Dou Gong 서체 by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd

Dou Gong 서체 by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 동상 in 그래픽, 일러스트레이션 및 시각 커뮤니케이션 디자인 Competition Category.

동그래픽· 2026

Dou Gong 서체

by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd

Client: Kuyekuye

A' Design Award 동상 Winner in 그래픽 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #181648

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Dou Gong 서체

두공(斗栱) 서체는 중국 전통 목조 건축을 타이포그래피 체계로 재해석한 작품이다. 장부맞춤(사개맞춤) 기법에서 영감을 받아, 각 글자는 모듈형 구조 요소로 기능하는 획들이 서로 맞물리며 형성된다. 이 디자인은 3차원 및 공간적 응용으로 확장되어 건축과 타이포그래피를 잇는다. 또한 구조적 논리를 유연하고 동시대적인 시각 언어로 전환하는 방법론 중심의 접근을 제시한다.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 동상

Dou Gong 서체, 이 작품은 A' Design Award 동상 수상작으로, 창의성, 독창성, 영민함으로 돋보이는 뛰어난 디자인에 수여되는 높은 권위의 인정입니다. 동상 수상작은 충분히 숙련되고 인상적으로 창의적인 작품으로, 디자이너의 폭넓은 경험, 상상력, 기지를 입증합니다. Dou Gong 서체, 이 작품은 높이 평가받고 감탄과 사랑을 받는 사물로서 두드러지게 전문적이고 혁신적일 것으로 기대됩니다. 이 동상 수상 디자인은 예술, 과학, 디자인, 기술의 모범 사례를 담고 있으며 세부에 대한 주의로 훌륭합니다. Dou Gong 서체, 이 작품은 필요를 훌륭하게 충족하고 욕망에 닿으며 감정을 매료하고 호기심을 불러일으킵니다.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Inspired by Dou Gong, the ancient Chinese timber bracket system, this typeface translates structural intelligence into typography.

Built without nails or glue, Dou Gong relies on interlocking mortise-and-tenon joints. The typeface follows this logic: strokes interlock, overlap, and brace rather than simply connect.

Each glyph acts as a modular framework, reflecting the spatial rhythm and load-bearing logic of traditional architecture.

Structure becomes form. Form becomes language.
Dimensions & Packaging: The character set includes letters, numbers, punctuation, and core Chinese glyph prototypes. Built on a modular grid system with consistent stroke ratios. Initial release includes Regular weight.
Tags: Structural Typography, Brand Identity System, Mortise-and-Tenon Logic, Sustainable Design Thinking, Architectural Inspiration, Corporate Typeface, Parametric Construction
Production Technology: The typeface was developed using a structural construction methodology inspired by traditional mortise-and-tenon logic. Stroke intersections are designed as interlocking nodes rather than overlapping paths. Kerning was iteratively refined, and a grid-based proportional system was applied for optical corrections. Variable-weight prototypes were used to test structural balance and consistency.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating three-dimensional architectural compression logic into both three-dimensional and two-dimensional typographic construction while maintaining legibility. Balancing historical structural principles with digital font production constraints required multiple iterations. Vector geometry and optical correction limitations added further refinement challenges.
Research: Type of Research: Practice-based design research.
Research Objectives: To translate architectural structural logic into a typographic system.
Methodology: Structural analysis, modular prototyping, iterative testing.
Data and Tools: Architectural documentation review, vector modeling, grid simulation.
Participants: Internal design team testing brand applications.
Results: A modular, interlocking type system.
Insights and Impact: Confirmed that structural intelligence can inform type design.
Effect: Advanced brand system thinking and sustainable design methodology.
Inspiration: Inspired by Dou Gong, the iconic bracket system of traditional Chinese timber architecture.

Originating in the Western Zhou Dynasty and flourishing through the Tang and Song periods, Dou Gong functioned as a structural, seismic, ornamental, and symbolic element in Chinese architecture for over 3,000 years. Built entirely without nails or glue, it relies on precise mortise-and-tenon interlocking joints—each component bearing weight through compression and balance.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2024 in Shanghai and was completed in May 2025 in Beijing. Structural research was conducted concurrently with brand development, and the typeface was implemented across corporate visual identity applications upon completion.
Operation Flow: The typeface functions as a modular system. Designers can assemble letters using interlocking principles to create mutually supportive visual structures. Structural relationships remain stable at any scale, allowing flexible application across posters, brand identity, and environmental graphics. The structural rhythm enhances visual impact while maintaining legibility. The system enables consistent and dynamic brand expression.
Team Members: Xusong Wang
Xiao Dong
Yi An