Press Release
A' Design Award in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Goes to Girls with Chess Editorial Illustration by Mengyao Guo
Mengyao Guo recognized for graphics, illustration and visual communication design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design category for Girls with Chess Editorial Illustration by Mengyao Guo. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
Regarding Girls with Chess Editorial Illustration
Girls with Chess is an editorial illustration created for articles and campaigns about gender equality. The artwork shows two girls playing a game of chess. One girl topples the King piece while the other watches. The toppled King represents the dismantling of patriarchal norms. Two contrasting colors, orange and blue, are used to explore binary identities and to suggest different situational states. The illustration was produced as a high-resolution digital image, so the work can be shared online and printed at flexible sizes.
About Mengyao Guo
Guo Mengyao is an award-winning artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and researcher with fine art and visual communication background. She is an assistant professor at Shenzhen International School of Design, Harbin Institute of Technology, and a PhD candidate in Visual Communication at the University of Macau. Her works have been widely included in several worldwide exhibits after graduating as a postgraduate at the University of Arts London, including CITYA - City as a medium, Art Vancouver, Art Fair Tokyo, and Art on Paper in New York City. Her unique style mixes hair symbolism, black-and-white drawing techniques, and meticulously drawn flawless lines.
Award Record
This recognition makes Mengyao Guo a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. All of the awards belong to the 2023 - 2024 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award
The A' Graphic Design Award is an international graphic design competition recognizing good graphic designs by best creative agencies and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to graphic designers, communication designers, graphic artists and illustrators from all countries. Entries typically include logos, posters, infographics, brochures, packaging designs and business cards. Awarded graphic designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/graphics
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/154267
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/154267
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!154267
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/344940
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Girls with Chess Editorial Illustration
- Function
- Editorial Illustration
- Category
- Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Branding & Advertising and Arts
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Cadet Blue, Orange Red, Black and Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Mengyao Guo
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #154267
Credits
- Image Credits
- Illustrator Mengyao Guo, Girls with Chess, 2022.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This illustration is designed to highlight issues related to gender, ideally for an article or social movement campaign. It features two girls engrossed in a game of chess, one of them toppling the King piece, while the other watches. The artwork explores binary identities and the interplay of dual colors, orange and blue, to evoke various situational states.
- Inspiration
- This illustration draws inspiration from the ongoing dialogue around gender issues and equality. It uses the metaphor of a chess game, traditionally seen as a strategic and intellectual pursuit, to underscore the abilities and potential of women in challenging societal norms and structures. The act of the girls toppling the King piece represents dismantling patriarchal norms.
- Research
- The illustration was developed after researching gender issues and visual symbolism. The investigation encompassed an understanding of societal norms associated with gender, cultural implications of color, and the power of visual metaphors. This research informed the design, from the symbolic chess game to the gender-associated colors, resulting in a provocative artwork that fosters dialogue on gender equality and societal structures.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was to create an illustration that effectively communicates complex themes of gender equality and societal norms. Balancing aesthetics and message clarity while ensuring the artwork was thought-provoking but not overly didactic required careful design decisions. Research into gender issues, color symbolism, and visual metaphors was crucial in addressing this challenge, ultimately leading to an evocative and meaningful illustration.
- Realization and Technology
- The illustration was made using Adobe Photoshop, a leading graphic design software. Photoshop's diverse toolset facilitated nuanced color blending, detailed texture creation, and precise element placement. Its layer-based approach allowed for complex composition building. The high-resolution output ensured the illustration's quality was maintained across various digital and print applications.
- Operation and Interaction
- As a visual piece, this illustration invites viewer interaction through its symbolic elements: the chess scene and the color interplay prompt thoughts on gender roles and equality. As a digital artwork, it's easily shared and displayed across platforms, enhancing accessibility and facilitating discourse on the depicted social issues. The illustration thus catalyzes conversations about gender norms and societal structures.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started and finished in September 2020 in China.
- Specifications
- Digital works for any flexible changes.
- Keywords
- Illustration, Gender, Equality, Communication, Visual Symbolism
