Roots Di-zine by Xun Zuo is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Kgatiso le Media e Phatlaladitsweng Competition Category.

BoronseKgatiso· 2025

Roots Di-zine

by Xun Zuo

Client: Xunzuodesign

Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award Winner in Kgatiso Category

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Colors

The Design

About Roots Di-zine

Phatlalatso ena e nang le dikarolo e entswe ka di-zine, e nngwe le e nngwe e bopilweng ka puo ya pono e bontshang boitsebiso ba bao ba phedisang dipale. E tsepamisitse ho malebenkele a kofi a New York, mme e tshwara mokgwa oo bafaladi ba batjha ba fumanang hokahano le ho kena karolong. Sebopeho se roakilweng le se tiisitsweng ka moyafosisa se hlohleletsa kgopolo ya ho se tsepame le kgatello ya maikutlo. Ka dipale tsa botho, morero o senola boleng ba setjhaba ba dikgwebo tse nyane mme o hlalosa moralo wa maikutlo ka tsela e ntjha jwalo ka sediriso sa ho kenya.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award

Roots Di-zine ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang haholo e fuoang meralo e ikhethang e tsejoang ka boqapi, bohlale ba ho qapa le bohlale. Bahapi ba Boronse ke lintho tse nang le bokhoni ka ho felletseng le boqapi bo hlollang tse tiisang boiphihlelo bo bongata, mohopolo le bokhoni ba ho iphumana ba baqapi ba tsona. Roots Di-zine e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e nang le boprofeshenale bo bonahalang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Boronse oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa bonong, mahlaleng, moralong le theknolojing mme o hlahella ka ho tsepamisa maikutlo lintlheng tse nyenyane. Roots Di-zine e kutloisisa litlhoko hantle, e ama litakatso, e hapa maikutlo mme e tsosa takatso ea ho tseba.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: A book of zines, each a voice, a mood, a rhythm. Designed with visualized personal styles from the storyteller, these fragments emerge from coffee shops in New York, where new immigrants seek connection in a fast moving city. Loosely sewn and vacuum sealed, the form speaks of impermanence. This modular archive becomes both vessel and invitation, mapping emotion, honoring small businesses, and asking what design can do when it listens.
Dimensions & Packaging: 203.2 mm x 139.7 mm zine, 6 zines total, 120 pages, printed media with sewn binding, vacuum sealed in a plastic bag.
Tags: Zine, Book, Ethnographic Research, Branding, Customer Experience
Production Technology: A modular collection of zines, each using different paper stocks, printing methods, and a mix of sewn and Coptic binding. Every material choice was shaped by conversations with storytellers. Inspired by the Chinese Red Thread legend, the bindings reflect connection and distance. A business card included in the set acts as an invitation, extending the narrative and welcoming new voices into the ongoing story.
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge was conducting interviews with storytellers in a neutral, non leading way, helping them share their stories without guiding them toward specific narratives about their relationship with coffee and local culture. This was particularly challenging because the influence of environment, brand design, and tone on consumers, especially who are not native speakers, is often indirect.
Research: This research combines qualitative and quantitative methods to explore how coffee connects foreign individuals to local communities. It aims to understand how cafe branding influences consumer decision making. Data was collected through interviews, questionnaires, and cultural probes with over 40 participants. The findings emphasize the significance of emotional connections in branding and suggest that businesses can enhance consumer engagement by focusing on emotional design in real life interactions.
Inspiration: Coffee branding often reflects local culture and community, as coffee shops serve as social anchors. As a former international student, I saw coffee, a global symbol, as a bridge to belonging. I visited local cafes across New York, gathering stories from outsiders and navigating connections. This project is both a storytelling platform and a reflection on how brand and experience design shape human relationships.
Project Duration: An ongoing project started in August 2022. The most recent update was in July 2024.
Operation Flow: This book, or zine collection, connects with readers through print in a tangible way. Its unique visual language tells stories while reflecting the personal style of each storyteller. The first zine introduces the inspiration of the project, followed by others sharing diverse stories, reinforcing community. The final zine guides readers on how to participate and invites them to contribute. A business card on the vacuum sealed packaging provides submission details.