Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu by Mingzhi Cai

Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu by Mingzhi Cai is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ibhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award in Uyilo lweZipho Competition Category.

IntsimbiIzipho· 2026

Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu

by Mingzhi Cai

Client: Mingzhi Cai

Ibhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award Winner in Izipho Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu

IPocket Heritage luluhlu lweemvulophu ezibomvu zokuqokelelwa olwenzelwe uNyaka weHashe. Uyilo luguqula imvulophu ebomvu yesiko ibe sisixhobo esiphathwayo sokubalisa amabali enkcubeko, luguqulela imifanekiso yemibhiyozo yetempile kunye nemiboniso yeShehuo ibe yinkqubo yabalinganiswa emanyeneyo. Imvulophu nganye ilinganiselwa kwi-90 mm nge-170 mm kwaye ishicilelwe kwiphepha elikhethekileyo elikhazimlayo njengeperile ngeeinki ze-UV zemibala emihlanu. Iiyilo ezikhethiweyo zongeza umfanekiso ophakamileyo onegolide ye-foil. Ipakethe nganye iqulethe iimvulophu ezintandathu ezikhethwe ngokungacwangciswanga kwiiyilo ezingamashumi amathathu anesine, nto leyo ekhuthaza ukutshintshiselana kwakunye nokuboniswa kamva njengemishicilelo emincinci.

The Recognition

About the Ibhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award

Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu ngumphumeleli weIbhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award, ukuqatshelwa okuhlonitshwayo okunikwa imiyilo elungileyo eyanelisa iimfuno zobungcali neemveliso ezilindelekileyo kwimveliso ezicwangciswe kakuhle. Abaphumeleleyo beNtsimbi babonisa ubuchule obukhulu, ubuchule obuphezulu, ukuqonda kwengcali namandla okuyila abayili babo. Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu iyathenjwa ukuba ibe yimveliso exatyiswa kakhulu, edunyiswayo nethandwayo esebenzayo neyinto entsha. Lo myilo uphumeleleyo weIbhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award udibanisa iindlela ezilungileyo kakhulu zemboleko kwaye unezimpawu zobuchwephesha ezifanelekileyo ezidityaniswe nolwazi netalente. Pocket Heritage Iseti Yeemvulophu Ezibomvu iyahlonelwa ngenxa yenkcukacha yayo kwaye yacwangciselwa ukunika uphuculo lomgangatho wobomi olunceda ukwenza ihlabathi libe yindawo engcono.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Pocket Heritage transforms the red envelope into a portable heritage medium for New Year and ceremonial gifting. A unified Year of the Horse character system ensures clear recognition while reinterpreting Shehuo performance culture in a contemporary format. Printed on pearlescent specialty paper with five color UV inks, selected designs also feature embossed relief with gold foil to create vivid color shifts and tactile depth. Each pack contains six randomly mixed envelopes to encourage exchange, collecting and continued use as keepsake prints.
Dimensions & Packaging: This project is a collectible red envelope series. Each retail pack contains six randomly mixed envelopes selected from a set of thirty four designs to encourage exchange and storytelling. Envelope size is 90 mm x 170 mm. The envelopes are printed on pearlescent specialty paper with high contrast graphics for strong legibility and tactile appeal. Selected editions include embossed relief with gold foil. Used envelopes may also be kept and framed as decorative prints.
Tags: Intangible Heritage, Temple Fair, Shehuo, Red Envelope, Cultural Communication, Year of the Horse, Character Design, UV Printing, Pearlescent Paper, Collectible Gift Set
Production Technology: Five color UV ink printing on pearlescent specialty paper creates vivid color shifts and a tactile surface. Selected designs feature embossed relief with gold foil to add raised detail and a ceremonial finish. The character artwork follows a unified visual guide to maintain consistency across the Year of the Horse series. Prototyping included print proofing, finish testing and iterative layout adjustment before final production.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating traditional Chinese temple fair and Shehuo culture into a contemporary collectible format without losing authenticity. The project needed to balance historical reference, visual clarity, tactile richness and production consistency at the same time. Another difficulty was building a unified character system from diverse cultural sources while keeping each design vivid, readable and suitable for printing, gifting and long term display.
Research: Cultural and user centered design research. The objective was to translate temple fair and Shehuo heritage into a coherent Year of the Horse character system that is easy to recognize and share. Methods included visual comparison of classical painting records, relic imagery and contemporary festival documentation, followed by iterative character development, print proofing and user feedback with art students. The result was a thirty four design series with strong tactile identity, collectible value and improved cultural recall.
Inspiration: This project was inspired by the visual energy of Chinese temple fairs and Shehuo performances. It rethinks the traditional red envelope as a portable medium for Year of the Horse cultural storytelling. Research compared classical painting records and relic imagery with contemporary festival documentation. Through collaboration with art students and iterative development, the design established a consistent character system and transformed heritage references into a vivid, tactile and shareable gift format.
Project Duration: The project was developed from May 2025 to January 2026 in Bazhou, Langfang, Hebei, China. Research and co creation workshops were conducted with art students during the development process. Print prototyping, material testing and final production were completed with local manufacturing partners. The series was then prepared for market presentation and distribution.
Operation Flow: Users select a red envelope from the pack and present it during New Year celebrations or ceremonial gatherings. The tactile surface encourages handling and close viewing. Because each pack contains six randomly mixed designs, people naturally compare, exchange and discuss the characters and their cultural meanings. After use, the envelope can be kept, displayed or framed as a small decorative print, extending both its function and emotional value.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Mingzhi Cai, 2026.
Image Credits: Image #1: Creator (Content Design) Mingzhi Cai and Illustrator Siya Zhang, Pocket Heritage, 2026.
Image #2: Creator (Content Design) Mingzhi Cai and Illustrator Siya Zhang, Pocket Heritage, 2026.
Image #3: Creator (Content Design) Mingzhi Cai and Illustrator Siya Zhang, Pocket Heritage, 2026.
Image #4: Creator (Content Design) Mingzhi Cai and Illustrator Siya Zhang, Pocket Heritage, 2026.
Image #5: Creator (Content Design) Mingzhi Cai and Illustrator Siya Zhang, Pocket Heritage, 2026.
Video Credits: Videographer Mingzhi Cai, Pocket Heritage, 2026.