Yiqi Zhao Recognised as Gold Winner at 2025 French Design Awards for Mixed Reality Innovation
Yiqi Zhao was chosen a Gold Winner in the Mixed Reality category at the renowned 2025 French Design Awards, according to the International Awards Associate (IAA). This honour recognises her major contributions to the worldwide design community and solidifies her position as a pioneer in AI-powered spatial computing and immersive technologies.
This year’s French Design Awards, which recognise revolutionary advancements in the sector, got nearly 2,500 submissions. Submissions came from big businesses, freelance designers, and innovative agencies from a variety of industries. Participating nations included the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Italy, Spain, Australia, Germany, Qatar, and France. In this extremely competitive climate, Zhao’s proposal, Holo Flower Brain, stood out for its novel fusion of AI, wearable technology, and mental health solutions.
Zhao, a wearables design pioneer, has continually expanded spatial computing. Her work covers AI-powered mixed-reality applications such as the Meta Quest product line, cross-screen platforms, and wearable gadgets. She has a scientific background from Harvard University and the MIT Media Lab and has contributed significantly to the advancement of immersive design.
Her award-winning initiative, Holo Flower Brain, demonstrates a dedication to human-centred innovation. The project serves as a real-time data visualisation tool, converting EEG brainwave data into an intuitive and creative 3D display. By integrating technology and human wellbeing, the project presents an immersive approach to seeing brain activity, providing users with a fresh perspective on mental health and cognitive performance.
Holo Flower Brain incorporates various cutting-edge capabilities, including mind control visualisation, which captures and converts EEG data into an interactive digital interface. Furthermore, it combines AI and holographic technology to improve human-device interaction and presents a community-driven method of data sharing that protects security and privacy while encouraging collaborative progress.
The research takes a three-stage strategy for handling brain activity data. It employs encrypted sharing vessels to safeguard user privacy on cloud-based platforms, lateral hierarchy management to organise data efficiently, and longitudinal hierarchy integration to ensure privacy while offering greater collective advantages.
The French Design Awards serve as a global forum for recognising creative accomplishments that shape future technology. Holo Flower Brain demonstrates the power of mixed reality in improving mental health and ushers in a new paradigm at the crossroads of neuroscience, AI, and design.
A representative for the International Awards Associate praised Zhao’s work as the pinnacle of design innovation and creativity. The spokesman stated that her achievements serve as an inspiration to the worldwide design community and that the award reflects her unwavering pursuit of greatness.
Yiqi Zhao specialises in AI-driven spatial computing, with a focus on wearable AI and mixed reality. Her areas of expertise include AI integration, brain-computer interfaces (EEG), and human-centred design, having conducted considerable research at Harvard University and MIT Media Lab. She has previously overseen Unity’s platform projects, including its visionOS cooperation with Apple Vision Pro, and has made substantial contributions to the game industry with her work on Destiny 2.
Aside from her creative achievements, Zhao is a prominent thought leader who often speaks at universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Columbia, as well as at industry events such as AWE, GDC, and GenAI Summit. She has also been on the jury for several prestigious contests, including the XR Design Challenge, Indigo Design Award, MIT Reality Hack, and XR Hack. She is committed to pioneering human-first ideas and is now exploring the convergence of XR and AI, intending to improve technology integration into everyday life.
