Dou Gong Skrifttype by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Bronze in Grafik, Illustration og Visuel Kommunikationsdesign Competition Category.
BronzeGrafik· 2026
Dou Gong Skrifttype
by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd
Client: Kuyekuye
A' Design Award i Bronze Winner in Grafik Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #181648The Design
About Dou Gong Skrifttype
Dou Gong-skrifttypen genfortolker traditionel kinesisk trækonstruktion som et typografisk system. Inspireret af tap- og notsamlinger dannes tegnene gennem sammenlåsende streger, der fungerer som modulære strukturelle elementer. Designet udvides til tredimensionelle og rumlige anvendelser og bygger bro mellem arkitektur og typografi. Det introducerer en metodedrevet tilgang, der forvandler strukturel logik til et fleksibelt og nutidigt visuelt sprog.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award i Bronze
Dou Gong Skrifttype er vinder af A' Design Award i Bronze, en højt prestigefyldt anerkendelse, der tildeles enestående designs, som udmærker sig ved kreativitet, opfindsomhed og skarpsindighed. Bronzevinderne er rigeligt dygtige og påfaldende kreative artefakter, der bekræfter deres designeres store erfaring, fantasi og snilde. Dou Gong Skrifttype forventes at være en højt estimeret, beundret og kær genstand, der er bemærkelsesværdigt professionel og innovativ. Dette design, der har vundet A' Design Award i Bronze, indarbejder bedste praksis inden for kunst, videnskab, design og teknologi og er fremragende på grund af sin sans for detaljer. Dou Gong Skrifttype tilfredsstiller pragtfuldt behov, rører længsler, charmerer følelser og appellerer til nysgerrigheden.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Inspired by Dou Gong, the ancient Chinese timber bracket system, this typeface translates structural intelligence into typography.
Built without nails or glue, Dou Gong relies on interlocking mortise-and-tenon joints. The typeface follows this logic: strokes interlock, overlap, and brace rather than simply connect.
Each glyph acts as a modular framework, reflecting the spatial rhythm and load-bearing logic of traditional architecture.
Structure becomes form. Form becomes language. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The character set includes letters, numbers, punctuation, and core Chinese glyph prototypes. Built on a modular grid system with consistent stroke ratios. Initial release includes Regular weight.
- Tags
- Structural Typography, Brand Identity System, Mortise-and-Tenon Logic, Sustainable Design Thinking, Architectural Inspiration, Corporate Typeface, Parametric Construction
- Production Technology
- The typeface was developed using a structural construction methodology inspired by traditional mortise-and-tenon logic. Stroke intersections are designed as interlocking nodes rather than overlapping paths. Kerning was iteratively refined, and a grid-based proportional system was applied for optical corrections. Variable-weight prototypes were used to test structural balance and consistency.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge was translating three-dimensional architectural compression logic into both three-dimensional and two-dimensional typographic construction while maintaining legibility. Balancing historical structural principles with digital font production constraints required multiple iterations. Vector geometry and optical correction limitations added further refinement challenges.
- Research
- Type of Research: Practice-based design research.
Research Objectives: To translate architectural structural logic into a typographic system.
Methodology: Structural analysis, modular prototyping, iterative testing.
Data and Tools: Architectural documentation review, vector modeling, grid simulation.
Participants: Internal design team testing brand applications.
Results: A modular, interlocking type system.
Insights and Impact: Confirmed that structural intelligence can inform type design.
Effect: Advanced brand system thinking and sustainable design methodology. - Inspiration
- Inspired by Dou Gong, the iconic bracket system of traditional Chinese timber architecture.
Originating in the Western Zhou Dynasty and flourishing through the Tang and Song periods, Dou Gong functioned as a structural, seismic, ornamental, and symbolic element in Chinese architecture for over 3,000 years. Built entirely without nails or glue, it relies on precise mortise-and-tenon interlocking joints—each component bearing weight through compression and balance. - Project Duration
- The project started in March 2024 in Shanghai and was completed in May 2025 in Beijing. Structural research was conducted concurrently with brand development, and the typeface was implemented across corporate visual identity applications upon completion.
- Operation Flow
- The typeface functions as a modular system. Designers can assemble letters using interlocking principles to create mutually supportive visual structures. Structural relationships remain stable at any scale, allowing flexible application across posters, brand identity, and environmental graphics. The structural rhythm enhances visual impact while maintaining legibility. The system enables consistent and dynamic brand expression.
- Team Members
- Xusong Wang
Xiao Dong
Yi An
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