Chinese Zodiac Typografie by Mengyu Cao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award in IJzer in Grafisch, Illustratie en Visuele Communicatie Ontwerp Competition Category.

IJzerGrafisch· 2021

Chinese Zodiac Typografie

by Mengyu Cao

Client: YiQi Hanzi

A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Grafisch Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Chinese Zodiac Typografie

De Chinese dierenriemtypografie bevat 12 tekens. Rat, Os, Tijger, Konijn, Draak, Slang, Paard, Geit, Aap, Haan, Hond, Varken. Het combineert Chinese kalligrafie en Chinese traditionele aquareltekening. Met design thinking doorbreekt het de originele kalligrafievormen en voegt er op harmonieuze wijze creatieve tekeningen aan toe om de betekenis van elk personage in zichzelf te laten zien. Chinese karakters zien er altijd uit als ingewikkelde tekeningen voor mensen die geen Chinees kennen. Het doel van dit project is om de Chinese karakters voor iedereen begrijpelijk te maken en zo de Chinese cultuur te verspreiden.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in IJzer

Chinese Zodiac Typografie is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. Chinese Zodiac Typografie wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. Chinese Zodiac Typografie wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.

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