Award-winning digital designer Xi Zhou, in collaboration with Heidi Minghao He and Yue Hu, has received a Gold MUSE Creative Award for their project “Virtu AI – Experiential Shopping Experience for Press-on Nails”.
Virtu AI is revolutionizing the e-commerce experience for press-on nails through its AI-powered design and shopping platform. Users can generate personalized nail art by crafting structured prompts—either by selecting visual hints or entering custom text. These AI-generated designs are then brought to life by skilled crafters around the world, transforming digital creativity into tangible, wearable art.
Winning Entry: Website – Experimental
Designing Delight: A UX Journey in Playful Innovation
Photo Courtesy: Xi Zhou, Yue Hu, and Heidi Minghao He / www.virtuai.me
As a UX designer on the project, Xi Zhou crafted an interface that turns trying on AI-generated nail designs into a playful, expressive experience. The design invites users to explore, experiment, and discover looks that feel uniquely their own—whether they’re channeling a mood, prepping for an event, or simply indulging in a moment of self-care.
The design process was rooted in iteration and collaboration. Xi, along with Yue Hu and Heidi Minghao He, shaped the product through a series of feedback-driven cycles—starting with user research to understand customization pain points, and evolving through ideation, prototyping, and testing. Each phase was marked by a spirit of co-creation, where ideas sparked across disciplines and design decisions were deeply informed by user insight.
The result is more than a product platform—it’s a celebration of creativity and self-expression. Virtu AI empowers users to design nail art that reflects their unique identities, turning beauty into a personal and cultural statement. For consumers, it offers freedom, fun, and personalization; for salons and digital platforms, it introduces a scalable model for delivering bespoke beauty experiences. By democratizing access to AI design tools and connecting creators with global artisans, Virtu AI fosters inclusivity enhances cultural diversity, and builds a vibrant creative community where technology and craftsmanship meet.
Virtu AI is more than a tech solution—it’s a celebration of individuality, a reinvention of beauty workflows, and a glimpse into a future where digital personalization meets craft, culture, and care.
Photo Courtesy: Xi Zhou, Yue Hu, and Heidi Minghao He / www.virtuai.me
Photo Courtesy: Muse Creative Awards / Xi Zhou, Yue Hu, and Heidi Minghao He
Muse Creative Award
The 2024 MUSE Creative and Design Awards have officially announced this season’s exceptional winners, continuing a decade-long tradition of honoring milestones in creative excellence and design innovation. With over 8,700 entries submitted from across the globe, the awards shine a spotlight on those redefining standards of creativity.
This season, Xi Zhou, Yue Hu, and Heidi Minghao He emerged as Gold winners for their outstanding project, Virtu AI – Experiential Shopping Experience for Press-on Nails. Their collaborative work showcases groundbreaking creativity and forward-thinking design, earning them a place among the industry’s elite.
The MUSE Creative and Design Awards are recognized as a hallmark of global prestige, celebrating projects that demonstrate talent, ingenuity, and innovation. With a judging process built on fairness and rigor, the International Awards Associate (IAA) ensures that each winning entry reflects a high level of excellence and elevates creative industry benchmarks.
“Innovation is the heartbeat of progress,” said Thomas Brandt, spokesperson for the IAA. “The MUSE Awards recognize those who break new ground, challenge conventions, and set new standards in their fields. This year’s winners exemplify the spirit of pushing boundaries and daring to lead.”
Grand Jury Panel
A jury of 78 renowned experts from 25 countries, each a leader in their field, gathered to evaluate the submissions with exceptional rigor and precision. Their combined experience and diverse backgrounds brought a depth of insight to the evaluation process, highlighting the exceptional quality of each submission. The blind judging process upheld the highest standards of fairness, allowing each work to be assessed solely on its own merits.
Among these distinguished judges were luminaries such as: Executive Creative Director at Grey Pakistan – Fizza Shah, Creative Art Director at Ogilvy Australia – Alexandre Collares, Senior Art Director at AlmapBBDO – Felipe Paganoti, Associate Creative Director at McCANN New York – Lucas Ribeiro, Creative Partner at BEAMY – Ronn Lee, Creative Director and Mentor at Publicis Middle East – Augusto Jesus Correia, Director of Brand Experience and Design at Bemergroup Int. – Ralph Christian Bremenkamp, Senior Architect at Tiago do Vale Arquitectos – Tiago do Vale, Creative Director and Founder of Kre8ive Partners – Mark Turner, Associate Principal / BIM Lead / Adjunct Professor at Kohn Pedersen Fox; Kean University – Yafei Zhang, Creative Director at MRM / McCann and Makina & Co – Danilo Villanueva, Fashion Designer at Thom Browne – Di Gao, to name a few.
Participation of International Brands
The MUSE Creative Awards and Design Awards continue to attract the finest talents from every corner of the globe, drawing entries from leading companies and trailblazers alike. The competition saw submissions from internationally renowned brands, as well as groundbreaking work from creative talents who elevate their fields with fresh perspectives and bold ideas.
Direct submissions featured prominent names such as iHeartmedia, VML, Groove Jones, Refik Anadol Studio, Northwell Health, International Monetary Fund, Milwaukee Bucks, HONOR, Geely Design, Zippo (China) Outdoor Products Co., Ltd., Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Opera Norway AS, ANTA (CHINA) Co., LTD, Mohanad Barakat, MJARC Arquitectos, YA-MAN LTD., MINISO, and R&CPMK; whereas indirect submissions included Toyota USA, CJ ENM, Netflix APAC, Kraft Heinz, McDonald’s, EssilorLuxottica, Sandoz, AIA, Grand Seiko, Amazon, Louis Vuitton, JFJ Productions Corp. Limited, Telly, The North Face, HEYTEA, Lobos 1707 Tequila, BLIZZARD & BURGERS, and William Grant and Sons.
“Distinguishing oneself among such extraordinary talent is no small feat,” added Thomas. “We commend those whose visionary work not only draws attention but also transforms perspectives and drives the evolution of their industries.”
About International Awards Associate (IAA)
Established in 2015, the International Awards Associate (IAA) is a global organization dedicated to recognizing professional excellence and outstanding achievements in various industries. As the organizer of a wide range of prestigious award programs such as the MUSE Creative Awards, MUSE Design Awards, Vega Digital Awards, NYX Awards, NYX Game Awards, TITAN Business Awards, TITAN Property Awards, London Design Awards, NY Product Design Awards, and many more, IAA aims to honor, promote, and encourage professional excellence, from industry to industry, internationally and domestically, through award platforms that are industry-appropriate.
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About Xi Zhou
Xi Zhou is an award-winning designer with over 10 international accolades, including honors from the Creative Communication Award, New York Product Design Awards, MUSE Creative Awards, and the AI Design Award. She is currently a UX Designer at PlayStation (Sony Interactive Entertainment), where she contributes to the Monetization and Commerce team, shaping the future of entertainment through innovative digital experiences.
With a foundation in industrial design and a Bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design from California College of the Arts, Xi furthered her expertise with an MS in Information Science from the University of Michigan, specializing in UX design and research. Her diverse background has allowed her to design across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, AI, mixed reality, enterprise SaaS, and consumer-facing products.
For Xi, design is both a creative act and a purposeful craft. It’s about imagining new possibilities and improving what already exists—turning ideas into real solutions that serve people’s needs. She believes great design lives at the intersection of functionality, beauty, and usability. At its core, her work is driven by a simple but powerful goal: to use creativity to solve problems and make a meaningful impact.
Published by Iris S.
