From student winner to sponsor of the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD 2026: HOTO's Lidan Liu on starting your career right
21 years ago, Lidan Liu won an iF newcomer award for a city group house concept herself. She has had an unprecedented career and is now not only jury chairperson of the iF DESIGN AWARD—her company, HOTO Technology, is also sponsoring this year's iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD 2026.
iF: Lidan, you won the iF organized young talent award “Lebens(t)räume” (Living Spaces) over 20 years ago, and travelled all the way from China to Germany to receive it. Can you tell us a bit about your experiences?
Lidan Liu: When I look back, winning a prize as a young student was deeply formative. At that time, iF felt like an extraordinary source of encouragement. It was my first time presenting my ideas in German on a formal stage, and the entire iF community made me feel supported, welcomed, and truly seen. I still remember my German boss giving me a huge bouquet of flowers — for a young Chinese student far from home, that sense of respect and recognition meant everything.
My hope back then was simple: to become a designer capable of creating genuinely good products. That has always been my dream. I could never have imagined that one day I would return as a sponsor and chairperson. This journey grew naturally through many years of connection with the iF community — a stable, generous, and supportive group of people. When Frank called and invited me to serve as chairperson, it felt like an unexpected honor, a recognition I never planned for but deeply treasure.
iF: First of all, why is HOTO a sponsor of the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD to promote young design talents? What was the motivation?
Lidan Liu: At HOTO, we believe in creating products that are truly ‘Smarter by Design’—solutions that refine and elevate everyday living. Supporting the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD is a natural expression of that belief. Having spent many years teaching in universities, I feel a deep connection to the growth of young designers. Their curiosity, perspective, and way of seeing the world will shape the future of design in all its forms. Through this sponsorship, we hope to offer meaningful support as they develop their own design voice and vision.
iF: What do you expect from the participants of the competition? What is actually an ‘award-worthy’ student concept?
Lidan Liu: For me, an award-worthy student concept must first and foremost solve a real problem. Beyond that, I look for ideas that envision a better future, have a positive social impact, and are executed beautifully. The combination of practical problem-solving, thoughtful purpose, and elegant design is what truly makes a concept stand out.
Lidan Liu, CEO HOTO Technology
Lidan Liu is CEO of HOTO technology, a Xiaomi Ecological chain enterprise, which she founded in 2016. Together with her team, she has already won more than 100 international design awards. From 2010 to 2018, Lidan Liu was partner of designaffairs China. As one of the leading design and consulting agencies, designaffairs was acquired by Accenture in 2018. She is also associate professor of the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University and has been a member of many different design juries, such as the Braun Prize and the iF DESIGN AWARD.
iF: Sustainability and relevance are among the central social challenges of our time, as are all UN SDGs. How do you or HOTO in general confront these issues?
Lidan Liu: At HOTO, sustainability is never an afterthought. It is at the heart of how we design. We strive to create long-lasting products that endure, avoiding unnecessary iterations or extensions that would generate waste. In every detail, from minimizing coatings to sourcing components within the same region to reduce transport and carbon emissions, we approach environmental impact with intention.
Beyond the products themselves, we foster a culture of repair, encouraging people to care for what they own rather than discard and replace it. This is why we aim to create tools that people will cherish and use in daily life.
As a young company, we know there is much more to explore, and we continually seek new ways to act responsibly, to challenge ourselves, and to design for a future that is both sustainable and beautiful.
iF: We live in a very complex world, with many environmental and political issues and then there are also technical evolutions like AI, posing new challenges (or possibilities) on young designers. What are your experiences, do we need a new kind of “skill-set”?
Lidan Liu: I believe young designers will need a new set of skills to navigate today’s complex world, shaped by environmental challenges and rapid technological evolution such as AI. These skills go beyond simply using new tools — they involve applying technology to gain deeper user insights, conduct research, define products, and even rethink future production methods. At the same time, these changes open entirely new opportunities. We may be at a pivotal moment, giving young designers a real chance to reshape the practice of design. The designers of the future cannot be predictable or average; they must be adaptable, imaginative, and courageous enough to explore uncharted possibilities.
iF: What are the key skills you expect when looking for new designers for the HOTO design team?
Lidan Liu: When looking for new designers to join HOTO, the most important quality is a genuine passion for creating great products — a true desire to make everyday life better. Beyond that, we look for holistic skills: the ability to understand the process behind a well-designed product, from concept to execution. Equally essential are a strong capacity to learn and the ability to collaborate effectively within a team.
iF: What is your number one advice to young, aspiring designers and why?
Lidan Liu: Don’t settle for average. Be an outlier. It’s the bold and different who redefine design.