Press Release
Jesvin Yeo Receives the A' Design Award for Bean Dolls of the Old Trades Wrist Rest in Giftware Design
The international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Jesvin Yeo for giftware design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Bean Dolls of the Old Trades Wrist Rest by Jesvin Yeo, designed for Designing Cultures Studio, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Giftware Design category. The award was conferred within the 2020 - 2021 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.
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 Bean Dolls of the Old Trades Wrist Rest
Making with the traditional method of dried bean sprout husks, the Bean Dolls feature four symbolic figures of Singapore old Chinatown: Towkay, Kopi uncle, Samsui woman and Majie. They helped built the old Singapore through creating jobs, providing cuppa comfort, building infrastructure and providing childcare, respectively. With the effort of the current Chinatown elderly, the bean dolls are designed as a wrist rest, a cuddly toy or a memento of the old trades. It aims to serve as a muse for local history discovery and encourage the younger generations to probe further into their culture.
About Jesvin Yeo
Jesvin Yeo, who trained at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London, is a multidisciplinary designer who explores natures and consequences of historical and contemporary cultural changes, in particular areas related to Asian Material Culture and Heritage Studies. Of her core art and design interests, are the confluences of cultural elements, cultural identities and tradition, and their interface with emerging elements of the modern contemporary world.
Award Record
Jesvin Yeo is a winner of 5 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards span the editions from 2013 - 2014 to 2020 - 2021 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Giftware Design Award
The A' Giftware Design Award is an international gift design competition recognizing good gift designs by leading brands, manufacturers and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to giftware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and giftware brands from all countries. Entries typically include candles, figurines, picture frames, decorative plates, ornaments and souvenirs. Awarded gift designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/giftware
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/106288
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/106288
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!106288
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/121425
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://bit.ly/2ZS0wqv
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Bean Dolls of the Old Trades Wrist Rest
- Function
- Wrist Rest
- Category
- Giftware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Black, Saddle Brown, Rosy Brown, Sienna and Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Designing Cultures Studio
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Jesvin Yeo
- Country
- Singapore
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2020 - 2021
- Design ID
- #106288
Credits
- Team
- Alvin Ng
- Image Credits
- Designer Jesvin Yeo, Bean dolls old trades_Main, 2012; Designer Jesvin Yeo, Bean dolls old trades_01, 2012; Designer Jesvin Yeo, Bean dolls old trades_02, 2012; Designer Jesvin Yeo, Bean dolls old trades_03, 2012; Designer Jesvin Yeo, Bean dolls old trades_04, 2012
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Hand-sewn and filled with dried bean sprout husks, the Bean Dolls of four symbolic figures of Singapore old Chinatown are designed as a wrist rest, a plushie, or a memento of the early trades of Singapore. The design is a combined effort of the designer and the elderly of current Chinatown who used the traditional method of making bean husk pillows. The design seeks to raise public awareness and serve as a muse for the younger generations to discover local history, culture and heritage.
- Inspiration
- The project was inspired by the small bean husks pillow used by Chinese Singaporeans to give a sense of security and cushions any sudden noises that may shock their babies. Relating jobs with security. The initial idea was to introduce exciting occupations in the 1950s, such as gangsters of secret societies and coolie, laborer from China. However, the client rejected the unglamorous occupations to avoid any touchy subject. Eventually, the design focused on people who help built Singapore.
- Research
- The project employed Cultural Design Studies method to explore the culture of old trades and occupations of Chinatown from 1950 to1970. Desk research and empirical data from scholars and trade people were collected and analyzed to envisages the culture through the perspective of visual communication and to shape multiple conceptions of place and identity. The design outputs are functional mementoes that aim to promote the values and appreciative awareness of Asian cultures and history. Commission by the Singapore Chinatown Association and funded by the National Heritage Board.
- Challenge
- The challenge was to interview the remaining trade people as they: i) only speak dialects which lead to some difficulty in understanding ii) are too old to be interviewed iii) feel ashamed of their ex-job iv) are the only survivor of their trade (Samsui woman and Majie) and has been interviewed too many times before. Samsui woman, dressed in blue samfoos and a red headgear, is a construction worker who fetches building materials. Majie, dressed in black and white samfoos, dedicate their lives to servanthood with unwavering loyalty.
- Realization and Technology
- The making of the bean dolls was a community effort. With help from the elderly of Kreta Ayer Senior Activity Centre, sacks of bean sprout husks were collected from neighbours, washed and dried in the sun till the husks are dried and solidified. The dried husks were then left in a cool, dry place and carefully handpicked for production. Illustrations of the figures were printed on organic textiles using digital textile printing, which is an eco-friendly process. Next, the elderly cut and stitched the fabric, stuffed them with bean sprout husks, cotton and gave shape to a nice and firm bean doll.
- Operation and Interaction
- The design is multifunctional as it can be used a wrist rest or played as a comfort stuffed toy. Importantly, it is also a memento of the old trade of Singapore Chinatown, which supported the critical period of the development and independence of Singapore. Through interaction, the design seeks to raise public interests and encourage the younger generations to probe further into our culture and heritage.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in May 2010 and finished and launched in January 2012 in Singapore.
- Specifications
- 120 mm x 60 mm x 270 mm Estimated dimensions as the size of the hand-sewn bean dolls may vary slightly.
- Keywords
- Traditional Occupations, Old Trades, Cultural Heritage, Bean Doll, Wrist Rest
