The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp av Yen Chang Chen

Designet The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp av Yen Chang Chen er en høyt verdsatt vinner av den svært prestisjetunge 2026 A' Design Award i Gull i konkurransekategorien Reklame, markedsføring og kommunikasjonsdesign.

GullReklame· 2026

The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp

av Yen Chang Chen

Klient: Yuan Ze University

Vinner av A' Design Award i Gull i kategorien Reklame

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Om The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp

Book Text: Kulturfremmende kopp ble designet for å omdanne et distinkt element fra samtidens taiwanske populærkultur til et håndgripelig kulturelt objekt. Inspirert av et vidt anerkjent internettfenomen som kombinerer humor, satire og samfunnskommentar, utforsker prosjektet hvordan folkelig språk kan oversettes til produktdesign. Ved å bygge bro mellom digital kultur og fysisk opplevelse bevarer designet kulturell hukommelse, oppmuntrer til offentlig engasjement og tilbyr en tilgjengelig måte å reflektere over lokal identitet og kollektivt uttrykk på.

Anerkjennelsen

Om A' Design Award i Gull

The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp er vinner av A' Design Award i Gull, en enormt prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles førsteklasses, praktfulle og enestående design. Gullvinnere er usedvanlig nyskapende, visjonære og glamorøst blendende skaperverk som gjenspeiler designernes geni, visdom og dyktighet. The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp forventes å være en høyt rost, trendsettende og monumental oppfinnelse som gir enestående verdi. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Gull, er et spektakulært, respektert prosjekt som i høy grad gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. The Kaobei Primary Function: Kulturfremmende kopp skaper intense følelser av begjær, vekker lidenskap, oppmuntrer til kreativitet og fascinerer oss.

Bak designet

Pressepakke

Krediteringer, teammedlemmer og tekniske detaljer levert av designeren.

Unike egenskaper: 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.
Dimensjoner og emballasje: 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.
Stikkord: vernacular design, cultural communication, language-based design, product system, emotional interaction, typographic design, social engagement, everyday object, cultural identity, design innovation
Produksjonsteknologi: 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.
Designutfordring: 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.
Forskning: 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.
Inspirasjon: 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.
Prosjektvarighet: 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.
Driftsflyt: 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.