Press Release
Fractal Flower Eye Brain Exercises Interface by Yiqi Zhao Receives the A' Design Award in Generative, Algorithmic, Parametric and AI-Assisted Design
The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Yiqi Zhao for generative, algorithmic, parametric and ai-assisted design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Fractal Flower Eye Brain Exercises Interface by Yiqi Zhao, designed for Harvard University, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Generative, Algorithmic, Parametric and AI-Assisted Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Fractal Flower Eye Brain Exercises Interface
Fractal Flower Eye is a brain visualization that blends art, AI, and neuroscience to create a mind control experience. The interface translates brain activity into progressive fractals, offering a glimpse into human consciousness. Captured brain signals are transformed using machine learning and 3D math. Rendered in real-time, modular design allows for four-sided projection, detecting focus levels and enabling dynamic control. Interaction depicts deep learning technology's potential to enhance cognitive engagement, providing audiences with brain-generated art reflecting their inner world.
About Yiqi Zhao
Yiqi Zhao, Product Design Lead at Meta Reality Labs, specializes in AI-driven spatial computing across Meta Quest products, cross-screen platforms, and wearables. Her team has delivered human-centric innovations, including the Meta Quest headsets and Horizon Ecosystem. With a research background at Harvard and MIT Media Lab, Yiqi began her 3D journey in brain-computer interfaces (EEG) and wearable AI. Previously, she led Unity’s platform initiatives, including the visionOS partnership for Apple Vision Pro. She also made her mark in the gaming sector by shipping Destiny 2. Yiqi’s vision shapes the future of immersive technologies by uniting XR and AI.
Award Record
With this recognition, Yiqi Zhao is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Generative, Algorithmic, Parametric and AI-Assisted Design Award
The A' Generative Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good generative designs from leading creators and designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to generative designers, algorithmic design professionals, ai-assisted design experts and parametric designers from all countries. Typical entries include algorithmic artworks, parametric architectures, generative graphics, ai-assisted illustrations, computational sculptures and procedural patterns. The awarded generative designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/generative
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/168158
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/168158
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!168158
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/364597
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.yiqizhao.design/
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
- Fractal Flower Eye Brain Exercises Interface
- Function
- Brain Exercises Interface
- Category
- Generative, Algorithmic, Parametric and AI-Assisted Design
- Discipline
- Design Strategy
- Industry
- Innovation and Design Industry
- Colors
- Dark Slate Blue, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Steel Blue and Teal
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Harvard University
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yiqi Zhao
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #168158
Credits
- Image Credits
- Yiqi Zhao, Fractal Flower Eye, 2020; Yiqi Zhao, Fractal Flower Eye, 2020 Video Credits: Yiqi Zhao
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Fractal Flower Eye translates neural signals into mesmerizing visuals, fostering a symbiotic relationship between human mind and AI-driven art. By combining brain data and 3D mathematical algorithms, it generates dynamic, ever-changing displays that reflect emotions, thoughts, experiences. Different elements merge into a captivating narrative of girl shrouded in time within space, exemplifying her dedication to human augmentation. while stunning 3D creation demonstrates that AI can augment, rather than replace, human innovation.
- Inspiration
- Unlocking Human-AI Co-Creation: The interface leverages human brain data to generate breathtaking visuals, merging manually crafted narratives with advanced brain algorithms. A brain-controlled AI enhances visual interactions, while human input infuses emotion and movement into 3D fractals, making untouchable consciousness visible through intricate spatial patterns. Full process transforms your mind into tangible media collections of memories. A dream of living "sun" is seamlessly integrated.
- Research
- HCI and Neuroaesthetics Investigate brain-computer interfaces, BCIs, in emotion regulation; Explore human emotions, cognition, with immersive aesthetic interface Methodology: Responsive environments with brain data detection and real-time interface; User centered process involving co-creation workshops and usability testing Results: Invented a novel BCI based interface responding to user emotions and cognitive states Insights and Impacts: Emotions regulation can be aided through immersive visual enhancement; Developed design framework applicable to psychiatry
- Challenge
- Data Collection: EEG sensors Participants: 20 with sleep loss It's hard to isolate facial expressions signals with brain signals, eeg, many times when users move their mouse or eyes, the interface detached emg signals, then the data streaming gets delusional. Later changed into three layers of data collection to cancel out the emg influences.
- Realization and Technology
- Flower Eye utilizes a brain computer interface to generate 3D fractals based on human brain activity. It employed electroencephalography sensors to capture brain signals, which were then translated into visual patterns using machine learning algorithms with 3d math. The resulting fractals were rendered in real time using a graphics engine and projected onto a large screen, creating an immersive experience. This innovative approach combines art, technology, and neuroscience to create a unique and captivating visual experience.
- Operation and Interaction
- Use your brain to mind control and create engaging visual projection. Modular design projects fractals onto 3d projection, creating an immersive experience. Pre trained brain activities detect emotions and focus levels, enabling interpolation in 2D and 3D. This tech lets our audience use their mind to create interactive art, through neuroscience, demonstrating AI's potential to augment human innovation. People can also print out their brain flower to take home, each person can have their own visual Flower Eye patterns because their brain waves are unique to their consciousness.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started 2019 in Boston, Harvard University, later modified with diffusion model during 2022. It was exhibited in London, HongKong, Paris in 2023 and 2024.
- Specifications
- The digital version is modular projected on 4 sides The eeg data is pre trained to detect happy sad focus and unfocused Triggers on or off pulling for a quintic formula involves modifying the complex iteration formula to achieve cubic symmetry Terms are added to let the brain input to maintain 3D symmetry while preserving 2D cross sections The result is a fractal with intricate symmetrical structure in 3D and consistent 2D patterns Transferred into a diffusion model for interpolation This tech enables creation that can be explored in both 2D and 3D
- Keywords
- AI, generative ai, graphics, digital media, fractal, 3d, wellness, BCI, cognitive science, diffusion
