Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab by Alexis Zapata

Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab by Alexis Zapata is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Nyiaj in Tsim Khoom Siv Kos Duab thiab Khoom Siv Sau Ntawv Competition Category.

NyiajKhoom Siv Kos Duab· 2025

Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab

by Alexis Zapata

Client: Lumin

A' Design Award Nyiaj Winner in Khoom Siv Kos Duab Category

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Colors

The Design

About Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab

Lumin yog ib qho tsim uas ua los ntawm 100 feem pua hlau txhuas. Tsis muaj cov cuab yeej siv, kev ntsws tau ntawm cov khoom siv yog siv los tuav cov xuas nrig. Nws yog tsim los siv ntau yam txheej txheem kev txiav tshuab tswj cov lej zauv, nrog rau kev ua tiav los ntawm tes rau txhua qhov. Txheeb xyuas nrog nws tus lej zauv uas khawm rau thiab nrog rau cov ntim khoom uas lees paub qhov tseeb ntawm nws. Nws tus tsim qauv xav sawv cev rau hauv Lumin lub siab xav ntawm kev khoob. Ib feem ntawm qhov ci ntsa iab uas nyob hauv txhua tus neeg, tsis zoo tag nrho tab sis yog qhov tseeb tiag. Hauv txoj kev no Lumin caw kom xav txog sab hauv thiab xav txog tus kheej.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Nyiaj

Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Nyiaj, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev tshaj li qub uas muab rau cov qauv tsim qib siab, zoo nkauj thiab ua rau neeg xav tsis thoob. Cov neeg yeej Nyiaj yog cov haujlwm ci ntsa iab heev thiab tsim tshiab heev uas qhia txog kev paub, kev txawj ntse thiab kev ntse ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab xav tias yuav yog ib qho haujlwm zoo kawg nkaus uas tsim rau qhia, tshaj lij heev thiab tsim tshiab tob. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Nyiaj no yog ib qho khoom tsim uas pom tseeb heev thiab neeg qhuas uas pab tau thiab nthuav dav ciam teb ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis. Lumin Cwj Mem Xuas Nrig Tshuab yog ib qho khoom tsim uas neeg coob xav tau, uas ua rau xav, coj kev xav zoo thiab ua rau xav tsis thoob thiab xav paub.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Lumin represents an emotion, of emptiness, to give rise to the new. A fragment of light, not perfect but authentic, that shines one's own brilliance. Materialize the intangible.
In its packaging, emptiness is symbolized. Where, for the light to find us, we must find that breaking point.
The pencil, what must always shine, protect itself, defend...Education.
"Alumina,
light that propagates through the emptiness.
Lumin, born from absence."
Dimensions & Packaging: Mechanical pencil, material aluminum alloy 2011, weight 90 grams, dimensions 100 mm x 19 mm, between the faces of the hexagon
Packaging material 300 gr illustration, printing full color, finish matte polypropylene on both sides, die cut digital, finish 2 double sided, dimensions 140 mm x40 mm x 40 mm
Tags: emotion, intangible, emptyness, authentic, light, absence, aluminum, alumina
Production Technology: Lumin is an exclusive design, made 100 percent from aluminum. Stripped of any mechanism, it uses the elasticity of the material to hold the graphite. It is produced using different numerical control machining processes, with a manual finish in each of them. Identified with its engraved serial number and accompanied by the packaging that authenticates it.
Design Challenge: From 2017 to 2022, I was a professor at a university in the model and prototype workshop. After the pandemic, classes were taught online, so the workshop became unnecessary. This made me think about how education changed, and today I think the pencil was an act of protest to defend it. It wasn't easy to find a CNC lathe operator willing to make only 100 units at first; they usually order 1,000 units. Costs also increased due to devaluation in my country. Even the cost of the packaging was high, given the small quantity, so I had to do it using digital offset.
I made virtually no profit, nor was I interested in making any. It was a process through which I was able to understand the anguish I carried inside, and by materializing it, I was able to face it and thus let it go.
Research: The initial idea was to create a mechanical pencil using discarded aluminum. Information was collected on different mechanical pencils and their possible mechanisms. At that time, as a teacher in a model and prototype workshop, I had access to lathes where the first six prototypes were created. They were so popular that I began researching how to mass-produce them, since making them individually is time-consuming. Today, it has become a coveted object for designers, architects, and artists. I would like to make a more democratic product, making it accessible to everyone, but production costs are high for the quantities I can make.
Inspiration: It was an exploration of personal introspection of my emotions.
Lumin was the key to a new stage. It was my breaking point, to change my reality.
Project Duration: At the end of 2020, 6 functional prototypes were made and the pre series was launched in July 2023.
It participated in Buenos Aires, Argentina in INNOVAR 2023 with the ID 23902 and Sello Buen Diseño 2025 with the ID 5834.
Operation Flow: Release the lead from the packaging by pushing the tip of the mechanical pencil inward from one side to eject it from the other side and pulling to remove it. Do not open, disassemble, or break the packaging.

The lead is 5,5 mm and is adjusted when released, vertically with the tip pointing down, always opening slightly to the sides. Hold the lead with both hands on a horizontal surface to prevent the lead from falling out.
If it has been held for a long time, you may need to open it and simultaneously press the lead on a horizontal surface to release it from its internal grip. The lead should fall freely when the clip is opened.

Reload from the rear vortex by inserting a 5,5 mm lead, positioning it vertically with the tip pointing down, fitting the lead into the front hole, and opening it slightly to the sides again to adjust the length.

The length of the graphite exposed is adjusted using the same procedure. Place the clamp against a horizontal surface and adjust it to the desired length.

-The opening is minimal. While the material holds the graphite, it is not very elastic. If the graphite is moved without opening it, it will wear down and the clamp will no longer work.
Patents: -Patented. Patent No 103.171. Alexis Zapata. 2022. Argentina.
-Trademark belong to Alexis Zapata, 2024, registration number 3.504.852.

Intellectual Property Institute of the Argentine Republic
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/inpi
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025.
Image #2: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025.
Image #3: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025.
Image #4: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025.
Image #5: Photographer Federico Ariel Serrano, 2025.