Engraved Liquor Bottles + Art Bash: Design 2022 & 2023 Entries

The best design work has one of two things going for it: it celebrates the work and craftsmanship of the past, or it looks to the future for the newest inspiration. Both entries in today’s blog do one or the other, and just look at the results!

Shenzhen Lingyun Creative Packaging Design Co. Ltd.‘s packaging concept for the China-based spirits company, “YiZhou-Ya” (above) won a gold award in our Design 2022 Annual competition due to its thoughtful blend of Chinese heritage and contemporary, multi-functional packaging design. Devised by Shenzhen’s lead designer, Xiongbo Deng, Yizhou immediately stands out from the rest with the bottle’s beautiful use of engraving. On the bottle, a scene from Elegant Gathering is engraved on the glass, resembling the appearance of jade carvings, a beloved form of Chinese art.

Historically, Elegant Gathering was an art salon where intellectuals and artists gathered to learn about art and exchange views and ideas. The engravings on the bottle capture the serenity of the salon through groups of attendees sitting together while talking and sharing drinks. Deng also uses engraving on the bottle’s cork to convey the kiwi flavor of the product. The outer packaging is made of durable wood paneling, with “YiZhou” engraved in Chinese calligraphy on the top left-hand corner. In a thoughtful design choice, to avoid wasted materials, Deng cleverly developed the package to be easily turned into a tray and food box, featuring two cup holders and dividers to make separate compartments.

Next up is a thrilling video entry to our Design 2023 Annual competition from Yu Chen, a communication design student at the Art Institute of Chicago. At first glance, the video’s excellent graphics, cinematography, and cinematic music look straight out of a video game trailer. However, it was actually made to promote SAIC’s annual Art Bash exhibition, where students within their Contemporary Practices program present their work from their interdisciplinary studio classes.

The video consists of several experimental 3D scenes that build up a picture that combines different aspects of philosophy, art and design, and the future together. The luminous objects that appear throughout the video symbolize the limitless possibilities of SAIC students’ futures, inspiring pride in the SAIC students community and encouraging them to take the “initiative to create and discover their talents in the field of art.” The video’s initial release was met with raving success, with intense positive feedback from the SAIC student community, and was followed by a large number of student submissions to the ArtBash exhibition.

You can find more Design Annual 2022 entries on graphis.com, or submit your entries to our Design Awards 2023 Annual!