Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango by Bojun Tan

Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango by Bojun Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze in Igishushanyo cy'Amashusho Competition Category.

BuronzeAmashusho· 2026

Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango

by Bojun Tan

Client: Agave De Ray

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze Winner in Amashusho Category

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The Design

About Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango

Book Text: Agave De Ray itanga imiterere y'ikirango yanonosoye y'umucuruzi wa mezcal ufite icyicaro i Beijing, ihuza umurage wa Oaxaca n'ubwakire bw'umujyi. Uyu mushinga ukoresha indangagaciro ihinduka aho ibikoresho biterwa ishusho nk'imyuka ireba neza, ihuza ishushanya rishimishije n'uburyo bukomeye bw'imyandikire. Mu kuringaniza imiterere y'ubuhanga bw'amaboko n'amabara y'ubutaka ahwitse, iri shushanya rishyiraho urugero rw'ishusho rwiza rw'ibinyobwa byihariye, rihindura ubukana bw'abakurambere ku bantu bo mu rwego rwo hejuru ba none.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze

Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze, ishimwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo by'indashyikirwa birangwa no guhanga, ubwenge n'ubushishozi. Abegukanye Buronze ni ibihangano bifite ubuhanga bwinshi kandi bihanga cyane, bishimangira uburambe, ubwenge n'ubushobozi bw'ababihanze. Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango biteganyijwe ko izaba ikintu cyubahwa, gishimwa kandi gikundwa, gifite ubunyamwuga n'udushya. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Buronze gikoresha uburyo bwiza mu buhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga kandi kirarenze mu gutaha ku tuntu duto. Agave De Ray Primary Function: Ikiranga Ikirango ishimisha ibyo dukeneye, ikora ku byifuzo byacu, itwara amarangamutima yacu kandi ikurura amatsiko yacu.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Agave de Ray is a mezcal dealer and bar based in Beijing. The project develops a brand architecture that bridges the raw, ancestral character of oaxacan mezcal production with the speakeasy drinking culture of beijing. Anchored by an adaptive visual identity, the system translates traditional agave-related elements into a family of quirky personified spirits. The overall brand identity aims to establish a new model of high-end boutique spirits within an urban drinking context
Dimensions & Packaging: The brand identity is developed as a scalable digital system. Core assets are produced in vector formats (AI, SVG, EPS) and raster outputs (PNG, JPG) for web and print use. A modular 8-column grid grid system and defined clear-space rules ensure consistency across formats. Typography uses Cortese font family with structured hierarchy. Color specifications include RGB, CMYK, and Hex values for cross-media reproduction.
Tags: Adaptive Logo, Changing Logos, Catering, Drinks, Mexican, Characters
Production Technology: To maintain the brand’s Ancestral Grit, I utilized a digital linocut technique to create a high-contrast, tactile aesthetic that mimics traditional woodblock printing. The Adaptive Logo System was engineered for scalability across high-end catering touchpoints, from letterpress coasters on 600gsm cotton stock to copper-foiled bottle labels. The methodology centered on "Visual Governance"–balancing the quirky character illustrations with a rigid, minimalist typographic grid to ensure the brand felt both artisanal and elite.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was achieving a fine balance between "playful quirk" and "high-end prestige." Internally, I had to balance the owner’s personal namesake with the historical weight of Oaxacan tradition. Externally, the obstacle was avoiding "craft-kitsch" while maintaining artisanal authenticity for the Beijing luxury market. I overcame this by engineering an adaptive logo system that shifts with the spirit, using a rigid minimalist grid to anchor the fluid, hand-drawn characters.
Research: This visual research analyzed the tension between traditional heritage and a luxury market of young drinking culture. Using comparative analysis and mood mapping, I identified a gap between traditional kitsch and luxury. By studying urban drinking rituals and premium spirit packaging, I developed an adaptive identity system, resulting in a series of motif that humanizes the product while maintaining elite status.
Inspiration: Driven by the brand's namesake, the owner, the design personified the agave as a watchful spirit by adding eyes to each element, infusing the identity with a personal, mischievous soul. The research focused on the tension between Oaxacan ancestral grit and Beijing's urban refinement. An adaptive logo system was made to shift with the product line, using a linocut aesthetic and a muted palette to ground the quirky characters in a high end, boutique dealer context.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2023 and finished in January 2026, and was soft-launched online since 2023.
Operation Flow: The brand operates through a "living" visual system where the agave spirits adapt to the user’s journey. At a tasting, the interaction begins with tactile, raw-textured invitations, leading to bottles where the "watchful" characters shift based on the specific spirit. This personification creates an emotional dialogue, making the complex heritage of Mezcal approachable yet elite. By balancing playful characters with rigid, premium materials, the design delivers a more memorable, intuitive, and culturally resonant ritual.