Press Release
Dunhuang Lute Cultural Storytelling Trendy Toys by Xinming Liu Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design
Xinming Liu honored for toys, games and hobby products design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Dunhuang Lute Cultural Storytelling Trendy Toys by Xinming Liu, designed for Lumi Design, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Silver A' Design Award Means
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Dunhuang Lute Cultural Storytelling Trendy Toys
The pipa (Chinese lute) is one of the most frequently depicted instruments in Dunhuang murals, with 689 different representations. The pipa's performance evolved over time, from the powerful plucking style of the Tang dynasty to the more delicate finger plucking that expressed deep emotion. This evolution inspired the toy design, combining cultural heritage with a modern, engaging format to introduce the rich history and expressive power of the pipa to younger audiences.
Award Record
This recognition makes Xinming Liu a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Award
The A' Toy Design Award is an international toy design competition recognizing good toy designs by best toy designers, manufacturers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to toy designers, game studios, industrial designers and hobby product manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include dolls, action figures, board games, puzzles, plush toys and educational toys. The awarded toy designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/toy
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/166915
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/166915
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!166915
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/362953
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Dunhuang Lute Cultural Storytelling Trendy Toys
- Function
- Cultural Storytelling Trendy Toys
- Category
- Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Kids
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Goldenrod, Rosy Brown, Dark Olive Green and Black
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Lumi Design
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Xinming Liu
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #166915
Credits
- Image Credits
- Rendering Artist: Xinming Liu, 2022.; Illustrator: Xinming Liu, 2022.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Dunhuang Lute blends traditional Chinese elements with modern design, using illustrated books and toys as the core. Inspired by Dunhuang murals, it explores how to convey historical depth through digital illustrations. The character designs, based on ancient sculptures, highlight dynastic facial features while avoiding modern toy trends. Targeting teens, the project offers an educational approach to Chinese history and culture, making Dunhuang’s heritage and the Pipa instrument accessible and appealing to today’s youth.
- Inspiration
- This project reimagines traditional pipa elements from Dunhuang murals, integrating the aesthetic styles and colors of different eras from the Northern Dynasties to the Song-Yuan period. The IP characters feature makeup and attire inspired by iconic mural imagery, translated into contemporary illustration styles.
- Research
- With the growing cultural confidence among China's younger generation, traditional Chinese artistic expressions are gaining increasing popularity. The author believes that Chinese-style design should go beyond the mere application of external elements, instead integrating aesthetic forms with historical and cultural depth by uncovering the intrinsic charm of traditional culture. In this project, the author focuses on the pipa (Chinese lute) depicted in Dunhuang murals, drawing inspiration from the colors and stylistic elements of different periods of the Dunhuang caves.
- Challenge
- The process was filled with challenges, primarily the transition from two-dimensional designs to three-dimensional figurines. The modeling required careful consideration of various viewing angles, necessitating repeated adjustments based on the initial flat designs. Given the educational nature of the project, the characters' poses needed to be both accurate and meticulously crafted. Each character underwent multiple revisions, with new issues emerging even after adjustments, requiring further refinement before reaching the final form.
- Realization and Technology
- Modeling was done using ZBrush, followed by 3D printing to adjust the character design, and rendering with KeyShot.
- Operation and Interaction
- Through interactive play, the Dunhuang Lute collectible toy set bridges ancient mural art and modern lifestyles. Each toy character is meticulously crafted based on figures from Dunhuang murals, embodying distinct historical aesthetics. Users can engage with the toy by assembling its modular parts, which represent different cultural elements, creating an intuitive hands-on connection with history. The accompanying illustrated book enhances this experience by providing detailed stories behind the murals, highlighting their evolution across dynasties. Readers can explore the historical context of each mural and understand the cultural significance of their design.
- Project Duration and Location
- Starts in Beijing in January and ends in September 2022
- Specifications
- Small: 15cm x 10cm x 10cm Large: 30cm x 20cm x 20cm
- Keywords
- Trendy toys,Traditional Chinese elements, Educational design, Digital illustration
