designs that are not only environmentally friendly but also rich in aesthetic value. His commitment to this ethos results in spaces that are a testament to sustainable, beautiful living, benefiting both the planet and their inhabitants.

MUSE Design Jury - Alice Li

United States

Alice Li

Director, Cultural Strategy and Innovation, sparks and honey (Omnicom Group)

Alice is a Director of Cultural Strategy and Innovation at sparks & honey (Omnicom Group), a future-focused consultancy that leverages tech-led cultural intelligence to help organizations understand mega and macro global shifts and stay ahead of accelerating change. s&h typically solves three types of problems. NOW: realigning cultural relevance; NEXT: opportunities mapping and prioritization to inform product innovation; FUTURE: global shift stacking, strategic 2030, disruption compass, business transformation. As a quantitative futurist with a decade of experience in foresight and innovation strategy, Alice has consulted with C-suite executives of Fortune 100 businesses to support their decision-making processes. "It is critical for cultural consultancy and futurists to arm the design community with diverse cultural resources, and the skills necessary to identify signals, because this would enable the next generation to future-proof their design choices and become responsible and reflective members of society as they start making meaningful contributions to the world."

MUSE Design Jury - Wu Ziqin

China

Wu Ziqin

Founder / Design Director, Lq & ArchiStudio (Zhuhai)

Wu Ziqin is one of the first undergraduate students in China to graduate in interior and furniture design, with over 20 years of accumulated experience in environmental space design. Additionally, he is the first designer of art container architecture and co-working spaces in Zhuhai,ICDA Senior Interior Designer. Lq & ArchiStudio (Zhuhai) was established in 2015, composed of architects and interior designers with international perspectives. The company's business covers various fields, including architecture, interior, and furniture design, with projects located in several countries in Asia. In recent years, the company has focused on historic building renovations and redevelopment projects, successfully completing projects such as Beishan International Cultural and Creative Community.

MUSE Design Jury - Daisuke Nagatomo

Japan

Daisuke Nagatomo

Assistant Professor, National Taiwan Normal University

Daisuke Nagatomo is a Japan-born designer and educator. He has won several international design awards, including Design of the Year (A’Design Award), Best of Golden Pin (Taiwan), and also 40 Under 40 from Perspective Magazine (Hong Kong).

He has also been serving as Jury panel for A’Design Award for the past 4 years. Daisuke Nagatomo graduated from Meiji University in Tokyo and decided to pursue his passion for architecture at Columbia University, where he received a master’s degree in advanced architectural design. Nagatomo began his career in the metropolitan New York area with architecture firms, including TEN Arquitectos and Design Office for Research and Architecture. He was the invited researcher for the FabLab House project at IaaC, Barcelona from 2009 to 2010 where he holds a research diploma.

Nagatomo is currently the full-time assistant professor of the National Taiwan Normal University and has taught several schools including Pratt Institute (New York), Tokyo Denki University, Chung Yuan Christian University, and National Chiao Tung University.

MUSE Design Jury - Khaled Elnems

United Arab Emirates

Khaled Elnems

Q.C. & Industrial Product Designer, PARSONS Infrastructure & Technology Group Inc.

Khaled Elnems, a born and Abu Dhabi-based R&D Innovations Q.C., possesses vast expertise as a jury member on the Committee for International Engineering Invention & Innovation Exhibitions. Furthermore, he serves as a Co-founder and Head of Delegation for International Innovations Exhibitions in Egypt and the U.A.E, advocating for young inventors and representing them in local and international events. With a strong focus on supporting women and young marginalized inventors, he actively fosters cooperation, enabling them to achieve international recognition and rewards.

MUSE Design Jury - Aleksandr Volodkovich

Russia

Aleksandr Volodkovich

UX/UI | Product designer, Tinkoff

Aleksander Volodkovich is an experienced User Experience and User Interface Designer with over 8 years of expertise. Currently, he holds the position of a Product Designer at Tinkoff, serving more than 32 million users. He is also a member of the jury for various international design competitions and has been awarded several prestigious honors, including the MUSE Design Awards, Vega Digital Awards, GDUSA Design Awards, C-IDEA DESIGN AWARD, Online Design Awards, and Best App Design Award. Aleksander Volodkovich actively participates in mentoring for designers and has been consistently recognized as one of the top mentors on the ADPList platform.

MUSE Design Jury - Shawn Goh Chin Siang

Malaysia

Shawn Goh Chin Siang

Co-founder & Creative Director, Shawn Goh Design Lab.

MUSE Design Jury - Artem Kropovinsky

United States

Artem Kropovinsky

Founder and Principal Designer, Arsight

Artem Kropovinsky is more than just an expert in interior design; he is a luminary who has dedicated over a decade to the industry. His passion for the craft is palpable, with his work extending far beyond mere occupation to a testament of life's remarkable pursuits. As the visionary behind Arsight, a renowned New York-based design studio, Artem has led groundbreaking projects across both residential and commercial spaces. His versatility and adaptability have consistently set him apart.

