en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 3, 2026, BYD held the award ceremony for its Smart Cockpit UI Design Competition in Hangzhou. Co-organized by BYD along with the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Zhejiang University, Tongji University, Jiangnan University, and Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, the competition concluded after several months. It received hundreds of entries from young design students, with the winning work, "Heart Wave Echo · Tide Coexistence," becoming the first original in-vehicle system design by a current university student to debut on a new production car globally.
The award ceremony was held concurrently with the launch event of the Seal 08, with a total of 12 groups of works receiving awards. Zhang Zhuo, General Manager of BYD's Ocean Network Sales Division; Li Tuo, Director of the User Experience Innovation Design Department at the New Technology Institute; Fang Ning, Brand Marketing Director of the Brand and Public Relations Department; and Ning Libang, Deputy General Manager of BYD's Ocean Network Sales Division, presented the awards to the winners. The first prize and the Ocean Special Award were won by Li Yijie, Zhou Junxi, and Liu Chengguo from Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts for "Heart Wave Echo · Tide Coexistence." The second prize went to "Heart Ocean Voyage" by Shen Haiying, Si Getai, and Xu Menghao from Tongji University, and "'Bao Bao' is Here — Emotional HMI Design Upgrade for Pet Raising" by Tang Yunjing, Sun Xinhui, and Shang Hanwen from Jiangnan University. The third prize was awarded to "HugMe" by Qin Yuqing and Zhang Jiayi from Tongji University; "PERISCOPE" by Cao Yixuan, Mu Xuan Cheng, and Miao Yusen from Jiangnan University; and "Fish Leap YUE" by Wu Song Ruoyao from Zhejiang University. The "Best Popularity Award" selected by user votes went to "Riding the Waves — BYD Concept HMI Design" by Yuan Run, Wen Yiting, and Xu Mengyu from Tongji University.
Zhang Zhuo, General Manager of BYD's Ocean Network, announced at the event that the dual-award-winning work has been successfully implemented, debuting on the Seal 08's in-vehicle system under the theme "Heart Wave Islands." This work marks the first globally original in-vehicle system design by a current university student to debut on a production model.
The integration of the work into the system was completed collaboratively by universities, participating students, and BYD's design team. "Heart Wave Echo · Tide Coexistence" is centered on the core concept of building an intelligent, emotionally symbiotic cockpit, creating the "Heart Wave Islands" theme. BYD Ocean Network's iconic IP "Xiao Hai" serves as an experience guide within the system, leading users to unlock five scenarios: "Curiosity Island," "Tranquility Island," "Boiling Island," "Adventure Island," and "Relaxation Island," allowing users to switch themes based on their mood.
At the award ceremony, representatives from universities attended, including Wang Xuanzheng, Director of the Graduate Department of the School of Design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Zhang Kejun, Deputy Dean of the International Institute of Design and Head of the Industrial Design Department at Zhejiang University; Zhang Lei, Deputy Dean of the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University; Du Qin, Associate Professor at the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University; Liang Qiao, Head of the Product Design Department at the School of Design, Jiangnan University; and Lei Simeng, Head of the Mobile Mobility Direction at the School of Design and Art, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts. Professor Wang Xuanzheng from the Central Academy of Fine Arts stated that the entries showcased an independent design aesthetic system and its future potential.
