Roots Zines by Xun Zuo is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award i Brons in Tryck och Publicerad Mediadesign Competition Category.

BronsTryck· 2025

Roots Zines

by Xun Zuo

Client: Xunzuodesign

A' Design Award i Brons Winner in Tryck Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #172635

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Colors

The Design

About Roots Zines

Denna modulära publikation består av zines, var och en skapad med ett visuellt språk som speglar berättarnas identitet. Centrerad kring New Yorks kaféer fångar den hur nya invandrare navigerar anknytning och tillhörighet. Det sydda och vakuumförseglada formatet framkallar förgänglighet och emotionell spänning. Genom personliga berättelser avslöjar projektet småföretagens sociala värde och omdefinierar emotionell design som ett verktyg för inkludering.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Brons

Roots Zines är vinnare av A' Design Award i Brons, ett högst prestigefyllt erkännande som tilldelas enastående designverk som utmärker sig genom kreativitet, uppfinningsrikedom och klokhet. Bronsvinnare är mycket skickliga och slående kreativa föremål som styrker formgivarnas stora erfarenhet, fantasi och påhittighet. Roots Zines förväntas vara ett högt skattat, beundrat och älskat föremål som är anmärkningsvärt professionellt och innovativt. Detta vinnande verk i A' Design Award i Brons införlivar bästa praxis inom konst, vetenskap, design och teknik och är utmärkt genom sin omsorg om detaljer. Roots Zines tillfredsställer fantastiskt behov, rör vid längtan, charmar känslor och väcker nyfikenhet.

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.