Recognition of Artem's prowess was unmistakably evident when he emerged as a finalist in the NYCxDESIGN Awards. This acknowledgment underlines both his innovative spirit and his profound respect for cultural heritage in design. Always on the cutting edge, Artem champions the integration of the Metaverse, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) in his projects. Such pioneering efforts have redefined client experiences, particularly for partners like Societhy. By offering immersive pre-implementation visualizations, he allows clients to fully grasp their future spaces, thereby solidifying their confidence and minimizing potential risks.

Artem's professional relationships tell another story of his excellence. His collaborations with luxury property developers in New York have consistently delivered dual benefits: an elevated aesthetic appeal and significant financial returns. Such projects have optimized completion timelines and meaningfully boosted property valuations. As a leader, Artem shines in mentoring roles. At the helm of a dynamic design team, he emphasizes individual growth, ensuring that every member reaches their zenith of potential.

Further, Artem's collaborations span a diverse spectrum. From esteemed furniture makers like Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio to tech innovators such as Virtual Staging Solutions, his partnerships are indicative of a holistic approach to design solutions. A unique feather in his cap is his expertise in marrying historical reverence with contemporary design. Notable projects like the Weyanoke Hotel and Catbird Restaurants bear testimony to this skill, wherein spaces are crafted to be both enduring and current.

MUSE Design Jury - Lichen Ding

China

Lichen Ding

Founder & Chief Designer, DLCA Architects

Lichen Ding is an award-winning designer with experience spanning across multiple disciplines and industries, being dabbled in architecture, interior space, fields of art installations, and service areas throughout culture, hotel, commercial, office, real estate and brand planning.

He has a passion for art since childhood and has always aspired to design for spatial comfort and simplicity. His designs are well received by clients as a blend of inspiration and functionality. With solid knowledge in architecture and interior designs, he started his career working with land developers after getting professional qualifications in his early twenties.

His project designs have won several international authoritative awards, and has served as a Grand Jury Member of a prestigious design award based in Italy.

MUSE Design Jury - Tiago Russo

Portugal

Tiago Russo

Chief Design Officer, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.

With 12 years of design experience, Tiago Russo emphasizes that design goes beyond aesthetics and functionality, focusing on creating user experiences. He has worked with renowned brands like The Macallan, Louis Vuitton, and McLaren, demonstrating their expertise in luxury lifestyle domains. Possessing a Master's degree in Product Design with a specialization in Automotive Design, Tiago Russo is dedicated to achieving perfection in design, from concept to production, while staying attuned to culture and innovation. He believes in the importance of extensive design knowledge for impartial judging. He sees inspiration as a result of knowledge and research, essential for crafting innovative designs.

MUSE Design Jury - Yiying Tang

United States

Yiying Tang

Architectural Designer, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)

With a background at the globally renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC (KPF), Yiying Tang offers a unique global perspective and extensive adaptability in tailoring architectural designs to diverse contexts. Having earned a Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Zhejiang University, she possesses a strong academic foundation for critical evaluation of architectural concepts. As a LEED AP, BD+C accredited professional, Yiying Tang is dedicated to sustainable and environmentally responsible design, prioritizing projects that positively impact both the environment and communities. She has a track record of receiving awards and recognition within the architectural community, with their innovative design skills acknowledged by industry experts and featured in international news publications. With this wealth of experience and expertise, she brings a formidable perspective to the judging panel.

MUSE Design Jury - Yanlin Ma

United States

Yanlin Ma

UX Engineer, Google

Yanlin serves as UX Engineer at Google, where he is dedicated to driving design innovations within Google Workspaces. As an award-winning designer and developer, Yanlin's exceptional contributions to the field span various domains, including art, design, motion graphics, and emerging technologies. He also holds a role as a judge for the FWA (Favourite Website Awards), lending his expertise to recognize and celebrate excellence in digital design and innovation. His expertise extends beyond traditional design principles, encompassing proficiency in leveraging emerging technologies to enhance user experiences and drive business success.

MUSE Design Jury - YAFEI ZHANG

United States

YAFEI ZHANG

Associate Principal / BIM Lead / Adjunct Professor, Kohn Pedersen Fox; Kean University

With over a decade of experience in the architecture field, Yafei has honed her expertise in large-scale, multi-building urban developments, with a particular focus on contemporary workplaces. As a BIM Leader and Associate Principal at KPF, she has led the technical execution of projects from concept through completion, notably the Bund Fosun Center in Wuhan, China. Since 2020, with her critical knowledge, Yafei has served as BIM lead for a large team executing a 1.2 million-square-foot interior office fit-out for a well-known multinational technology company at 50 Hudson Yards in New York City. As an adjunct professor of Architecture at Kean University, she has led the Professional Practice Seminar. Imparting practical knowledge and real-world insights to aspiring next generation of architects and helping them bridge the gap between academic learning and the demands of the professional architecture industry.

