In recent years, the School of Art Design and Media has achieved steady and substantial progress in research, undertaking more than 70 national and provincial-level projects. The School has been recognized with 1 award under the Shanghai Leading Talent Program, 11 Pujiang Program Scholars, 5 Chenguang Program Scholars, and 2recipients of the Shanghai Talent-Gathering Program. As one of the key platforms for Shanghai’s Class IV Design Discipline Development Initiative, the School plays a leading role in advancing innovation in product and brand design. Its applied research projects have strengthened collaboration between industry, academia, and research, while several major initiatives have generated significant social impact. At the same time, the School has seen a continuous rise in publications in leading academic journals (SCI, CSSCI, and Peking University Core Journals) and at internationally recognized conferences such as HCI.

Building on strong foundations in industrial design and landscape planning, the School has established two prominent research teams: one led by Professor Cheng Jianxin in industrial design, and another led by Professor Zhang Jie in landscape planning, focusing on regional culture, heritage conservation, and landscape research. In recent years, intelligent and sustainable design has also become an important area of development.

To further integrate research with education, the School has set up several specialized institutes, including the Institute of Art and Design, the Institute of Advertising and Brand Culture, the Institute of Residential Form and Urban Culture, the Institute of Tourism Planning and Exhibition, and the Institute of Interactive Design and Service Innovation. These institutes provide strong platforms for linking academic inquiry with professional training, ensuring that research and talent cultivation progress hand in hand.