Horse Year お香スティックのパッケージ by Bingran Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銅賞 in パッケージデザイン Competition Category.
銅パッケージ· 2026
Horse Year お香スティックのパッケージ
by Bingran Zhao
Client: BeiHang University
A' Design Award 銅賞 Winner in パッケージ Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #179810The Design
About Horse Year お香スティックのパッケージ
「Horse Year（馬年）」は、お香スティックのためのパッケージシリーズです。デザインの中心には篆書体の漢字「馬」を据え、道教の護符に見られる線的な表現と煙の紋様を組み合わせています。5種類のバリエーションは、金・水・木・火・土という五行に基づく色彩の循環に従っています。5つの箱を横に並べると、疾走する馬の姿が浮かび上がります。内箱を引き出すと、お香と祝福のメッセージが現れます。非塗工の板紙、大豆インキ、パルプモールド製のトレイを用いることで、リサイクルに配慮しています。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 銅賞
Horse Year お香スティックのパッケージは、創造性、独創性、鋭い洞察力で際立つ傑出したデザインに授与される、高い権威をもつ評価である A' Design Award 銅賞の受賞作品です。銅賞の受賞作品は、十分に巧みで印象的なほど創造的な工芸品であり、デザイナーの豊富な経験、想像力、機知を裏づけています。Horse Year お香スティックのパッケージは、高く評価され、称賛され、愛される品であり、顕著にプロフェッショナルで革新的であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 銅賞を受賞したデザインは、芸術・科学・デザイン・技術のベストプラクティスを取り入れており、細部への配慮に優れています。Horse Year お香スティックのパッケージは、ニーズを見事に満たし、欲求に触れ、感情を魅了し、好奇心を引きつけます。
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This packaging series transforms the seal script Chinese character for Horse and the linear language of Daoist talismans into a contemporary visual system tailored for incense products. Through a color cycle derived from the generative logic of the Five Elements and the subtle integration of flowing 2026 curves the five variants are unified into a coherent narrative regarding time and blessing. The design merges ritual sensibility emotional experience and everyday usability enabling users to intuitively select incense according to their emotional state rather than engaging with the packaging merely as a decorative container.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 160 mm × Depth 40 mm × Height 70 mm
- Tags
- Incense packaging, Year of the Horse, Chinese zodiac, Five Elements, Daoist talisman
- Production Technology
- The packaging employs uncoated paperboard soy based inks and restrained hot stamping to emphasize the seal script visual while ensuring recyclability. Constructed through die cutting and folding the design utilizes a molded pulp inner tray instead of plastic. The graphic system is developed by vectorizing strokes from seal script and Daoist talismanic lines refined through rigorous prototyping and color calibration.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge lies in translating specific cultural elements like seal script the Five Elements and Daoist motifs into a contemporary global packaging language avoiding stereotypical Oriental imagery. Research balanced historical literature with youth aesthetic preferences selecting motifs that convey cultural depth without religious misinterpretation. Execution complexity arose from controlling fine lines on uncoated paper using soy based inks. Multiple proof iterations ensured both environmental sustainability and visual precision.
- Research
- This qualitative design study seeks to reintegrate traditional incense and Daoist culture into the daily lives of younger audiences. The research methodology synthesized literature reviews on Five Elements symbolism with competitive market analysis. Interviews and user testing with participants aged 20 to 35 investigated specific habits and aesthetic preferences. Findings revealed that minimalist narrative driven and emotionally expressive designs are preferred for gifting purposes. These insights directly informed decisions regarding the final form color system and copywriting strategy.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by Chinese incense culture this project celebrates the 2026 Year of the Horse through the Five Elements. The design condenses Eastern philosophy into packaging by blending the seal script horse character with Daoist talismans and smoke patterns. Hidden curves subtly form the number 2026. The color system follows the generative cycle of Metal Water Wood Fire and Earth. This chromatic logic connects five variants inviting users to select a fragrance and an auspicious intention for the day.
- Project Duration
- The project started in May 2025 in Beijing China and finished in November 2025.
- Operation Flow
- Users may first align the five individual boxes side by side to assemble a complete image of a galloping horse, and then select the incense corresponding to a particular color and Five Elements attribute according to their current mood or usage scenario. The packaging is opened by pulling out an inner tray, through which the incense and its associated blessing message are revealed simultaneously. This deliberately slowed opening action creates a brief "pre-ritual" moment before the act of lighting the incense.
After use, the outer boxes can be retained as modular desktop storage units or framed as decorative panels, allowing the packaging to continue functioning beyond a single-use context. In this way, the interaction extends beyond one-time consumption and encourages sustained engagement with the product and its cultural narrative. - Patents
- Bingran Zhao
- Image Credits
- Image #1：Bingran Zhao
Image #2：Jiuxiao Cui
Image #3：Zhou
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.
