Chinese Zodiac Tipografia by Mengyu Cao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award de Fèrre in Grafica Competition Category.

FèrreGrafica· 2021

Chinese Zodiac Tipografia

by Mengyu Cao

Client: YiQi Hanzi

A' Design Award de Fèrre Winner in Grafica Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Chinese Zodiac Tipografia

La tipografia del Zodiac chinés inclutz 12 caractèrs. Rat, Buòu, Tigre, Conilh, Dragon, Sèrp, Caval, Cabra, Mona, Gal, Can, Porc. Combina la calligrafia chinesa e la pintura tradicional chinesa en aquarèla. Amb un pensament de design, rompe las formas caligraficas originalas e i apond de dessenhes creatius d'un biais armoniós per mostrar lo sens de cada caractèr en si meteis. Los caractèrs chineses semblan totjorn de dessenhes complicats per las personas que coneisson pas lo chinés. L'objectiu d'aqueste projècte es de rendre los caractèrs chineses comprensibles per totes per difusar la cultura chinesa.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Fèrre

Chinese Zodiac Tipografia a ganhat la distincion A' Design Award de Fèrre, una reconeissença prestigiosa acordada a de bons designs que respondon a las exigéncias professionalas e industrialas esperadas de creacions plan concebudas. Los ganhaires del Fèrre demòstran una granda abilitat, una nauta especializacion, una comprenedura d'expèrt e la capacitat creativa de lors creators. S'espèra que Chinese Zodiac Tipografia siá una creacion fòrça considerada, admirada e estimada, practica e innovanta. Aqueste design ganhaire de la distincion A' Design Award de Fèrre integra las melhoras practicas del sector e a de caracteristicas tecnicas competentas ligadas a un saber-far e a un talent. Per son rigor, Chinese Zodiac Tipografia merita lo respècte e es destinat a aportar de melhoraments a la qualitat de la vida que ajudan a far del mond un luòc melhor.

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