The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya by Yen Chang Chen

The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya by Yen Chang Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Emas in Desain Pariwara, Pemasaran lan Komunikasi Competition Category.

EmasPariwara· 2026

The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya

by Yen Chang Chen

Client: Yuan Ze University

A' Design Award Emas Winner in Pariwara Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya

Cangkir Promosi Budaya dirancang kanggo ngowahi unsur khas saka budaya populer Taiwan kontemporer dadi artefak budaya sing nyata. Kailhami saka fenomena internet sing dikenal akeh sing nggabungake humor, sindiran, lan komentar sosial, proyek iki njelajah kepiye basa vernakular bisa diterjemahake dadi desain produk. Kanthi njembatani budaya digital lan pengalaman fisik, desain iki njaga memori budaya, ndhukung keterlibatan masyarakat, lan nawakake cara sing gampang kanggo mikirake identitas lokal lan ekspresi kolektif.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Emas

The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya menang A' Design Award Emas, pangenalan sing prestisius banget sing diparingake marang desain kelas siji, nggumunake lan unggul. Pemenang Emas iku ciptaan sing inovatif banget, visioner lan sumunar nggumunake sing nggambarake kejeniusan, kawicaksanan lan kaprigelan para desainer. The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya dikarepake dadi panemuan sing dipuji banget, pelopor tren lan monumental sing nyedhiyakake nilai sing durung tau ana. Desain sing menang A' Design Award Emas iki iku proyek sing nggumunake lan dihormati sing paring manfaat gedhe lan nyurung maju wates seni, sains, desain lan teknologi. The Kaobei Cangkir Promosi Budaya nuwuhake perasaan kekarepan sing kuwat, nggugah semangat, nyengkuyung kreativitas lan narik kawigaten kita.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The KaoBei Cup is a ceramic design that transforms vernacular language into a functional communication interface. It goes beyond conventional products by integrating language, object, and social interaction into a scalable cultural system. By materializing informal expressions, it creates a new form of engagement that connects everyday use with digital sharing and cultural participation.
Dimensions & Packaging: Dimensions: approx. 90 mm (W) × 90 mm (D) × 100 mm (H); capacity approx. 300 ml.
Material: high-fired porcelain with glazed finish.
Production: slip casting with decal transfer printing and kiln firing.
Packaging: recyclable paper box with protective insert.
Series-based design with multiple typographic variations ensuring consistency and scalability.
Tags: vernacular design, cultural communication, language-based design, product system, emotional interaction, typographic design, social engagement, everyday object, cultural identity, design innovation
Production Technology: The KaoBei Cup is produced using ceramic slip casting with high-fired porcelain for durability and fine detail. The vernacular typography is developed through iterative graphic translation and applied using precision decal printing and kiln firing. The process integrates linguistic research, visual abstraction, and material prototyping to ensure consistency across series production.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating informal vernacular language into a culturally acceptable and functional design without losing its original tone. Balancing humor, sensitivity, and readability required careful iteration. Another difficulty was standardizing non-structured expressions into consistent visual forms for production. The project addressed these through linguistic analysis, typographic refinement, and prototyping, ensuring both authenticity and scalability.
Research: This project is qualitative design research exploring how vernacular language can be transformed into product-based communication. The objective is to materialize everyday expressions into interactive objects. Methods include linguistic observation, visual translation, and prototyping. Data were collected from daily speech and digital communication patterns. Tested through real-world use in cultural contexts. Results show increased engagement and sharing. Insights reveal language can function as a cultural interface, impacting design, communication, and cultural industries.
Inspiration: The KaoBei Cup is inspired by the everyday vernacular expressions widely used in contemporary communication, particularly those shaped by digital culture. These phrases, often casual, humorous, and emotionally expressive, have evolved into a shared linguistic system reflecting how people interact and connect in daily life.

The project explores how language can move beyond text and speech to become a tangible cultural medium. By transforming commonly spoken expressions into physical objects, the design materializes intangible communication and repositions it within everyday use.

The inspiration also emerges from the contrast between informal language and formal cultural contexts. Expressions that are typically considered trivial or marginal are recontextualized into designed objects, creating a dialogue between everyday culture and institutional spaces. This approach has been applied in museum and social communication settings, where the design enables audiences to engage with cultural content through familiar language and interactive experience.

Ultimately, the project is driven by the idea that design can translate ordinary language into a shared cultural interface, allowing people to express emotions, build connections, and reflect collective memory through everyday objects.
Project Duration: The project started in 2024 in Taiwan and was completed in early 2025. It was implemented in museum retail and social media contexts, where it was presented as part of cultural promotion initiatives. The design continues to be developed and expanded as a series-based product system.
Operation Flow: Users interact with the Kao Bei Cup through daily use, where each printed phrase expresses a specific emotion or attitude. The cup functions as a conversation starter, allowing users to communicate indirectly through language embedded in the object. Its interaction extends beyond physical use to social sharing, enabling engagement across both personal and digital contexts.