Press Release
Nova Coffee Table by Hongji Yin Receives the Bronze A' Design Award in Furniture Design
Hongji Yin recognized for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category for Nova Coffee Table by Hongji Yin. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 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.
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 Nova Coffee Table
Nova is a coffee table inspired by the germination and growth of plants. The curved tabletop and legs follow the idea of phototropism, giving the form a soft and organic character. An asymmetrical arrangement suggests a growing life form rather than a static object. Nova is made of black walnut wood, chosen to express the theme of nature and growth, and the surface treatment keeps a natural texture. The table measures 34.5 cm in height, 81.5 cm in width and 94 cm in depth. The design seeks a balance between organic form and everyday function.
About Hongji Yin
Yin Hongji is a designer specializing in furniture and lighting design research. Growing up in China, his upbringing was deeply influenced by his family. His mother manages the family's jewelry business, which exposed him to design from a young age and laid the foundation for his appreciation of beauty. Meanwhile, his father, a professor of geological sciences, often took him on outdoor expeditions, fostering a strong connection with nature and providing him with hands-on experiences. These influences shaped his research interests, driving him to explore the intersection of biology and design, as well as the future evolution of creative possibilities.
Award Record
With this recognition, Hongji Yin is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. All of the awards belong to the 2025 - 2026 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Entries typically include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. Awarded furniture designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/174722
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/174722
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!174722
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/369741
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://rockydesign.myportfolio.com/life-cycle
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
- Nova Coffee Table
- Function
- Coffee Table
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- White Smoke, Sienna, Saddle Brown, Light Gray and Maroon
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Hongji Yin
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #174722
Credits
- Image Credits
- Creator Hongji Yin, Nova, 2024
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Nova integrates biology with design, going beyond mere bioinspiration, biomorphism, and biomimicry and delving deeply into the intricate mechanisms of biological behavior and ecological systems. This coffee table challenges the conventional design boundaries, tackling the symbiotic relationship between nature and human creativity. Adopting an asymmetrical form, Nova stands not only as a static furniture but also as a growing life form, continuously infusing vitality into users' daily lives.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the germination and growth of plants, this project resonates with the beginning of life and its vigorous development. By incorporating the idea of phototropism into the morphological design of the tabletop and table legs, I intend to express the pursuit of energy and vitality. After contemplating the essence of biological systems, I created this furniture that transcends typical bio-inspired design, embodies aesthetic beauty, and serves functional and sustainable purposes.
- Research
- By thoroughly investigating strategies of applying natural strategies to innovation, I discovered the essence of "Bio-Logical design," which inherited the features of historical design concepts such as biomimicry and organicism. It is a novel paradigm that goes beyond nature-inspired design methodology, exploring the inner logic of natural elements. By applying functional and harmoniously operated principles in the design realm, I intend to readjust the relationship between humans and nature.
- Challenge
- The core challenge I encountered was to transcend mere surface-level bio-inspired design and engage in a more profound dialogue with nature. To maintain a nuanced balance between functionality and organic form was tricky as it necessitates not only aesthetic grasp but also structural calculation. Consequently, this project is a result of successfully translating organic form and plant behavior into furniture structure.
- Realization and Technology
- This structural innovation strengthens the artistic expression of the furniture while reaching a new height in functionality and practicality. For instance, the curved design of the tabletop and table legs imitates the natural curves of plants, offering users a soft and organic sense. In terms of material selection, the choice of black walnut wood can better convey the theme of nature and growth. The surface treatment adopts a process with natural texture, making the whole furniture more vital.
- Operation and Interaction
- In a living space, Nova is not only an aesthetically-pleasing coffee table but also an inspiring presence that invites deeper talks with nature. Users can engage with its surface as well as its spirit: sitting in front of this table and taking a sip of coffee, users are expected to experience the spiritual power it embedded while speculating on the profound wisdom of the natural world.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started as a design in October 2023 in Los Angeles and finished in March 2024 in Los Angeles.
- Specifications
- Height 34.5cm x Width 81.5cm x Depth 94cm
- Keywords
- Biological Design, Phototropism, Asymmetrical Form, Black Walnut, Sustainability.
