Roots Zine-zine by Xun Zuo is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Tambaga in Desain Media Cetak dan Terbitan Competition Category.

TambagaCetak· 2025

Roots Zine-zine

by Xun Zuo

Client: Xunzuodesign

A' Design Award Tambaga Winner in Cetak Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #172635

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Colors

The Design

About Roots Zine-zine

Publikasi modular iyaé nalapisi zine-zine, mappakada seuwaé naallé basa visual matonro identitas pappau'a cerita. Mattuju ri kedai kopi New York, naala engkaé immigrant baru mapparesai koneksi sibawa onroang. Format mappattinro sibawa vacuum sealed nappaeloi ketanajakkala sibawa ketegangeng emosional. Malewai cerita pribadi, proyek iyaé mappaita nilai sosial bisnis kecik sibawa makkutanai desain emosional rilaleng alat inklusif.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Tambaga

Roots Zine-zine iyanaritu pakoro A' Design Award Tambaga, pakalebbi iya malompo tongeng iya ripabbere ri desain luar biasa iya riissengngi nasaba kreativitas, kecerdikan sibawa ketajaman. Pakoro Tambaga iyanaritu artefak iya terampil sibawa mappabbura kreatif iya mappabbentuk pengalaman iya maega, imajinasi sibawa kecerdikan tau mabbuat. Roots Zine-zine ripakkirangngi mancaji objek iya ripakalebbi, ripuji sibawa rirennu, profesional sibawa inovatif. Desain pakoro A' Design Award Tambaga iyae mappasilaong praktik tepat ri seni, sains, desain sibawa teknologi sibawa makessing nasaba perhatiannna ri detail. Roots Zine-zine mappabbura kebutuhan makessing, mappakkela keinginan, mappabbentuk perasaan sibawa mappabbura rasa penasaran.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: A book of zines, each a voice, a mood, a rhythm. Designed with visualized personal styles from the storyteller, these fragments emerge from coffee shops in New York, where new immigrants seek connection in a fast moving city. Loosely sewn and vacuum sealed, the form speaks of impermanence. This modular archive becomes both vessel and invitation, mapping emotion, honoring small businesses, and asking what design can do when it listens.
Dimensions & Packaging: 203.2 mm x 139.7 mm zine, 6 zines total, 120 pages, printed media with sewn binding, vacuum sealed in a plastic bag.
Tags: Zine, Book, Ethnographic Research, Branding, Customer Experience
Production Technology: A modular collection of zines, each using different paper stocks, printing methods, and a mix of sewn and Coptic binding. Every material choice was shaped by conversations with storytellers. Inspired by the Chinese Red Thread legend, the bindings reflect connection and distance. A business card included in the set acts as an invitation, extending the narrative and welcoming new voices into the ongoing story.
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge was conducting interviews with storytellers in a neutral, non leading way, helping them share their stories without guiding them toward specific narratives about their relationship with coffee and local culture. This was particularly challenging because the influence of environment, brand design, and tone on consumers, especially who are not native speakers, is often indirect.
Research: This research combines qualitative and quantitative methods to explore how coffee connects foreign individuals to local communities. It aims to understand how cafe branding influences consumer decision making. Data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, and cultural probes with over 40 participants. The findings emphasize the significance of emotional connections in branding and suggest that businesses can enhance consumer engagement by focusing on emotional design in real life interactions.
Inspiration: Coffee branding often reflects local culture and community, as coffee shops serve as social anchors. As a former international student, I saw coffee, a global symbol, as a bridge to belonging. I visited local cafes across New York, gathering stories from outsiders and navigating connections. This project is both a storytelling platform and a reflection on how brand and experience design shape human relationships.
Project Duration: An ongoing project started in August 2022. The most recent update was in July 2024.
Operation Flow: This book, or zine collection, connects with readers through print in a tangible way. Its unique visual language tells stories while reflecting the personal style of each storyteller. The first zine introduces the inspiration of the project, followed by others sharing diverse stories, reinforcing community. The final zine guides readers on how to participate and invites them to contribute. A business card on the vacuum sealed packaging provides submission details.