Commi Board Prototyping Tool by Kevin Yang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award in Education, Teaching Aid and Training Content Design Competition Category.
IronEducation· 2025
Commi Board Prototyping Tool
by Kevin Yang
Client: Royal College of Art
A' Design Award Winner in Education Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #170975The Design
About Commi Board Prototyping Tool
Commi Board is a modular, app-integrated prototyping platform that connects theoretical learning with real-world application. Designed for educators, students, and tech enthusiasts, it enables users to simulate microcontroller functions on smart devices. With a staged learning roadmap, community-driven app, and flexible modular design, Commi Board simplifies prototyping and makes electronic experimentation more accessible.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award
Commi Board Prototyping Tool is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Commi Board Prototyping Tool is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Commi Board Prototyping Tool is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Where to Get It
User-Centered Product Design Services
We specialize in designing innovative products that elevate everyday experiences. From educational tools to consumer electronics, our approach fuses creativity with functionality. With recognition at international design competitions including the A' Design Award, we bring fresh perspectives to transform your ideas into award-worthy products.
Inquire NowInterviews
Grand Interview
Your innovative integration of AI-driven neuro-linguistic programming in Commi Board Prototyping Tool represents a significant advancement in electronics education - could you elaborate on how this feature transforms the learning experience for users of varying skill levels?
The AI-driven neuro-linguistic programming in Commi Board allows users to interact with the platform using natural language, making electronics prototyping more intuitive. Beginners can describe what they want to build without coding knowledge, while advanced users benefit from faster, more flexible workflows. This feature personalizes the learning experience, aligns with Commi's staged education model, and makes prototyping more accessible across all skill levels.
The modular design of Commi Board Prototyping Tool enables direct smartphone integration - what inspired you to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application through this mobile-first approach?
The idea to make Commi Board mobile-first came from seeing how central smartphones have become in everyday life, especially for students and hobbyists. Traditional prototyping tools can be bulky, expensive, and difficult to set up. In contrast, smartphones are portable, easy to use, and already in people’s hands. By using them as the core of the prototyping experience, we made it possible to turn theory into practice anytime, anywhere.Smartphones also have much more processing power than basic microcontrollers, which allows Commi Board to run real-time simulations, give instant feedback, and support AI-assisted programming. This means users can design, test, and learn more efficiently—without needing extra equipment. It makes electronics more approachable, more interactive, and more fun for learners of all levels.
Given the complex challenge of simplifying PCB design while maintaining reliable GPIO communication in Commi Board Prototyping Tool, how did you overcome the technical obstacles to achieve both accessibility and functionality?
Simplifying PCB design while ensuring reliable GPIO communication was one of the toughest parts of building Commi Board. As a solo designer, I had to approach it step by step—focusing on modular design, minimizing complexity, and using only essential, cost-effective components. I relied heavily on open-source resources, online communities, and a lot of trial and error to shape the first theoretical prototype.Instead of building around a high-power microcontroller, I chose to use the smartphone’s superior processing power. Through USB-C and Bluetooth protocols, I enabled both line direct and bluetooth GPIO communication between the board and the device. This choice kept the hardware simple but functional. The early prototypes revealed issues like signal noise and power efficiency, but each round of testing helped me refine the design—making it more accessible without sacrificing performance.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Commi board is a modular, app-integrated prototyping platform that connects electronic knowledge with practical implementation. Unlike traditional tools, it allows users to simulate microcontroller functions directly on their smartphone, making prototyping more accessible, interactive, and efficient. With real-time circuit testing, AI-driven coding, and a structured, step-by-step educational experience, commi board supports users of all skill levels to prototype faster, experiment freely, and bring ideas to life with ease.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Commi Board (Installed): 62mm W x 98mm L x 18mm H
Commi Board (Detached Board): 62mm W x 82mm L x 8mm H - Tags
- Education tools, Prototyping, Breadboard, Neuro-linguistic programming
- Production Technology
- Commi Board contains PCB design, IoT frameworks, and USB-C 3.2, BLE, and Bluetooth protocols all for efficient GPIO communication with smart devices. By utilizing mobile-based computational power, it can simulates most microcontrollers. It supports four programming methods: AI-driven NLP, puzzle-like visual programming, Scratch-like visual programming, and a full IDE. The app features a project community, online libraries for components, and cloud-based project loading, ensuring high performance and accessibility.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge in developing Commi Board was simplifying PCB design while ensuring reliable GPIO communication. Creating a compact, modular PCB integrating USB-C, BLE, and Bluetooth from scratch required multiple iterations. Limited access to PCB SMT also posed obstacles. The first theoretical prototype revealed instability and contain issues. While Bluetooth and USB-C connections were tested, the API-to-software integration remains in the mock-up stage, guiding future development.
- Research
- Commi Board's research focused on human-centered design and accessibility in electronics prototyping. The goal was to create a mobile-first tool that simplifies PCB schematics and testing. Through BOM list comparison and my cohort’s need for easier prototyping, we found GPIO communication to be a cost-effective alternative to high-power microcontrollers. Usability tests and expert feedback shaped development, while open-source resources enabled the first theoretical PCB prototype. Results combined the needs for AI-assisted prototyping, electronic education, and DIY prototyping.
- Inspiration
- Commi Board was designed by the need to make electronics prototyping more accessible and interactive. Inspired visual programming, staged education, and AI-based neuro-linguistic programming, it simplifies theoretical learning with real-world application. As mobile devices are the most accessible platform for coding, Commi Board enhances prototyping by allowing users to test circuits and validate code in real-time on their phone, ensuring a hands-on, customizable experience for all skill levels.
- Project Duration
- The project started in June 2024 as a student project at Royal College of Art, London, UK.
- Operation Flow
- Commi Board simplifies electronics prototyping by allowing users to design, test, and run circuits directly on the back of their smartphone. Users place components on the board, connect via USB-C or Bluetooth, and interact through the mobile app. They can program using AI-assisted coding, visual blocks, or a full IDE. Real-time feedback and visual placement guide to help each step. With cloud storage and a project-sharing community, Commi Board learns and loads projects with ease.
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