Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Goes to Jiangnan Collection Visual Identity by Rui Deng
Rui Deng recognized for graphics, illustration and visual communication design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 25, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Jiangnan Collection Visual Identity by Rui Deng, designed for Universiti Putra Malaysia, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design category. The result belongs to 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.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
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.
More About Jiangnan Collection Visual Identity
Jiangnan Collection is a visual identity inspired by the water towns of southern China. The design reinterprets traditional architecture, rivers and everyday scenes through geometric composition and a modern color system. Cultural imagery is transformed into a scalable graphic system that adapts to lifestyle products such as silk scarves, paper cups, bookmarks and fridge magnets. The artwork was created with a digital illustration workflow and prepared in CMYK for accurate printing. The intent is to make regional heritage part of modern daily life.
About Rui Deng
Deng Rui, a college teacher. Personality quiet introverted, the pursuit of quiet and pleasant life. In daily work and life, careful observation, heart experience, is an observer of life. In my personal creation, I also uphold the creative concept of being close to nature and express my daily thoughts with my works.The inspiration of this submission comes from the author's observation of life and dreams.
Award Record
This recognition makes Rui Deng a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2020 - 2021 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award
The A' Graphic Design Award is an international graphic design competition recognizing good graphic designs by best creative agencies and designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to graphic designers, communication designers, graphic artists and illustrators from all countries. Typical entries include logos, posters, infographics, brochures, packaging designs and business cards. The awarded graphic designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/graphics
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/179905
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/179905
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!179905
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/301927
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
- Jiangnan Collection Visual Identity
- Function
- Visual Identity
- Category
- Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Branding & Advertising and Arts
- Colors
- Linen, Dark Salmon, Peru, Burly Wood and Cadet Blue
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Universiti Putra Malaysia
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Rui Deng
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #179905
Credits
- Team
- Designer：Deng Rui
- Image Credits
- Illustrator Deng Rui; Illustrator Zhang Chencan
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Jiangnan Collection is a contemporary visual identity inspired by the poetic landscapes of southern China. It reinterprets traditional water-town architecture, rivers, and everyday life through a modern compositional language and color system. The design transforms cultural imagery into a scalable visual system for lifestyle products such as silk scarves, paper cups, bookmarks, and souvenirs.
- Inspiration
- Jiangnan Collection was inspired by the poetic landscapes of southern China and the desire to reinterpret traditional water-town culture for contemporary life. The project draws from classical Chinese architecture, riverside scenes, and everyday local imagery, translating them into a modern visual language through geometric composition and color design. The motivation was to bridge heritage aesthetics with modern lifestyle products, making cultural memory more accessible.
- Research
- Jiangnan Collection reinterprets the poetic landscapes of Southern China through a contemporary lens. By deconstructing water-town architecture and river rhythms into a modern geometric and color system, the design revitalizes regional heritage. This scalable visual identity seamlessly adapts to lifestyle products, from silk scarves to stationery, bridging traditional aesthetics with modern daily life.
- Challenge
- The main challenge of this project was balancing cultural authenticity with contemporary visual appeal. Translating traditional Jiangnan architecture and poetic landscapes into a modern graphic system required careful deconstruction and restructuring of classical forms without losing their cultural meaning. Another challenge was ensuring visual consistency and scalability across multiple product formats. Technical limitations in color reproduction and print compatibility were addressed through iterative testing and color calibration. The project required resolving tensions between heritage preservation, modern aesthetics, and industrial feasibility.
- Realization and Technology
- The design was created using a digital illustration workflow based entirely on Adobe Photoshop. The composition was developed through layered construction, modular deconstruction of traditional forms, and geometric abstraction to reinterpret architectural and landscape elements into a contemporary visual language. Color grading and tonal harmony were refined through adjustment layers and blending modes. High-resolution, print-ready files were prepared in CMYK to ensure accurate reproduction for silk scarves, paper cups, bookmarks, and souvenir products.
- Operation and Interaction
- Users experience the design through everyday objects such as silk scarves, paper cups, bookmarks, and fridge magnets. The visual elements guide the eye through layered landscapes, creating a calm, story-like flow inspired by traditional water towns. As the design appears across different products, it transforms daily activities into moments of cultural reflection. The interaction encourages emotional connection, allowing users to engage with heritage aesthetics while enjoying modern lifestyle rituals.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in March 2025 in Shaoxing, China, and was completed in June 2025. The design development, visual research, and digital production were carried out by the design team, and the final artworks were prepared for application across multiple lifestyle products, including silk scarves, paper cups, bookmarks, and souvenir items.
- Specifications
- The core artwork was created at a master resolution of 3600 × 3600 pixels at 72 DPI in CMYK color mode. The visual system is scalable and adaptable to multiple product formats. Standard application sizes include silk scarves at 900 × 900 mm, paper cups at 90 × 140 mm (wrap layout), bookmarks at 50 × 150 mm, and fridge magnets at 60 × 80 mm. All outputs follow ISO print standards to ensure consistent reproduction quality.
- Keywords
- Jiangnan culture, cultural illustration, modern Chinese design, visual identity, souvenir design, lifestyle products, graphic system, heritage reinterpretation
