Press Release
Mingrui Duan Receives the Bronze A' Design Award for Fertile Soil Wish Fertilizer Design Packaging in Packaging Design
Mingrui Duan recognized for packaging design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 24, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Fertile Soil Wish Fertilizer Design Packaging by Mingrui Duan, designed for Duan Mingrui, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Packaging Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined 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.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Fertile Soil Wish Fertilizer Design Packaging
Fertile Soil Wish Fertilizer Design is a packaging for home gardening fertilizer. The outer box takes the shape of a traditional Japanese ema, or votive tablet, and carries a leaf motif and the word omamori. Inside, the fertilizer is compacted into star shaped tablets that are placed directly in the soil, so plastic packaging is not required. The box is made of sustainable wood and can be reused and hung above a plant pot, with only refill tablets needed later. A color code marks each product for flowers, succulents and other plants.
About Mingrui Duan
Duan Mingrui is a young Chinese designer currently based in Japan. His practice focuses on commercial brand design, packaging design, and experience design (experience design). Recently, he has been exploring the connection between environmental psychology and the relationship between the natural environment and human imagination, as part of his ongoing pursuit of self‑improvement and continuous growth.
Award Record
Mingrui Duan is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Packaging Design Award
The A' Packaging Design Award is an international packaging competition that recognizes outstanding packaging designs by talented packaging designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to packaging designers, graphic designers, branding agencies and product manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include bottles, boxes, cans, pouches, tubes and cartons. The awarded packaging designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/packaging
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/176099
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/176099
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!176099
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/372979
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
- Fertile Soil Wish Fertilizer Design Packaging
- Function
- Packaging
- Category
- Packaging Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Packaging & Retail, Branding & Advertising and Manufacturing
- Colors
- Burly Wood, Dark Slate Gray, Tan, Rosy Brown and Linen
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Duan Mingrui
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Mingrui Duan
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #176099
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This fertilizer packaging focuses on protection and prayer, merging traditional Japanese lucky charms like ema (votive tablets), lucky stars, and omamori (amulets). Innovations, including the outer box shaped like an ema and the fertilizer tablets formed into lucky stars, turn it into a vessel for personal wishes. A leaf motif on the outer box conveys nurture and care for plants, and a color coded product line (red for flowers, bluish green for succulents, etc.) meets diverse gardening needs.
- Inspiration
- The design draws from iconic Japanese lucky charms like the ema, lucky stars, and omamori, carrying cultural meanings of wishing and protection. The outer box mirrors the shape of a traditional ema, evoking the ritual of making wishes and giving thanks. Inside, the fertilizer tablets are formed into origami lucky stars, which symbolize wishes and good fortune. The word omamori on the front of the box further enhances the meaning, bringing a stronger sense of emotional connection and care.
- Research
- The designer identified that Japanese home gardeners are looking not only for plant nutrition but also for a way to express their hopes for healthy plant growth. In response, this packaging design draws from iconic Japanese lucky charms, including ema, origami lucky stars, and omamori. More than just visual elements, they imbue the product with a sense of protection and aspiration. Each time users apply the fertilizer, the act becomes a heartfelt dialogue between them and their plants.
- Challenge
- The challenge was to honor Japanese cultural identity and appeal to younger audiences who seek modern expressions of tradition. The design responds by creating a unique wishing ritual that fosters emotional connection. Focusing on innovative cultural integration, it reinterprets iconic symbols such as ema, lucky stars, and omamori through a modern lens. Practicality, emotion, and culture converge in this design, redefining how culture can bring value to the global agricultural supplies industry.
- Realization and Technology
- The fertilizer is compacted into star shaped tablets for direct use. Simply place a tablet in the soil and it begins to work. This approach eliminates the need for plastic packaging and helps reduce environmental impact. The outer box is crafted from sustainable wood, making it reusable. Users only need to buy refill tablets, which lowers costs and waste in the long run. This not only extends the lifecycle of the packaging but also promotes environmental responsibility.
- Operation and Interaction
- The packaging combines practical use with emotional value, giving users not only functional benefits but also a way to express their wishes. The wooden box can be hung above a plant pot for storage and display. For fertilizing, users just need to open the box, take out a star shaped tablet, and place it in the soil. More than routine tasks, the whole process becomes a ritual, like making a wish for plants to thrive. In this way, the hope of each user is seamlessly connected with plant growth.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project took place in Tokyo between April and July of 2025.
- Specifications
- product dimensions, 130 mm x 100 mm x 35 mm
- Keywords
- Japanese Home Gardening Fertilizer Packaging, Protection and Wishing, Traditional, Japanese Culture of Wishing, Ema, Lucky Star, Omamori, Wood Material for a Sustainable Cycle
