A team of students and faculty from the Department of Commercial Design at Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) has won the prestigious iF Design Student Award – Best of the Year 2025 for their project “Story EMonster”, an innovative interactive learning tool that supports children’s emotional education.
Guided by Assistant Professor Chang-Fu Shih, students Juo-Hao Wu, Kang-Hsuan Sun, and Li-An Huang created “Story EMonster” in response to the growing global concern over emotional recognition challenges in children—an issue affecting approximately 20% of young learners. The project features six modular, emotion-themed monster characters with rotating facial expressions and tactile elements. These are paired with a comprehensive teaching guide, enabling educators and parents to use storytelling and roleplay to help children better identify and express their emotions.
The international jury praised the project for its strong narrative concept, educational value, and social impact, calling it “a standout example of how design can address children’s mental health needs.”
This honor highlights CYCU’s strength in design education and its commitment to applying creativity and empathy to real-world challenges. “Story EMonster” not only reflects design excellence but also reinforces the university’s dedication to human-centered innovation and social responsibility.
