Chinese Zodiac Tipografi by Mengyu Cao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award Basi in Grafik Competition Category.

BasiGrafik· 2021

Chinese Zodiac Tipografi

by Mengyu Cao

Client: YiQi Hanzi

A' Design Award Basi Winner in Grafik Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Chinese Zodiac Tipografi

Tipografi Zodiak Cino ko tamasuak 12 karakter. Tikusu, Lembu, Harimau, Kalinci, Nago, Ula, Kudo, Kambieng, Bareuk, Ayam, Anjiang, Babi. Inyo manggabuangkan kaligrafi Cino jo lukisan cat aia tradisional Cino. Jo pamikiran desain, inyo mamacah bentuk kaligrafi asali dan manambaahkan gambar kreatif ka dalamnya sacaro harmonis untuak manunjuakkan makna satiok karakter dalam dirinyosendiri. Karakter Cino salalu kaliek sarupo gambar nan rumik bagi urang nan indak tahu bahaso Cino. Tujuan proyek iko adolah untuak mambuek karakter Cino dapek dipahami dek sadonyo urang untuak manyabarkan budayo Cino.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Basi

Chinese Zodiac Tipografi adolah pamenang A' Design Award Basi, sabuah pangakuan nan bapresti nan dibarikan ka rancangan nan elok nan mamanuhi kaparluan profesional jo industri nan dipaokan dari ciptaan nan dirancang jo elok. Pamenang Basi mamparlihatkan kamahiran nan gadang, spesialisasi nan tinggi, pamahaman pakar jo kapasitas kreatif panciptanyo. Chinese Zodiac Tipografi dipaokan manjadi ciptaan nan sangaik dihormati, dikagumi jo disayangi, nan praktis jo inovatif. Rancangan nan manang Basi iko mamasukkan praktik tabaik industri jo punyo ciri teknis nan cakap nan bapautan jo ilimu jo bakaik. Chinese Zodiac Tipografi dihormati karano katalitiannyo jo dirancang untuak maningkekkan kualitas hiduik jo mambantu manjadikan dunia tampek nan labiah elok.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Chinese Zodiac project combines Chinese calligraphy and watercolor drawing to present each character with its meaning. With design thinking, it breaks the traditional Chinese calligraphy forms and adds creative drawings to it harmoniously to show the meaning of each character. Chinese characters always look like complicated drawings to people who don't know Chinese.This project is aimed to make it understandable to everyone to spread Chinese culture.
The 12 Chinese zodiac includes Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
Dimensions & Packaging: This typography set can be used as culture posters as I shown with the images.
Tags: graphic design, Typography, creative drawing, Chinese Zodiac, Chinese culture, calligraphy, watercolor drawing, poster, posters
Production Technology: Chinese traditional calligraphy, Chinese traditional watercolor drawing
Design Challenge: Ideation is the hardest part of this project. How to merge animals form into the characters harmoniously that makes the most sense. It shouldn't break the traditional beauty of Chinese calligraphy. And it should enhance the beauty to show the meaning of the character in a fun way.
Research: Researched on Chinese calligraphy form of beatuy, Chinese traditional watercolor techniques, and culture behind Chinese Zodiac.
Inspiration: At the beginning of my design journey, I learned a lot of Chinese traditional culture. I was taught to have the mission to deliver valuable Chinese traditional cultures to the modern world, to enhance and spread it to the nation and the world.

I also found out there were not many creative creations around Chinese calligraphy compare to English lettering. I want to use my ability to design and drawing to explore more possibilities of the traditional assets, Chinese characters.
Project Duration: This project started in January 2020 in San Francisco and finished in August.
Operation Flow: This typography set can be used as physical or digital posters to promote Chinese culture. People can understand the meaning of each Chinese character when seeing the typography only without reading the description.
Team Members: Mengyu Cao