Dou Gong 字體 by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd

Dou Gong 字體 by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銅獎 in 平面設計 Competition Category.

銅平面· 2026

Dou Gong 字體

by Shanghai Kuyekuye Technology Co., Ltd

Client: Kuyekuye

A' Design Award 銅獎 Winner in 平面 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Dou Gong 字體

斗栱字體將中國傳統木構建築重新詮釋為一套字體排印系統。設計靈感源自榫卯接合工藝，字符由互相扣合嘅筆劃構成，呢啲筆劃猶如模組化嘅結構元件。設計更延伸至立體同空間應用層面，將建築同字體排印連繫起來，並引入一種以方法為本嘅設計思路，將結構邏輯轉化為靈活而當代嘅視覺語言。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銅獎

Dou Gong 字體是 A' Design Award 銅獎得主，這是授予以創造力、獨創性和敏銳見長的傑出設計的極具聲望的認可。銅獎得主是技藝嫻熟、創意驚人的作品，印證了其設計師豐富的經驗、想像力與機智。預計Dou Gong 字體將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的物品，兼具顯著的專業性與創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銅獎的設計融入藝術、科學、設計和技術領域的最佳實踐，並因注重細節而出類拔萃。Dou Gong 字體出色地滿足需求，觸動渴望，迷住情感，並吸引好奇心。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Inspired by Dou Gong, the ancient Chinese timber bracket system, this typeface translates structural intelligence into typography.

Built without nails or glue, Dou Gong relies on interlocking mortise-and-tenon joints. The typeface follows this logic: strokes interlock, overlap, and brace rather than simply connect.

Each glyph acts as a modular framework, reflecting the spatial rhythm and load-bearing logic of traditional architecture.

Structure becomes form. Form becomes language.
Dimensions & Packaging: The character set includes letters, numbers, punctuation, and core Chinese glyph prototypes. Built on a modular grid system with consistent stroke ratios. Initial release includes Regular weight.
Tags: Structural Typography, Brand Identity System, Mortise-and-Tenon Logic, Sustainable Design Thinking, Architectural Inspiration, Corporate Typeface, Parametric Construction
Production Technology: The typeface was developed using a structural construction methodology inspired by traditional mortise-and-tenon logic. Stroke intersections are designed as interlocking nodes rather than overlapping paths. Kerning was iteratively refined, and a grid-based proportional system was applied for optical corrections. Variable-weight prototypes were used to test structural balance and consistency.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating three-dimensional architectural compression logic into both three-dimensional and two-dimensional typographic construction while maintaining legibility. Balancing historical structural principles with digital font production constraints required multiple iterations. Vector geometry and optical correction limitations added further refinement challenges.
Research: Type of Research: Practice-based design research.
Research Objectives: To translate architectural structural logic into a typographic system.
Methodology: Structural analysis, modular prototyping, iterative testing.
Data and Tools: Architectural documentation review, vector modeling, grid simulation.
Participants: Internal design team testing brand applications.
Results: A modular, interlocking type system.
Insights and Impact: Confirmed that structural intelligence can inform type design.
Effect: Advanced brand system thinking and sustainable design methodology.
Inspiration: Inspired by Dou Gong, the iconic bracket system of traditional Chinese timber architecture.

Originating in the Western Zhou Dynasty and flourishing through the Tang and Song periods, Dou Gong functioned as a structural, seismic, ornamental, and symbolic element in Chinese architecture for over 3,000 years. Built entirely without nails or glue, it relies on precise mortise-and-tenon interlocking joints—each component bearing weight through compression and balance.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2024 in Shanghai and was completed in May 2025 in Beijing. Structural research was conducted concurrently with brand development, and the typeface was implemented across corporate visual identity applications upon completion.
Operation Flow: The typeface functions as a modular system. Designers can assemble letters using interlocking principles to create mutually supportive visual structures. Structural relationships remain stable at any scale, allowing flexible application across posters, brand identity, and environmental graphics. The structural rhythm enhances visual impact while maintaining legibility. The system enables consistent and dynamic brand expression.
Team Members: Xusong Wang
Xiao Dong
Yi An