The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea by Yen Chang Chen

The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea by Yen Chang Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Koura in Hoahoa Pānui Hokohoko, Whakatairanga me te Whakawhitiwhiti Kōrero Competition Category.

KouraPānui Hokohoko· 2026

The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea

by Yen Chang Chen

Client: Yuan Ze University

A' Design Award Koura Winner in Pānui Hokohoko Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #178404

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea

I hoahoatia te Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea hei whakawhiti i tētahi āhuatanga motuhake o te ahurea rongonui o Taiwan o nāianei hei taonga ahurea whai ā-tinana. He mea whakaawe e tētahi āhuatanga ipurangi e mōhiotia whānuitia ana e whakakotahi ana i te whakakatakata, te whakahīanga, me te kōrero pāpori, ka torotoro te kaupapa ki te huarahi e taea ai te reo o te iwi te whakawhiti ki te hoahoa hua. Mā te whakahono i te ahurea matihiko me te wheako ā-tinana, ka pupuri te hoahoa i te mahara ahurea, ka whakatenatena i te whai wāhitanga o te iwi, ā, ka tuku i tētahi huarahi wātea hei whakaaroaro i te tuakiri ā-rohe me te whakapuakitanga o te katoa.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Koura

Ko The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea te toa o te A' Design Award Koura, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke tuatahi, whakamīharo me te hiranga. Ko ngā toa Koura he mahi tino auaha, he tirohanga mamao, he kanapa ahi, e whakaatu ana i te pūmanawa, te mātauranga me te tohungatanga o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea he hanganga tūnga e whakatū ana i ngā ia, he whakanuia rawa, e kawe mai ana i te uara kāore anō kia kitea. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Koura he kaupapa whakamīharo, whakahonoretia e whakawhānui ana i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ka whakaara a The Kaobei Kapu Whakatairanga Ahurea i te hiahia nui, ka whakaoho i te kaingākau, ka whakatenatena i te auaha, ā, ka whakamīharo i a tātou.

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.