On July 4, 2026, the 6th International Conference on Innovative Design and Digital Technology (ICIDDT 2026), hosted by Jiangsu University and organized by the School of Design and Art, Jiangsu University, was successfully held. Under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Complex Systems Design,” the conference brought together experts and scholars from universities and institutions in China and abroad, including Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, City University of Hong Kong, Purdue University, James Madison University, the University of Idaho, Chung-Ang University, Kookmin University, Hanyang University, Bangkok University, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur, Université Paris 8, the University of Salerno, and RMIT University, as well as institutions such as the 20th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Jeju Research Institute, National Institute of Science and Technology of Indonesia, GREEN FOR L Co., Ltd. in Korea, Michael Quirk Studio in the United States, and the RMIT Curatorial Collective Committee in Australia. Through a combination of online and in-person participation, the invited experts and scholars engaged in academic presentations, discussions, and exchanges. Faculty members and students from numerous universities in China and abroad also attended the conference through the online livestreaming platform.
The conference consisted of three sessions: the Opening Ceremony, Academic Presentations and Expert Panel Discussion, and Closing Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony was chaired by Zhu Zhe, Deputy Dean of the School of Design and Art, Jiangsu University. Distinguished guests and university leaders in attendance included Yang Daojian, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu University Committee; Du Jianguo, Director of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jiangsu University; and Han Rong, Dean of the School of Design and Art, Jiangsu University. Other distinguished guests attending the event included Professor Qian Xuan-jin of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Researcher Ding Lu of Purdue University, USA; Ms. Jung Eun-Hye, Member of the 20th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea; Associate Professor Zheng Hao of City University of Hong Kong; Associate Professors Yennyka Leilasariyanti and Dona Wahyuning Laily of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur, Indonesia; Lecturer Ray March Syahadat of the National Institute of Science and Technology, Indonesia; and Lecturer Prudsamon Kammasorn of Bangkok University, Thailand. A number of experts and scholars from China and abroad also participated in the conference online.
Yang Daojian, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu University Committee, delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the University. He noted that artificial intelligence is becoming a core engine driving innovation in design and the upgrading of industries, and that the theme of this year's conference directly addresses the defining challenges of complex systems design in the current era. Drawing on the University's distinctive strengths and characteristics, he highlighted the School of Design and Art's academic expertise and accumulated research strengths in areas including smart agriculture, VR-based multimodal and large-scale spatial analysis, and intelligent product development. He expressed the hope that participating scholars would engage in in-depth exchanges of research findings, expand the scope of collaboration, and jointly explore new pathways for the interdisciplinary development of design studies. Following the opening remarks, all participants gathered for a group photograph.
Following the opening ceremony, Professor Stephen R. Drown, a recipient of the National-Level Talent Introduction Program, and Ms. Jung Eun-Hye, Member of the 20th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, delivered remarks as invited guests.
Drawing on his extensive academic research and international collaboration experience, Professor Stephen R. Drown noted that the interdisciplinary integration of artificial intelligence and design is giving rise to new research paradigms. He expressed his hope that the conference would serve as a platform for design scholars from around the world to share research achievements and build consensus, thereby advancing theoretical innovation and practical applications in the field of complex systems design.From the perspective of international exchange and public value, Ms. Jung Eun-Hye emphasized that the integration of design and digital technology represents an important pathway for addressing urban and social challenges. She expressed the hope that the conference would serve as a bridge for deepening academic interaction and industrial collaboration between China and the Republic of Korea in the fields of digital design and artificial intelligence, while creating more opportunities for academic exchange and collaboration among young scholars.
Following the Opening Ceremony, the conference proceeded to the Academic Presentations and Expert Panel Discussion, chaired by Ding Lu, Researcher at Purdue University, and Li Yingnan, Associate Professor at Jiangsu University. Eight postgraduate research teams from Jiangsu University, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, City University of Hong Kong, Seoul National University and Korea University in the Republic of Korea, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland, delivered academic presentations. Their research covered a wide range of areas, including sensory design, urban regeneration, rural revitalization, cultural heritage preservation, smart elderly care, ecological resilience, and sustainable materials, demonstrating the broad academic perspectives and strong innovative potential of young researchers.
The first team from Jiangsu University presented a study on the influence of Chinese typeface characteristics on taste perception in packaging. Addressing a research gap in the field of sensory design of Chinese typefaces, the team examined the relationships between typeface categories, stroke characteristics, and the perception of the five basic tastes based on Prototype Correspondence Theory. A linear mixed-effects model was employed to validate the interaction patterns, providing a quantitative research basis for sensory-oriented packaging design. The presentation was followed by academic comments from Professor Chun Hyun Jin of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Ms. Jung Eun-Hye, Member of the 20th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and Lecturer Prudsamon Kammasorn of Bangkok University, Thailand.
