33 and Branding’s Xiaowei Zhang’s “Hairstyle Figure” for MUQING is a Platinum-winning project that elevates the everyday through minimalist poster design. Xiaowei artfully merges Eastern aesthetics with contemporary graphic design inspired by Tang Dynasty artwork, where simple wooden combs transform into profound symbols of cultural beauty, showcasing the daily elegance of grooming. The poster’s minimal hairstyle silhouettes and vivid accents like crimson lips embody timeless sophistication and modern brand appeal, driving a 37% boost in MUQING’s product popularity.
By: Xiaowei Zhang, Founder & Chief Designer, 33 and Branding
The promotion of everyday comb products aims to convey the concept of Eastern aesthetics through design, enhancing the brand’s reputation and seamlessly integrating the product with culture.
Inspiration
The Tang Dynasty painting “Painting of Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers” depicts the exquisite hairstyles of ancient figures, which gave us the initial inspiration.
Creative Strategy
After thoughtful consideration, we confirmed with the client that we would use the aesthetic concept of the beauty of daily grooming as a breakthrough. We extracted several hairstyles and product combinations from everyday grooming to create unique hairstyle graphics, which is a very interesting way to showcase the products.
Challenges and Solutions
There are no significant challenges; the client gave us a lot of creative freedom during the creative process. My team and I focused more on thinking about interesting designs to maximize audience engagement.
Client Perspective
As a company primarily focused on wooden furniture, small items like wooden combs represent their new line of business, aiming to attract attention and traffic through budget-friendly designs. Based on demand points, an agreement was reached with the client at the early stage of creation to simplify selling points as much as possible instead of using symbols or forms to leave a unique impression on consumers.
Outcome and Impact
The popularity of MUQING’s small products has increased by 37% and has also sparked discussions on some social media platforms. The symbolic form of Eastern aesthetics has brought goodwill to the brand.
Personal Reflection
Designing something that can achieve customer satisfaction and receive recognition from the Graphis Awards is certainly a cause for celebration. As the Bible of the design world, Graphis deepens my respect for the power of design and allows the brilliance of design to continue to shine.
Advice to Fellow Creatives
Find unique expressions based on customer needs, utilize the power of design to break boundaries in communication, and create interesting designs. Make everything engaging, and you will discover how wonderful design can be.
Conclusion
In the current era of rapid development of AI, designers should harness the power of creativity to expand the heights of aesthetics through design dimensions, creating works that embody a sense of humanistic care.
Xiaowei Zhang is the founder and chief designer of 33 and Branding and design director and partner at the cross-media agency BLACKBOW. His expertise encompasses graphic design, branding, packaging, multimedia, and immersive experiences, earning him acclaim for seamlessly blending traditional and contemporary culture in his designs. Notably, he served as the visual effects director for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony and contributed significantly to the design of the main Olympic torch. His work has gained global recognition, earning him over 200 prestigious awards from leading international design festivals, including D&AD, NY ADC, One Show, and more. Beyond his creative contributions, he has also served as a judge for renowned international design competitions, including NY ADC and Graphis, further establishing his global influence in the design industry.
