X-Round – a 3D-printed titanium alloy screwless modular eyeglass designed and developed by a team from Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) – recently won the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2024, as its innovative design marks a departure from traditional craftsmanship frameworks.

The team, led by associate professor Li Hongwei from the Industrial Design Department of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Jiang Weile from the Art Department of the School of Humanities, comprises students Hao Xiuwen, Wang Jiafei, Shi Qiuling, Yin Yizhen, and Shen Xiru from the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Joint School of Design and Innovation.

The team innovatively transformed the traditional method of connecting the nose bridge and glass frame through welding into a design where two lines are twisted and wound together. The frame smoothly extends to both sides and connects to the temples via screwless hinges.

This structural design not only imparts a unique aesthetic to the product but also reduces the number of parts, simplifies the product structure, and shortens the frame production process. Additionally, the disassembly and assembly of the product's components are more convenient, allowing users to easily replace damaged parts, significantly extending the lifespan of the eyeglass frame.

In terms of material selection and process development, the team collaborated with the eyewear industry to develop a customized 3D printing manufacturing solution and selected lighter titanium alloy material. This new product design and manufacturing approach breaks the limitations of traditional craftsmanship, effectively improves production efficiency, reduces costs, and offers a greater variety of styles than traditional eyeglass production and business models, catering to the more diverse and personalized needs of users.

Meanwhile, the Cross Well DG100, a miniature laparoscopic surgical instrument designed and developed by another XJTU team, won the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024, marking the second international award the product has won, following the iF Design Award.

The team is also led by associate professor Li, along with two other professors, comprising six students from the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Joint School of Design and Innovation.

The Red Dot Award was established in 1955 by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in the city of Essen, Germany. It is one of the most influential design competitions in the world. The Red Dot Award: Product Design and the Red Dot Award: Design Concept are categories within the Red Dot Award, both recognized as significant accolades in the international design community. The Product Design award focuses on products with existing prototypes, while the Design Concept award emphasizes design ideas and concepts before product realization. It aims to identify and honor new design concepts and innovative achievements, laying the foundation for the creation of high-quality products in the future.