Silver Art and Stationery Supplies Design · 2022
Renew Replaceable Refill Marker
- A' Design Award 2022 Silver Winner in Art and Stationery Supplies Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: DaoDun Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 54,520
- Verification code BE8FB12357 · Verify this award
About Renew Replaceable Refill Marker
Renew is a marker designed for quick replacement of the ink core. The pen holder is unscrewed with a twisting motion, so the tip separates from the core and a new core can be inserted without spilled ink. The twist mechanism keeps the holder in place when the cap is removed. Grooves around the fiber tip let the tip bend, which keeps full contact with the paper surface. The cap shape indicates the tip thickness, and matching cap and holder colors show the tilt direction of the tip. The body is made of plastic with a rubber section.
The Renew Replaceable Refill Marker by Yunsong Liu emerges from contemporary sustainable design discourse, representing a thoughtful intervention in the disposable stationery paradigm that has long characterized the marker industry. This award-winning instrument demonstrates how functional innovation and aesthetic refinement can coexist harmoniously, the dual-ended form factor maximizing utility while the replaceable refill system addresses growing environmental consciousness among creative professionals and everyday users alike. The compositional presentation reveals sophisticated understanding of product communication, positioning the fully colored variant alongside its white counterpart to illustrate both the external identity system and the internal mechanism that enables renewal rather than disposal. The chromatic selection of yellow-green, designated by the alphanumeric code visible on each instrument, suggests careful consideration of the broader color palette this system presumably offers, while the particular vibrancy of this hue demonstrates excellent pigment saturation achievable through the marker's delivery system. Technical accomplishment manifests in the seamless integration of multiple components, the tapered ends suggesting precision tip geometry, the central grip band indicating ergonomic refinement for extended use, and the subtle directional indicators guiding users toward proper component replacement. The streamlined silhouette pays homage to the formal vocabulary established by mid-century industrial designers who understood that functional objects could embody elegance without sacrificing utility. One might consider how this instrument repositions the humble marker from disposable commodity to durable tool worthy of long-term relationship, perhaps inviting reflection on our broader relationship with the objects that populate creative practice and daily life.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This is a replaceable marker. Unlike existing markers, where refill is injected from the tip of the pen, the user can unscrew the marker, remove the refill and replace it. The pen cap of different shapes indicates the thickness of the pen cap. When fastening the thick pen cap, the color of the pen cap and the penholder can ensure the tilt direction of the pen cap, so as to avoid the pen tip upside down when using it next time.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 160mm x Depth 15mm x Height 15mm
- Tags
- Quick change, marker, refill, twist
- Production Technology
- The pen body is made of plastic, the middle gray material is rubber, and the tip is made of fiber
- Design Challenge
- The design challenge is how to change the refill quickly. By removing the marker, we found that the tip of the pen is inserted into the core to drain the pen water.Therefore, we decided to design the pen holder for the marker to be detachable. In order to prevent the pen holder from being pulled out when the cap is removed, the opening mode of the pen holder was designed to be twisted.Another challenge with this design is how to make sure the lines drawn by the markers are smooth. We designed grooves around the tip of the pen so that the tip can bend around to ensure that it fits the surface of the paper.
- Project Duration
- The project was started in October 2021 in Beijing and finished in November 2021 in Beijing.
- Operation Flow
- When the pen runs out of water, the user covers the pen holder and twists it to unplug the pen and replace the pen core. In the drawing process, due to the space left for the pen tip to be bent, the complete contact between the pen tip and the paper surface can be guaranteed when the force is applied. The pen cap of different shapes indicates the thickness of the pen tip. When the pen cap corresponds to the color of the pen holder, the tilt direction of the pen cap can indicate the tilt direction of the pen tip.
- Research
- By replacing the marker fluid, we found that the fluid tended to overflow. We disassembled the marker and found that the reason why the fluid flows is the pen tip is inserted into the core. Therefore, we connect the pen tip with the penholder, remove the penholder to achieve the separation of the pen tip and the pen core, to achieve the purpose of replacing the pen core.
- Inspiration
- Current markers are less efficient at filling pen water.The inspiration of this design comes from the replacement of the battery. Unscrew the penholder and replace the pen core. When the penholder is inserted back, the internal pen tip can be inserted into the pen core, so as to achieve the purpose of quickly replacing the supplement liquid and extending the service life of the pen.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Designer Yunsong Liu, Renew, 2021.
Image #2: Designer Zhen Zhang, Renew, 2021.
Image #3: Designer Xiaofan Zhou, Renew, 2021.
Image #4: Designer Yanan Sun, Renew, 2021.
Image #5: Designer Yunsong Liu, Renew, 2021.
Colors of Renew Replaceable Refill Marker
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