The Kaobei

Cultural Promotion Cup for Yuan Ze University

The Kaobei Cup is a ceramic design that transforms everyday vernacular expressions into tangible objects for communication and interaction. Inspired by daily conversations and digital culture, it converts commonly spoken phrases into visual forms that enable emotional expression and social connection. Beyond its function as a cup, it acts as a cultural interface, turning language into a shared and interactive experience across physical and social contexts. It creates a repeatable system that can expand across different languages and cultural contexts, enhancing its scalability and impact.

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Download Press Kit № 178404 Cultural Promotion Cup for Yuan Ze University by Yen Chang Chen to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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The Kaobei by Yen Chang Chen

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Cultural Promotion Cup by Yen Chang Chen

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Yen Chang Chen The Kaobei

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Yen Chang Chen Cultural Promotion Cup

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Yen Chang Chen Designer Portrait Photo

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Yuan Ze UniversityBrand Logo

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Unique Properties

The KaoBei Cup is a ceramic design that transforms vernacular language into a functional communication interface. It goes beyond conventional products by integrating language, object, and social interaction into a scalable cultural system. By materializing informal expressions, it creates a new form of engagement that connects everyday use with digital sharing and cultural participation.

Tags

vernacular design, cultural communication, language-based design, product system, emotional interaction, typographic design, social engagement, everyday object, cultural identity, design innovation

Production Technology

The KaoBei Cup is produced using ceramic slip casting with high-fired porcelain for durability and fine detail. The vernacular typography is developed through iterative graphic translation and applied using precision decal printing and kiln firing. The process integrates linguistic research, visual abstraction, and material prototyping to ensure consistency across series production.

Design Challenge

The main challenge was translating informal vernacular language into a culturally acceptable and functional design without losing its original tone. Balancing humor, sensitivity, and readability required careful iteration. Another difficulty was standardizing non-structured expressions into consistent visual forms for production. The project addressed these through linguistic analysis, typographic refinement, and prototyping, ensuring both authenticity and scalability.

Project Duration

The project started in 2024 in Taiwan and was completed in early 2025. It was implemented in museum retail and social media contexts, where it was presented as part of cultural promotion initiatives. The design continues to be developed and expanded as a series-based product system.

Operation Flow

Users interact with the Kao Bei Cup through daily use, where each printed phrase expresses a specific emotion or attitude. The cup functions as a conversation starter, allowing users to communicate indirectly through language embedded in the object. Its interaction extends beyond physical use to social sharing, enabling engagement across both personal and digital contexts.

Research

This project is qualitative design research exploring how vernacular language can be transformed into product-based communication. The objective is to materialize everyday expressions into interactive objects. Methods include linguistic observation, visual translation, and prototyping. Data were collected from daily speech and digital communication patterns. Tested through real-world use in cultural contexts. Results show increased engagement and sharing. Insights reveal language can function as a cultural interface, impacting design, communication, and cultural industries.

Inspiration

The KaoBei Cup is inspired by the everyday vernacular expressions widely used in contemporary communication, particularly those shaped by digital culture. These phrases, often casual, humorous, and emotionally expressive, have evolved into a shared linguistic system reflecting how people interact and connect in daily life. The project explores how language can move beyond text and speech to become a tangible cultural medium. By transforming commonly spoken expressions into physical objects, the design materializes intangible communication and repositions it within everyday use. The inspiration also emerges from the contrast between informal language and formal cultural contexts. Expressions that are typically considered trivial or marginal are recontextualized into designed objects, creating a dialogue between everyday culture and institutional spaces. This approach has been applied in museum and social communication settings, where the design enables audiences to engage with cultural content through familiar language and interactive experience. Ultimately, the project is driven by the idea that design can translate ordinary language into a shared cultural interface, allowing people to express emotions, build connections, and reflect collective memory through everyday objects.

Project Overview

The Kaobei Cultural Promotion Cup has been a Golden winner in the Advertising, Marketing and Communication Design award category in the year 2025 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

Image Credits

For design images and photos please credit Yen Chang Chen.

Golden Recognition

Yen Chang Chen was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2026, a testament to excellence of their work The Kaobei Cultural Promotion Cup.

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