Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia by Yetong Xin and Muwen Li

Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia by Yetong Xin and Muwen Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Ario in Mamanu Ata Tifaga Competition Category.

ArioAta Tifaga· 2025

Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia

by Yetong Xin and Muwen Li

Client: Reraner

A' Design Award Ario Winner in Ata Tifaga Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia

O le Nomad o se ata tifaga puupuu faafiafia faasaienisi e uiga i le lumanaʻi o le vaomatua timuga o Amasona. O loo faaalia i le ata se aai e mafai ona gaoioi, e mafai ona ave ituaiga o Amasona i nofoaga fou e mafai ona nonofo ai pe a lē toe mafai e se nofoaga ona lagolagoina le soifuaga o tagata. O masini i totonu o le Nomad e faatumauina se fausaga faainisinia ae e fausia tele mai mea faanatura nai lo uʻamea. O lenei auala e musuia mai le natura e aloese ai mai le mālūlū o masini masani ma tuuina atu ai i le aai se lagona o le ola. Na muamua faia ni ata vane ma laupapa o tala, sosoo ai ma le faataʻitaʻiga, faafiafiaga, faaliliuina o ata ma le tuufaatasia. Na faaaogāina le puʻeina o gaoioiga mo tagata o le tala.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Ario

O le A' Design Award Ario na manumalo ai Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu sili ona lelei, matagofie ma mataʻutia. O ē manumalo i le Ario o galuega susulu tele ma fatufatuaʻi e faaalia ai le poto, le taleni ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia e avea ma galuega matagofie, o se fesuiaiga mo isi, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou loloto. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Ario o se mea e iloga, ua mataʻina e aogā ma tuleia atu tapulaʻa o le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi. Nomad Ata Tifaga Puupuu Faafiafia o se mea e fiafia i ai le toatele, e fafagu ai manaʻoga, aumaia ai lagona lelei ma tupu ai le ofo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The mechanical design in the video has a unique style: while it retains a mechanical structure, it primarily uses natural materials instead of metal. Through this nature inspired mechanical approach, the design aims to portray a human city that values nature, reflecting a vision for future cities—harmony between humans and the environment. This design breaks away from the coldness of traditional machinery, giving it a sense of vitality that resonates with the audience and enhances their immersive experience.
Dimensions & Packaging: 4K Video. Screened on a large display.
Tags: animation, nature, scifi, emotion, future
Production Technology: First created design sketches and storyboards in Photoshop, then modeled in Blender. Used Cinema4D for scene building, animation, rendering, and simulations, and finally composited everything in After Effects. The character movements were captured using motion capture technology.
Design Challenge: The challenge was how to create a worldview that respects nature in the context of a high tech future. Many futuristic films, such as those with cyberpunk aesthetics, often depict highly mechanized cities, which conflict with the message of nature conservation the project aimed to convey. To address this issue, multiple discussions were held, ultimately leading to the adoption of a biomimetic approach, designing a city that embodies advanced technology while coexisting harmoniously with nature.
Research: This project originated from MIT Media Lab's City Science Group research on Amazonian tribes, focusing on the Amazon rainforest's decline due to human activity. Collaborating with scholars and urban designers, the team explored the tribes' beliefs, such as shamanism and totems. Their findings suggest that future Amazonian tribes may continue to respect nature and build cities that harmonize with the environment, shaping the film's worldview and production.
Inspiration: This scifi animation short was created in 2023, with a focus on environmental protection. By 2024, due to urban expansion, the forest cover in the eastern Amazon had decreased by 31 percent. This inspired the project to reflect on how humans should coexist harmoniously with nature in the future. The concept envisioned a city capable of moving freely; when a location can no longer sustain human activity, it would transport the Amazonian tribes to new habitable areas, achieving a dynamic balance of natural resources.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2023 in MIT Media Lab in Boston and finished in January 2024, and was exhibited in Brooklyn Film Festival, D ARCH Film Festival, A plus D museum in Los Angeles, and METAXIS plus PROMPT Festival in Budapest in 2024.
Operation Flow: This animation uses a widescreen cinematic aspect ratio, and the music is highly aesthetic. It is best suited for viewing in a completely dark environment, such as a cinema, with a large screen or projector. The audience will experience an immersive and ultimate audiovisual experience.
Team Members: Co Author: Muwen Li
Music: Yicheng Zhu
Music: Zuochu Liu
Sound Design: JoNine Liu
Voice: Gabriela Bila Advincula