Interview about Roots Zines, winner of the A' Print and Published Media Design Award 2025
This modular publication consists of zines, each crafted with a visual language reflecting the identity of storytellers. Centered around New York coffee shops, it captures how new immigrants navigate connection and belonging. The sewn and vacuum sealed format evokes impermanence and emotional tension. Through personal narratives, the project uncovers the social value of small businesses and reframes emotional design as a tool for inclusion.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsIn book design, the sequence and rhythm are dictated by the author. In this work, I seek to dismantle that curatorial authority in favor of a more democratized experience. By deconstructing the very structure of the book, I invite readers to define their own order and method of engagement, allowing them to interpret the narratives through their own lens. The vacuum-sealed packaging, drawing inspiration from coffee preservation, serves as a metaphor for safeguarding these stories and their endurance over time.
The conversations with the interviewees extended far beyond the coffee itself. These dialogues unfolded organically, encompassing their aesthetics, experience, and even their social media and private stories. I asked about the preferences of materials and colors, while also guiding them to consider the symbolic meanings in the design choices.
I conducted my inquiries in environments where participants felt most at ease. Asking questions without bias, observing, and documenting. My training in ethnographic research at Pratt Institute equipped me with the tools to approach these conversations with neutrality and sensitivity. Often, our dialogues unfolded in coffee shops chosen by the participants themselves. These familiar and reassuring settings created a sense of safety, allowing them to voice what they genuinely wished to share.
In traditional Chinese culture, people believe in the notion of Yuanfen, a mysterious force that connects strangers through unseen bonds. Rather than being pursued deliberately, it is something to be accepted as it unfolds. Similar sensibilities can be found across many other cultures. Within a community, individuals often feel estranged from the world around them, whether due to language, culture, or other barriers, which makes these unexpected encounters of Yuanfen all the more cherished. The invocation of the Red Thread legend pays homage to this experience.
In traditional book design, external information is often placed on the front matter or back cover; however, this would compromise the independence of each story and my position as a neutral observer. Instead, I positioned the business card outside the vacuum-sealed package, acknowledging my role as the storyteller. I envisioned this gesture as a way of extending the project beyond the book itself - transforming it into an invitation, allowing the work to transcend the informational limits of the book's physical structure.
The process was particularly challenging, as each individual's perspective was unique. I had to ensure that everyone's voice was heard while still maintaining a sense of cohesion across the book or this collection of zines. To achieve this, I designed and implemented a modular system: each participant responded to a set of questions and contributed specific photographs, and I, as the author, conducted contextual research, such as the history of the cafe we discussed, the neighborhood, and the site it occupies. These modules were then arranged in a deliberate sequence. It is this order and system that provide consistency across the zines, even as each zine appears entirely different on its own.
I have always been passionate about coffee culture, immigrant culture, and brand design. I observed that many multinational coffee brands are widely celebrated, yet they are not always culturally representative. Interestingly, however, new immigrants tend to gravitate toward these global chains because they are familiar, they have tried them before, or they simply feel safer within a recognizable brand environment. This, paradoxically, can make it harder for them to integrate into local culture, while also fueling negative sentiment and even tension among local businesses. The stories in my book serve as a case study, offering brands valuable insights into how they might better localize themselves within today's culture landscapes.
Design, especially brand design, aims to build a platform that serves not only business owners but also consumers. Today's consumers are increasingly unsatisfied with the fulfillment of material needs alone. Instead, they seek forms of spiritual or emotional fulfillment through their acts of consumption. This pursuit of meaning is cross-cultural. Yet, in attempting to address diverse cultural contexts, many contemporary designs adopt a neutral stance, ironically rendering the brand image distant and impersonal. Emotional design offers a way to bridge this gap. By genuinely understanding the people they serve, brands can establish more empathetic platforms within communities, creating deeper connections with their consumers.
Roots Zines will not be digitized. While I believe digitalization is a significant advancement, in this case it risk undermining the intimacy and immediacy of the words and stories. I envision Roots Zines continuing in print form, as a timeless project documenting the evolving landscapes of communities, immigrants, and brands. As it grows, the project aspires to become a democratized magazine, published periodically, accessible to diverse voices, and serving as an archive of stories, emotions, and transformations in brand design. In resisting digital translation, the work preserves the tactile and human qualities of storytelling, ensuring that each edition remain both a record of its time and a vessel of future reflection.
As a designer working with culturally sensitives subjects, especially within cros-cultural contexts, the most ideal approach is to begin from one's own cultural background. This becomes a point of entry, a way to establish authentic connections while respecting the space of dialogue. When design expands into cross-cultural territory, the role of the designer should shift toward that of a visual mediator rather than a prescriptive voice. The task is not to dominate the narrative with personal opinions, nor to self-censor in anticipation of outcomes, but to remain as neutral as possible. By positioning oneself as a tool of visual translation rather than a director of meaning, the process allows unexpected insights to emerge, insights shaped by participants, contects, and stories themselves.
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