Students Yu-Xuan Wang won honors at the 2026 C-IDEA International Design Award. Faculty Advisor: Cheng -Kuei Fan
What Should You Do with a Wet Raincoat on a Rainy Day? Taipei Tech Industrial Design Student Yu-Xuan Wang Wins the 2026 C-IDEA Design Award
RainOFF integrates dual-direction airflow, raincoat hanging, and public service processes to offer an innovative solution for motorcycle commuters on rainy days.After riding a motorcycle in the rain, what should you do with a soaking-wet raincoat once you reach your destination? This familiar challenge for many motorcycle commuters in Taiwan inspired Yu-Xuan Wang, an industrial design student at National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech). Under the guidance of Professor Cheng-Kuei Fan, Wang developed RainOFF, a rapid raincoat-drying station designed for motorcycle commuters, which received the 2026 C-IDEA Design Award in the Product Design category. According to the organizers, this year's competition attracted entries from 45 countries and regions worldwide, with 41 judges participating in the final selection.
For motorcycle commuters, raincoats are essential protection on rainy days. However, upon arriving at school, the office, or public spaces, users often lack suitable places to hang them. Wet raincoats are difficult to dry and inconvenient to store. Starting from this everyday experience, Yu-Xuan Wang explored how product and public service design could improve the way raincoats are handled after use.
The key feature of RainOFF is its dual-direction airflow system, which directs air to both the inside and outside of the raincoat. After hanging the raincoat on the dedicated vertical raincoat hanger, users can activate the movable air ring, which directs high-speed airflow toward the outer surface to blow away water droplets. Meanwhile, air flows continuously through tiny perforations in the hanger, reaching the inner layer of the raincoat. This dual-direction airflow design explores the potential to shorten raincoat drying time.
In terms of product structure and user experience, RainOFF features a vertical raincoat hanger made from bent stainless steel tubing. It accommodates different raincoat styles, including one-piece raincoats, poncho raincoats, and two-piece raincoats, with illustrated instructions explaining how to hang each type. A slightly inclined Water Collection Tray at the base guides dripping water toward a side drainage hole, helping maintain ease of use and a clean surrounding environment.Beyond the drying equipment itself, RainOFF proposes a service design concept for public spaces. Through scenarios featuring an operating interface, electronic payment, and step-by-step raincoat hanging instructions, the project illustrates the intended user journey, from selecting a service and hanging a raincoat to activating the drying process. By integrating product functions with public service interactions, RainOFF presents a unified design solution.
Looking ahead, RainOFF could be further explored for use in campuses, office buildings, and public motorcycle parking facilities. Further testing of drying performance, ease of operation, and equipment maintenance would help assess the feasibility of implementing the system in public spaces.
Professor Cheng-Kuei Fan emphasizes guiding students to identify problems through observations of everyday life. By combining user needs analysis, design thinking, and cross-disciplinary technical integration, students learn to transform real-world challenges into tangible product design proposals. Addressing the needs of motorcycle commuters, RainOFF combines airflow management, product structure, and service process design, demonstrating Wang's ability to develop and integrate a design solution from initial problem identification to a complete proposal. The project also reflects the core principles of industrial design education, which emphasizes practical application and problem-solving.
The 2026 C-IDEA Design Award ceremony and exhibition were jointly organized by the award organizers and Poland's Krosno Design Festival and held at the Craft Museum in Krosno, Poland. This recognition acknowledges Wang's innovative design work and highlights Taipei Tech's commitment to practice-oriented education, equipping students to address real-world needs through innovative design.
Link to Awarded Website: https://cidea-union.com/2026-about/
RainOFF integrates dual-direction airflow, raincoat hanging, and public service processes to offer an innovative solution for motorcycle commuters on rainy days.After riding a motorcycle in the rain, what should you do with a soaking-wet raincoat once you reach your destination? This familiar challenge for many motorcycle commuters in Taiwan inspired Yu-Xuan Wang, an industrial design student at National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech). Under the guidance of Professor Cheng-Kuei Fan, Wang developed RainOFF, a rapid raincoat-drying station designed for motorcycle commuters, which received the 2026 C-IDEA Design Award in the Product Design category. According to the organizers, this year's competition attracted entries from 45 countries and regions worldwide, with 41 judges participating in the final selection.
For motorcycle commuters, raincoats are essential protection on rainy days. However, upon arriving at school, the office, or public spaces, users often lack suitable places to hang them. Wet raincoats are difficult to dry and inconvenient to store. Starting from this everyday experience, Yu-Xuan Wang explored how product and public service design could improve the way raincoats are handled after use.
The key feature of RainOFF is its dual-direction airflow system, which directs air to both the inside and outside of the raincoat. After hanging the raincoat on the dedicated vertical raincoat hanger, users can activate the movable air ring, which directs high-speed airflow toward the outer surface to blow away water droplets. Meanwhile, air flows continuously through tiny perforations in the hanger, reaching the inner layer of the raincoat. This dual-direction airflow design explores the potential to shorten raincoat drying time.
In terms of product structure and user experience, RainOFF features a vertical raincoat hanger made from bent stainless steel tubing. It accommodates different raincoat styles, including one-piece raincoats, poncho raincoats, and two-piece raincoats, with illustrated instructions explaining how to hang each type. A slightly inclined Water Collection Tray at the base guides dripping water toward a side drainage hole, helping maintain ease of use and a clean surrounding environment.Beyond the drying equipment itself, RainOFF proposes a service design concept for public spaces. Through scenarios featuring an operating interface, electronic payment, and step-by-step raincoat hanging instructions, the project illustrates the intended user journey, from selecting a service and hanging a raincoat to activating the drying process. By integrating product functions with public service interactions, RainOFF presents a unified design solution.
Looking ahead, RainOFF could be further explored for use in campuses, office buildings, and public motorcycle parking facilities. Further testing of drying performance, ease of operation, and equipment maintenance would help assess the feasibility of implementing the system in public spaces.
Professor Cheng-Kuei Fan emphasizes guiding students to identify problems through observations of everyday life. By combining user needs analysis, design thinking, and cross-disciplinary technical integration, students learn to transform real-world challenges into tangible product design proposals. Addressing the needs of motorcycle commuters, RainOFF combines airflow management, product structure, and service process design, demonstrating Wang's ability to develop and integrate a design solution from initial problem identification to a complete proposal. The project also reflects the core principles of industrial design education, which emphasizes practical application and problem-solving.
The 2026 C-IDEA Design Award ceremony and exhibition were jointly organized by the award organizers and Poland's Krosno Design Festival and held at the Craft Museum in Krosno, Poland. This recognition acknowledges Wang's innovative design work and highlights Taipei Tech's commitment to practice-oriented education, equipping students to address real-world needs through innovative design.
Link to Awarded Website: https://cidea-union.com/2026-about/