How AI‑Driven Design Projects Empower University Students in an 8‑Week MEUX Collaboration

To deepen industry‑academic‑research cooperation and promote frontier technology in education, in September 2023 Baidu Mobile Ecosystem User Experience Department (MEUX) senior designers were invited to Beijing University of Science and Technology to launch an eight‑week joint course “AIGC and Application Design” with over a hundred students from the Mechanical Engineering School’s Industrial Design department.

Since 2021 Baidu MEUX has collaborated with the university’s Industrial Design department for three consecutive years on a joint “Interaction Prototype Design” course. This semester’s theme is “AIGC and Application Design”. The course began with a presentation by instructor Guo Xinwei, followed by seven Baidu MEUX designers introducing research status and future possibilities.

The topics covered include:

How AI‑native applications better meet college‑student needs – Rebuilding the Wenxin Yiyan app

Exploring new design thinking and paradigms under the generative‑AI wave using a multimodal editor

Digital twins of real people – BOT

AIGC portrait image model training and scenario innovation

Creative brainstorming – New brand‑marketing approaches under generative AI

Smart car selection – YouJia AI

New AI‑community ecosystem

Through designer campus talks, group collaboration, online guidance and final presentations, more than 20 research projects were successfully realized, and several outstanding projects were selected by the designers.

1. YouJia AI – AI Car Selection, Understands You

Design description: YouJia, Baidu’s automotive information community platform, integrates youthful visual elements and AI technology to create an intelligent car‑selection experience that caters to both seasoned “old‑hand” users and newcomers, inviting them into the AI‑driven smart car era.

Designer: Sun (MEUX)

The project is highly practical, with thorough user research and an innovative AI‑driven solution that demonstrates strong product thinking and market potential.

2. Mystery Journey – Immersive Script‑Kill Game

Design description: An online immersive script‑kill game that solves the linearity and limitation of traditional tabletop games by providing AI‑generated characters, immersive scenes, and AI‑assisted script writing, delivering a deeper gaming experience for enthusiasts.

Designer: Han (MEUX)

The topic is novel, deeply applies generative AI, and shows strong potential to become a mature product.

3. Starbucks City‑Walk Reusable Cup – Your Travel Companion

Design description: Leveraging the popularity of city‑walk culture, the reusable cup serves as an eco‑friendly carrier that combines environmental significance with city‑cultural exploration, encouraging users to complete travel plans with the Starbucks cup.

Designer: Ren (MEUX)

The project aligns with current eco‑friendly and city‑walk trends, offering a clear, implementable solution with high appeal to young users.

4. Heritage Voice – Befriend Cultural Relics

Design description: To improve museum app experiences and spark interest in national treasures, the product introduces a personable BOT that anthropomorphizes artifacts and provides immersive interactive tours, delivering cultural enrichment and engaging storytelling.

Designer: Yin (MEUX)

The topic is timely, deeply utilizes AI generation and digital‑human capabilities, and presents a cohesive, well‑crafted product framework.

5. PosePro – Unlimited Creative Photography

Design description: Provides young female users with a fun, AI‑assisted photography experience, offering AI‑generated digital avatars and pose suggestions to overcome static poses, stiff movements, and unnatural expressions, thereby boosting confidence and creativity.

Designer: Yin (MEUX)

The solution integrates AI seamlessly into the photo‑taking workflow, delivering a high‑quality, market‑ready product.

6. Eazydit – Edit Easy with eazydit!

Design description: Combines AIGC with existing video‑editing tools to meet diverse user needs, simplifying editing through AI‑driven material processing, text‑based search, AI dubbing, video extension, and AI‑generated scripts, resulting in an intuitive, accessible interface.

Designer: Du (MEUX)

Eazydit’s clear UI and AI‑enhanced features make video editing efficient for creators of all skill levels, showcasing strong future potential.

7. Yuan·Temple of Heaven – Multi‑Perspective Exploration

Design description: A multimodal guide app centered on the Temple of Heaven, offering personalized cultural‑creation generation, custom check‑in photos, and diverse touring experiences across mobile and large‑screen platforms.

Designer: Han (MEUX)

The project demonstrates how AI can scale the dissemination of traditional culture through data collection, content presentation, and immersive touring.

Overall Evaluation

In recent years Baidu MEUX has jointly extended practical topics with Beijing University of Science and Technology. The collaborative research activities have showcased students’ solid theoretical foundations and innovative thinking, with several outstanding projects possessing strong implementation feasibility. The partnership is expected to continue, further bridging theory and practice.