Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes by Bingran Zhao

Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes by Bingran Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award in Brons in Verpakkingsontwerp Competition Category.

BronsVerpakking· 2026

Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes

by Bingran Zhao

Client: BeiHang University

A' Design Award in Brons Winner in Verpakking Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes

Horse Year is een verpakkingsserie voor wierookstokjes. Het ontwerp draait om het Chinese karakter voor paard in zegelschrift, gecombineerd met de lineaire vormentaal van taoïstische talismannen en rookpatronen. Vijf varianten volgen een kleurencyclus gebaseerd op de Vijf Elementen: metaal, water, hout, vuur en aarde. De vijf doosjes kunnen naast elkaar worden geplaatst om samen het beeld van een galopperend paard te vormen. Een binnenlade wordt uitgetrokken om de wierook en een zegenwens te onthullen. Ongestreken karton, inkten op sojabasis en een lade van gevormde pulp ondersteunen recycling.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Brons

Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Brons, een hoogst prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan uitstekende ontwerpen die zich onderscheiden door creativiteit, vindingrijkheid en scherpzinnigheid. Winnaars in Brons zijn ruimschoots vaardige en opvallend creatieve artefacten die de grote ervaring, verbeelding en het vernuft van hun ontwerpers bevestigen. Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerd, bewonderd en gekoesterd object te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Brons heeft gewonnen, verwerkt de beste praktijken in kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie en is uitstekend door zijn aandacht voor detail. Horse Year Verpakking voor Wierookstokjes bevredigt schitterend behoeften, raakt verlangens, charmeert gevoelens en spreekt de nieuwsgierigheid aan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This packaging series transforms the seal script Chinese character for Horse and the linear language of Daoist talismans into a contemporary visual system tailored for incense products. Through a color cycle derived from the generative logic of the Five Elements and the subtle integration of flowing 2026 curves the five variants are unified into a coherent narrative regarding time and blessing. The design merges ritual sensibility emotional experience and everyday usability enabling users to intuitively select incense according to their emotional state rather than engaging with the packaging merely as a decorative container.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 160 mm × Depth 40 mm × Height 70 mm
Tags: Incense packaging, Year of the Horse, Chinese zodiac, Five Elements, Daoist talisman
Production Technology: The packaging employs uncoated paperboard soy based inks and restrained hot stamping to emphasize the seal script visual while ensuring recyclability. Constructed through die cutting and folding the design utilizes a molded pulp inner tray instead of plastic. The graphic system is developed by vectorizing strokes from seal script and Daoist talismanic lines refined through rigorous prototyping and color calibration.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge lies in translating specific cultural elements like seal script the Five Elements and Daoist motifs into a contemporary global packaging language avoiding stereotypical Oriental imagery. Research balanced historical literature with youth aesthetic preferences selecting motifs that convey cultural depth without religious misinterpretation. Execution complexity arose from controlling fine lines on uncoated paper using soy based inks. Multiple proof iterations ensured both environmental sustainability and visual precision.
Research: This qualitative design study seeks to reintegrate traditional incense and Daoist culture into the daily lives of younger audiences. The research methodology synthesized literature reviews on Five Elements symbolism with competitive market analysis. Interviews and user testing with participants aged 20 to 35 investigated specific habits and aesthetic preferences. Findings revealed that minimalist narrative driven and emotionally expressive designs are preferred for gifting purposes. These insights directly informed decisions regarding the final form color system and copywriting strategy.
Inspiration: Inspired by Chinese incense culture this project celebrates the 2026 Year of the Horse through the Five Elements. The design condenses Eastern philosophy into packaging by blending the seal script horse character with Daoist talismans and smoke patterns. Hidden curves subtly form the number 2026. The color system follows the generative cycle of Metal Water Wood Fire and Earth. This chromatic logic connects five variants inviting users to select a fragrance and an auspicious intention for the day.
Project Duration: The project started in May 2025 in Beijing China and finished in November 2025.
Operation Flow: Users may first align the five individual boxes side by side to assemble a complete image of a galloping horse, and then select the incense corresponding to a particular color and Five Elements attribute according to their current mood or usage scenario. The packaging is opened by pulling out an inner tray, through which the incense and its associated blessing message are revealed simultaneously. This deliberately slowed opening action creates a brief "pre-ritual" moment before the act of lighting the incense.
After use, the outer boxes can be retained as modular desktop storage units or framed as decorative panels, allowing the packaging to continue functioning beyond a single-use context. In this way, the interaction extends beyond one-time consumption and encourages sustained engagement with the product and its cultural narrative.
Patents: Bingran Zhao
Image Credits: Image #1：Bingran Zhao
Image #2：Jiuxiao Cui
Image #3：Zhou