Reimagining Furniture Design for Emotional Well-Being: Aura by Grace Chao
At the Future Art & Design Award UK 2025 Summer Season, Taiwanese designer Ya-Ning Chao (Grace) was honored with the Diamond Prize (Best Design of the Season) for her furniture design project Aura—a work that reimagines the modern workplace as a living, breathing environment shaped by emotional awareness.
Interview with Grace
Could you let us know a bit more about yourself and what inspired you to pursue a career in creative / art / design?
Grace: Hi, I’m Grace Chao from Taiwan. I’ve loved drawing since I was a child — creating has always felt pure and joyful to me.
As I grew older, I realized that art isn’t only about skill, but about expressing ideas that truly connect with people. That belief led me to study industrial design, because I wanted to turn thoughts and emotions into tangible experiences that could make everyday life a little better.
What was the initial inspiration behind this project? Was there a specific idea, moment, or question that sparked its development?
Grace: When I began planning my graduation project, I asked myself: As I enter the next stage of life — stepping into the workplace — what kind of environment will I spend most of my time in?
This question led me to explore the office as my main topic. Through surveys with employees belonging to Generation Z, I found that many people were not only dealing with workload pressures but also emotional stress and blurred boundaries. It made me wonder — what if a workspace could “breathe,” like a living being, and support emotional well-being?
This became the starting point of my project, Aura.
Inspired by the idea of breath — like in the Bible, where God breathes life into Adam — I wanted to design something that brings emotional vitality back into the workspace. Aura uses light and gentle motion to visualize emotional boundaries, helping people sense their presence and reconnect with others. It aims to create an atmosphere that feels alive — a place where people can breathe, focus, and find balance again.
What was the most exciting or challenging part of creating the work?
Grace: The most exciting part of the process was discovering how design can translate emotions into something people can actually feel. The challenge was turning invisible feelings into a physical language that responds to human interaction.
In your view, how will Aura reshape the way we think about workspace culture and emotional well-being?
Grace: For me, Aura is more than a design — it’s a reminder to care about people, emotions, and the invisible energy that connects us. How was your experience taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK? Grace: Participating in the Future Art & Design Award UK has been truly meaningful, and receiving this wonderful honor is something I deeply cherish.