MUSE Design Jury - Danilo Villanueva

United States

Danilo Villanueva

Creative Director, MRM/Mccann and Makina & Co

Danilo Villanueva Jr is a Creative Director, Design Director, and Entrepreneur with 15+ years of international experience working in multinational agencies like TBWAChiatDay Los Angeles, Saatchi Los Angeles, Leo Burnett Dubai, BBDO Beijing and MRM/Mccann New York.

He’s built global and regional integrated campaigns for major brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Toyota, Emirates Airlines, Cartier, VISA, Enfamil, Tencent, Sony and others. He is also Creative Director & Founder of Makina & Co, a creative studio that provides design solutions for its own brands and for other local brands that play in the world of accessories/apparel and automotive with work that have been featured by international style, watch and news publications like: Esquire, Monochrome Watches, Entrepreneur, Worn & Wound, Time & Tide Watches, ABS-CBN, Oracle Time, Manila Times and others.

His work has gained recognition from international creative organizations such as: ADC Annual Awards, Dubai Lynx, Webby, IDA International Design Awards, NY Product Design Awards, Design Boom, European Product Design Awards, Luerzer’s Archive, Madstars, Effies, London Design Awards, Muse Design Awards, London International Creative Competition, Architecture & Design Community and others.

MUSE Design Jury - Rajesh Kandula

United States

Rajesh Kandula

Principal R&D Engineer, Jenavalve

With 15+ years of experience in diverse industries, including medical devices, consumer goods, heavy engineering, and automotive, Rajesh excels in guiding products from concept to launch. His expertise in design validation and failure analysis ensures the timely release of high-quality products. Passionate about leveraging FEA simulations for design validation, test validations, and optimization, he predicts failure and conducts root cause analysis. As a collaborative team player with excellent communication skills, he fosters a collaborative environment, ensuring project success. His commitment to excellence and keen attention to detail sets him apart in product design and development.

MUSE Design Jury - Zhou Yi

China

Zhou Yi

Founder/ Chief Designer, Dayi Design

Zhou Yi , founder and chief designer of Dayi Design, graduated from Nanjing University and has been in the design industry for over a decade. She is now a member of the Architectural Society of China , a council member of the Wuxi Interior Design Association, and a visiting professor in the Department of Art at Jiangyin University.

Following her graduation, Zhou gained international work experience and pursued further studies abroad, which greatly broadened her perspective.Upon returning to China, she chose to develop her creative work in her hometown of Jiangyin, using the historical and geographically complex small city to explore the relationship between people and space. Her aim is to interpret and perpetuate the area's unique traditional culture from a modern standpoint, employing a rich visual language to captivate the younger generation.

Her unique female perspective and utilization of local design language have garnered widespread acclaim for her work. In a relatively short span of time, she has successfully completed numerous client projects, earning recognition for her independent thinking and surrealistic approach, establishing herself as a prominent designer in the region.

MUSE Design Jury - Reina Suyeon Mun

United States

Reina Suyeon Mun

Educator, Northeastern University, Rhode Island School of Design

A researcher, maker, and designer, Reina Mun focuses on artifacts from individual objects to spatial constructs. Her process integrates digital fabrication, physical assembly, and computation, with a primary emphasis on infusing empathy and intimacy. Reina holds an MS degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, focusing her research on interactivity and affective influences in the context of objecthood and critical design. She received her BArch with Honors and a RIBA Part.1 from the Architectural Association School of Architecture. Currently, Reina teaches at the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University and in the MFA program at the Rhode Island School of Design. Previously, she served as a visiting studio critic at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.

MUSE Design Jury - JAGDISH SHANKAR ZAGADE

United States

JAGDISH SHANKAR ZAGADE

Systems Engineer, Raytheon tecnology

Jagdish Zagade, a distinguished Senior Systems Engineer, stands as a linchpin in his department, leading the test equipment/rigs group and spearheading innovation and capability enhancements in the lab test environment. Overseeing a team comprising Systems and Software Engineers, Jagdish efficiently manages work assignments and progress tracking for Engineer Technicians, fostering a collaborative atmosphere. His collaborative efforts facilitating a comprehensive understanding of project needs and enabling the development of technical designs. Jagdish's role encompasses providing precise bid inputs for contracts, underscoring the critical importance of accuracy in defining future work for Collins Aerospace. Notably, Jagdish introduces a visionary approach, emphasizing commonality and reusability in test rigs, aligning present endeavors with future benefits, showcasing forward-thinking leadership. Beyond his technical prowess, Jagdish is lauded for his role in ensuring first-time quality in the rigorous Avionics environment. His innovative solutions contribute to higher-quality outcomes and sustain a robust business relationship with Boeing. As a top-tier engineer, Jagdish's exceptional blend of technical acumen, leadership, and extensive experience earns him consistent recognition and elevated pay. His profound knowledge, adaptability, and collaborative leadership style make him a highly respected figure within the organization, reinforcing his position as a key leader in the field.