The second team from Jiangsu University presented a study entitled “Spatial Activation and Cultural Context Regeneration of Wanjiachang Historic District in Zhenjiang from the Perspective of Endogenous Renewal.” Focusing on the practical challenges of cultural discontinuity and insufficient community vitality in historic districts, the team combined field research and spatial modeling to propose an activation strategy characterized by micro-renewal and light-touch intervention. The study developed a reusable model for historic-district regeneration, providing practical reference for the adaptive preservation and living transmission of cultural heritage in similar historic districts. The presentation was followed by academic comments from Associate Professor Guo Chen of James Madison University, Spencer Drown, Project Manager at Michael Quirk Studio in the United States, and Research Professor Bae So-Yeon of Chung-Ang University in the Republic of Korea.
The first team from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, gave a presentation entitled “Empowering Rural Public Value through Innovative Design and Digital Technology.” In response to the unclear pathways for applying AI in rural service design, the team established a four-category role framework for AI participation in rural design. Drawing on practical experience from 24 villages, the team further developed a full-process application scheme, providing theoretical support for the digital transformation of rural service design. The presentation was followed by academic comments from Lecturer Ray March Syahadat of the National Institute of Science and Technology of Indonesia, and Associate Professors Yennyka Leilasariyanti and Dona Wahyuning Laily of Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur, Indonesia.
The second team from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, presented research on the visual translation of the Hangzhou dialect through multimodal design. In response to the problems of discontinuity in the intergenerational transmission of the dialect and limited forms of communication, the team, based on multimodal design theory, extracted visual transformation strategies for the dialect's phonetic features, semantic meanings, and cultural connotations. Through forms such as IP design and AR interaction, the team developed digital communication carriers, providing innovative ideas for the revitalization of dialect-related intangible cultural heritage. The presentation was followed by academic comments from Associate Professor Zheng Hao of City University of Hong Kong, Lecturer Wilson Yeung Chun Wai of RMIT University, Australia, and Assistant Professor Daniel Cronan of the University of Idaho, USA.
The team from City University of Hong Kong focused on an AI-driven smart elderly-care navigation and community care platform. Addressing key challenges in the elderly-care service sector, including insufficient personalization, data silos, and passive responses, the team developed an integrated functional framework for smart elderly care based on the concept of competency-based graded care. By leveraging AI decision-making algorithms, the platform enables elderly-care services to shift from passive response to proactive prediction, providing a design solution for the development of urban smart elderly-care systems. The presentation was followed by academic comments from Researcher Kim Ji-Hwan of the Jeju Research Institute, Republic of Korea, and Researcher Liu Ye of the RMIT Curatorial Collective Committee, Australia.
The team from Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, presented a study entitled “Multidimensional Heterogeneity and Segmented Thresholds of the Cooling Effects of Urban Parks in Arid Regions.” Addressing the limitation of single indicators commonly used in research on the cooling effects of green spaces in arid regions, the team conducted a multidimensional quantitative analysis of the cooling effects of urban parks and identified the key driving factors through relevant technical methods, providing a scientific basis for urban green-space planning in arid regions under water-resource constraints. Associate Professor Yoo Tae-Kyung of Kookmin University, Republic of Korea, and Honorary Research Fellow Leandro Pisano of the University of Salerno, Italy, provided academic commentary on the presentation.
The team from Korea University, Republic of Korea, presented research on urban morphology and thermal resilience under heatwave stress. Based on a multidimensional theory of thermal resilience, the team examined the processes through which resilience operates and used machine learning models to analyze the mechanisms by which urban morphology drives the thermal environment, providing a quantitative reference for climate-adaptive urban planning. The presentation was followed by academic comments from Professor Peter Sang-Hoon Lee of Hanyang University, Republic of Korea, and Assistant Professor and Researcher Giusy Checola of Université Paris 8, France.
The team from the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland, presented research on UV-protective clothing design based on algae biomaterials. In response to the environmental challenges of high pollution and energy consumption associated with traditional sun-protective textile materials, the team used algal biomass as a raw material to develop biodegradable textile coatings, achieving effective ultraviolet protection. The study provided an environmentally friendly solution for sustainable fashion and outdoor protective design. Dr. Kim Mihu, CEO of Korea's GREEN FOR L Co., Ltd., and Professor Antonio Pietro Latini from the University of Oregon provided academic feedback on the presentation.
Following the academic presentations, Zhu Zhe, Deputy Dean of the School of Design and Art, Jiangsu University, delivered the closing remarks. She expressed her sincere gratitude to all participating experts for their thoughtful guidance, to the faculty members and students for their active participation, and to the conference organizing team for their dedicated efforts. She announced the successful conclusion of the conference and extended an invitation to scholars from China and abroad to meet again next year and continue exploring the frontiers of the discipline together.
Focusing on the frontiers of design studies, the conference centered on the coordinated development of intelligent and complex systems design with the design discipline, and conducted multidimensional discussions around key topics including the innovative application of intelligent technologies, practices in urban and rural contexts, and sustainable design. Through the sharing of cutting-edge research findings and professional dialogue, participating scholars demonstrated the innovative breakthroughs and diverse values emerging from the coordinated development of these fields. The successful organization of the conference established a high-level international academic exchange platform for disciplinary development, strengthened collaborative ties among universities in China and abroad, and injected new academic momentum into promoting the deep integration and high-quality development of design studies with intelligent and complex systems design, supporting the digital transformation of industries, and advancing collaborative innovation between artificial intelligence and digital art and design.
