Press Release
Silver A' Design Award in Homeware Design Goes to Upcycled Echo Ceramic Speaker by Chao Yang and Yang Xiang
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Chao Yang and Yang Xiang of Yang Chao Design Studio for homeware design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Upcycled Echo Ceramic Speaker by Chao Yang and Yang Xiang of Yang Chao Design Studio, designed for Beihang University, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Homeware Design category. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided 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.
Regarding Upcycled Echo Ceramic Speaker
Upcycled Echo is a series of ceramic smart speakers made from discarded ceramic decals. In Jingdezhen, about 5 percent of ceramic decals are discarded each year. These reclaimed decals are cut, recombined and collaged onto durable porcelain shells, then fired with high precision to protect the surface. Integrated high-fidelity components provide balanced sound, and the speakers connect to smartphones for music playback and voice interaction. The design reduces industrial waste and links ceramic tradition with modern audio technology.
About Chao Yang and Yang Xiang
Yang Chao, PhD, is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Beihang University and a nominee of China’s Top Ten Outstanding Young Designers. He was awarded the DAAD Artist Scholarship and studied at the Braunschweig University of Art in Germany, and has served as a Visiting Research Fellow at Aalto University in Finland. He has led and completed major research projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China and the National Arts Fund of China.
About Yang Chao Design Studio
Yang Chao design studio in Jingdezhen. Business scope is the brand image design, poster design, book design, web design, packaging design, ceramic design.
Award Record
With this recognition, Chao Yang and Yang Xiang of Yang Chao Design Studio is a winner of 9 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2013 - 2014 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Decorative Items and Homeware Design Award
The A' Homeware Design Award is an international homeware design competition recognizing good homeware designs by leading brands and designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to homeware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and ceramic artists from all countries. Typical entries include tableware, lighting fixtures, cookware, decorative accessories, bathroom accessories and furniture. The awarded homeware designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/homeware
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/181229
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/181229
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!181229
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/133927
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
- Upcycled Echo Ceramic Speaker
- Function
- Ceramic Speaker
- Category
- Homeware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Light Gray, Gainsboro, Dark Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Beihang University
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Chao Yang and Yang Xiang
- Country
- China
- Brand
- Yang Chao Design Studio
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #181229
Credits
- Team
- Chao Yang, Yang Xiang, Qiang Sun and Chunlong Xiang
- Image Credits
- Image #Main Image: Designer Chao Yang, Upcycled Echo, 2025.; Designer Chun Long, Upcycled Echo, 2025.; Designer Qiang Sun, Upcycled Echo, 2025.; Designer Chao Yang, Upcycled Echo, 2025.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This design transforms discarded ceramic decals into handcrafted HiFi ceramic speakers through artistic collage. By upcycling industrial waste, it reduces environmental impact while creating unique surfaces and strong cultural identity. Integrating durable ceramic craftsmanship with modern acoustic technology, it delivers high-quality sound and meaningful sustainable value.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by Jingdezhen’s ceramic industry, where about 5% of decals are discarded annually, this project transforms waste into artistic HiFi speakers. Recombining and handcrafting motifs merges traditional ceramic heritage with modern design, promoting sustainability, cultural preservation, and playful, meaningful interaction.
- Research
- This design research is a sustainability-driven, applied study aiming to reduce ceramic decal waste and explore cultural innovation. Using field surveys, interviews with Jingdezhen artisans, and analysis of industrial waste data, we identified that about 5% of decals are discarded annually. Experiments with collage techniques and prototype speakers demonstrated functional, artistic upcycling. The insights show that combining tradition with modern technology can create socially and environmentally responsible products, impacting design, culture, and sustainable business practices.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was transforming discarded ceramic decals into functional, aesthetic HiFi speakers. Internally, we balanced tradition, cultural motifs, and modern design. Externally, constraints included industrial waste quality, material durability, and integrating audio technology. Overcoming these required iterative prototyping, precise collage techniques, and collaboration with local artisans to merge craftsmanship, sustainability, and high-quality sound.
- Realization and Technology
- The speakers are handcrafted from reclaimed ceramic decals, which are cut, recombined, and collaged onto durable porcelain shells. High-precision ceramic firing ensures surface integrity, while integrated HiFi components provide balanced acoustic performance. The process merges traditional ceramic craftsmanship with modern audio engineering, enabling compact, ergonomic, and visually unique speakers that combine sustainability, aesthetics, and functionality.
- Operation and Interaction
- This is a series of ceramic smart speakers that connect to smartphones, delivering high-fidelity (HiFi) music playback and voice interaction, providing users with a versatile audio experience.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in April 2025 in Jingdezhen and finished in September 2025 in Jingdezhen.
- Keywords
- Ceramic Speakers, Smart Audio, HiFi Sound, Upcycled Materials, Sustainability, Jingdezhen Ceramic, Handcrafted Collage, Cultural Heritage, Interactive Design, Eco-friendly Design
