The aim of the present study is to integrate gender equality issues into the design curriculum. The study seeks to guide first-year university students in a process of examination, reflection and criticism of the gender stereotypes that influence our daily lives; design-based creation is used as an empowerment tool that can help students to express and adjust their attitudes towards gender. The study made use of analysis of students' design works, questionnaires, learning sheets, class observation, interviews, and the researcher's journal, etc., to explore the impact of integrating gender equality issues into the design curriculum on students' learning outcomes. The results obtained show that students were able to appreciate the gender stereotypes that exist in daily life, the factors behind the development of these stereotypes, and their impact. Students learned to recognize the stereotypical male and female images used in advertising design, and learned print design methods; they also learned how to utilize print design to break down gender stereotypes. The research led students to reflect on their own preconceptions regarding gender and on how it affects their behavior, and encouraged them to challenge their preconceptions; it assisted students in recognizing and understanding the importance of gender equality, and helped them to learn to respect other people's ideas and unique characteristics, as well as how to play their own life roles in an appropriate manner.