Press Release
Yumeng Li Receives the A' Design Award for Meta Zen Tactile Meditation Playset in Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design
The international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Yumeng Li for toys, games and hobby products design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 16, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ Meta Zen Tactile Meditation Playset by Yumeng Li, designed for Pear and Mulberry, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached 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.
The A' Design Award Explained
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.
More About Meta Zen Tactile Meditation Playset
Meta Zen is a meditation playset for adults and co-create interior decor. Minimalism in forms, employing widely recognized Zen aesthetics with parametric design, the modules complete the dynamic sand pattern, from a three-piece table object to a whole facade decoration, deploying a Zen atmosphere in minutes. Modular panels embed magnets to ease precise alignment efforts in building, which is friendly to visually impaired people, elders, and users with hand tremors. The patented modular system is quaint with rich texture and organically colored from fully biodegradable material.
Award Record
This recognition makes Yumeng Li a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2023 - 2024 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design Award
The A' Toy Design Award is an international toy design competition recognizing good toy designs by best toy designers, manufacturers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to toy designers, game studios, industrial designers and hobby product manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include dolls, action figures, board games, puzzles, plush toys and educational toys. The awarded toy designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/toy
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/158221
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/158221
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!158221
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/352351
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.pear-mulberry.com/main/metazen
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
- Meta Zen Tactile Meditation Playset
- Function
- Tactile Meditation Playset
- Category
- Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Kids
- Colors
- Dim Gray, Tan, Rosy Brown, Gray and Gainsboro
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Pear and Mulberry
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yumeng Li
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #158221
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Meta.Zen is a poetic playset for adults and transformable interior decor designed for community spaces or temporary settings. Minimalism in forms, the modules complete the dynamic sand pattern organically at any scale and complexity, from a three-piece table object to a whole facade decoration, deploying a Zen atmosphere in minutes. Modular panels embed magnets to ease precise alignment efforts in building, which is friendly to visually impaired people, elders, and users with hand tremors.
- Inspiration
- Zen, is globally acknowledged for cultivating inner peace through performing activities. Artistic forms follow the aesthetic principles of Zen including simplicity; subtly profound grace, and tranquility. Aligned with Daoism, one single base module demonstrates a sense of flow; the assembled mysterious patterns reflect the worldview of Buddhism. It conveys the wisdom of simplexity: Identical base modules can be rearranged into millions of combinations, forming the system in play that manifests wabi-sabi both aesthetically and functionally.
- Research
- Research shows tactile activities reduce quarantine anxiety, digital fatigue, and physical interaction scarcity. Employing widely recognized Zen aesthetics and computational tools, we crafted a modular system based on Taoist principles. With just three angles, it enables infinite Zen landscapes, combining geometric innovation and tactile inclusivity. This approach facilitates easy, unique Zen space creation for meditation, requiring no sand or expertise, prioritizing ease and hygiene.
- Challenge
- The core challenge was serving two audiences: offering a non-screen anxiety relief for individuals in quarantine and ensuring hotels, even as temporary isolation spaces, offering humane care through natural visuals and a universal zen cultural experience. Another critical difficulty was ensuring the project allowed for easy reconfiguration by subsequent users over time, with potential future use as a playset for group activities and as an indoor installation adaptable to various scenarios.
- Realization and Technology
- All modules are reconfigurable to eliminate any redundant purchases for building differently to improve sustainability. All mass-producible parts are made from fully biodegradable PLA. Only natural fibers including bamboo and algae are added to tune natural color and texture. The patented ridges and valleys geometrically express zen with a hygienic and handy setup forming ever-changing puzzle patterns that improve accessibility and replayability.
- Operation and Interaction
- Zen Culture: Facilitates self-meditation and stress relief for adults, promoting inner balance through playful interaction. Inclusive: Features guided magnetic assembly and tactile patterns, offering a multisensory, accessible experience. Community & Sustainability: This art form's flexibility encourages communal creativity and sustainable decor changes, supporting social meditation and Wabi-Sabi appreciation. Its durable design allows for versatile display, embodying both reusability and aesthetic adaptability.
- Project Duration and Location
- Launched in December 2021 and completed in July 2022, this project was initially developed during the pandemic for adults living in collective quarantine settings. It aimed to reduce the anxiety of remote working individuals. This project won European Product Design Award, and International Design Awards in 2022, and was selected as finalists in Product and User Experience categories of iF Design Award in 2023. It was featured on Yanko Design in January and Puxiang Design in February 2023.
- Specifications
- Product Dimensions: Width 640 mm x Depth 380 mm x Height 105 mm / Recommended Age: 5+ Recommended number of players: 1-4 / Kit includes: 323 * MetaZen Modules, 1 * Pavilions, 4 * Trees, 2 * Lanterns, 1 * Stacked stones.
- Keywords
- decorative, magnetic, puzzle, zen, zen garden, configurable modules, mental therapy, haptic
