Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie by Di Xia and Xiaoshi Dai

Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie by Di Xia and Xiaoshi Dai is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award in IJzer in Onderwijs, Leermiddelen en Trainingsinhoud Ontwerp Competition Category.

IJzerOnderwijs· 2026

Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie

by Di Xia and Xiaoshi Dai

Client: Di Xia

A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Onderwijs Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #183372

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie

Cece is een virtual reality loopbaanmentor ontworpen voor studenten in de maakindustrie. Cece combineert een VR-headset met interactieve interfaces zodat studenten beroepsrollen in de industrie kunnen verkennen, werkplekomgevingen kunnen ervaren en werkgerelateerde vaardigheden kunnen oefenen. Een spraakgestuurde kunstmatige-intelligentieagent begeleidt gebruikers door gepersonaliseerde onboarding, loopbaanverkenning en vaardigheidstraining. De voortgang wordt bijgehouden en er wordt feedback gegeven ter ondersteuning van leerdoelen. Het systeem is gericht op het verlagen van opleidingskosten en het overbruggen van de kloof tussen academische studie en de eisen van de industrie.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in IJzer

Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. Cece Virtual Reality Trainingsapplicatie wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Cece is an interactive VR career mentor designed for manufacturing students on campus, to holistically enhancing their education experience and help them explore industry roles, experience real workplace environments, and build job-ready skills at a low cost and accessible while bridging the gap between academic training and real industry requirements.
Dimensions & Packaging: Digital Product
Tags: VR, Immersive Learning, Skill Training, Career Advancing,Education Tech, Accessibility
Production Technology: This product combines a VR headset with interactive interfaces within a virtual environment to enable students to explore careers and develop job related skills.
Design Challenge: The most challenging part was designing the right balance between immersion and guidance. In a VR environment, it’s easy to create visually rich experiences, but without clear structure, users can feel lost. At the same time, adding too much guidance can break immersion and make the experience feel rigid. The challenge was to design a system where users could freely explore while still receiving the right level of support. This led us to introduce an AI agent that provides contextual guidance through natural conversation, instead of relying only on traditional UI elements.
Research: Desk Research
We analyzed policies, investments, and employment data in manufacturing. While industry investment is growing, student employment is declining—revealing a key gap.

Primary Research
We interviewed 20+ students, career advisors, and industry professionals in Seattle, gaining insights from both education and hiring perspectives.

Key Insights

Education–Industry Gap
Curriculum and equipment lag behind industry needs.
Experience Preference
Companies favor experienced candidates due to high training costs.
Lack of Career Clarity
Students lack understanding of real work environments, leading to job instability.
Inspiration: Our idea was inspired by our research, which revealed a significant gap between what students learn in school and the skills required in the real world. After brainstorming, we identified an opportunity in VR. Although the hype around VR has faded, its ability to simulate real-world environments in a cost-effective way still offers strong potential for improving education and training.
Project Duration: This project started in March 2024 and was completed in August 2024, based in Seattle.
Operation Flow: 1 Dual Interaction Modes
Combines VR controllers with a voice-driven AI agent for intuitive and natural interaction.
2 Personalized Onboarding
Users share background and goals with the AI to set up a tailored learning path.
3 Career Exploration & Guidance in VR
Recommends career paths and guides users through immersive scenarios with AI support.
4 VR Skill Training
Delivers hands-on training focused on practical, job-ready skills.
5 Progress Tracking & Feedback
Tracks progress and provides feedback to support growth and goal alignment.
Team Members: Di Xia,
Xiaoshi Dai,
Feifan Gao
Image Credits: image:
Di Xia,
Xiaoshi Dai,
Feifan Gao