Journal of Graphic Engineering and Design

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Translating cultural values into packaging design: The case of Ningxia eight treasures tea

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  • Wong Shaw-Chiang ,
  • Ying Bai
Wong Shaw-Chiang
Raffles University, Faculty of Arts & Design, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Ying Bai
Raffles University, Faculty of Arts & Design, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Published 2025-12-23

abstract views: 0 // Full text article (PDF): 0


Keywords

  • Ningxia eight treasures tea,
  • packaging design,
  • cultural values,
  • visual elements,
  • verbal elements,
  • semiotics
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Shaw-Chiang , W., & Bai, Y. (2025). Translating cultural values into packaging design: The case of Ningxia eight treasures tea. Journal of Graphic Engineering and Design. Retrieved from https://jged.uns.ac.rs/index.php/jged/article/view/2165

Copyright (c) 2026 © 2026 Authors. Published by the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Graphic Engineering and Design. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0 Serbia

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

‘Eight Treasures Tea’ (NETT), a unique herbal tea from Ningxia province, China, is renowned for its distinctive recipe, medicinal properties, and long history, yet public awareness of its cultural and nutritional value remains limited. Preliminary observations suggest that the current packaging design lacks the necessary visual and verbal elements to effectively convey NETT's cultural values (CVs). This study aimed to address this gap by translating NETT’s CVs into creative packaging using a practice-based research approach, conducted in three phases. In the first phase, a visual analysis of 12 existing NETT gift packages revealed limited differentiation in terms of colour, graphics, and typography, with minimal communication of CVs. The second phase involved semi-structured interviews with five experts, identifying eight sub-themes related to NETT’s historical, health, artistic, and spiritual dimensions: historical origin, historical context, health concept, dietary habits, brewing process, drinking method, emotional expression, and cultural interpretation. Findings highlighted the Yellow River as a key symbol of NETT’s historical significance, the artistic merit tied to making and tasting the tea, and the spiritual value shaped by Ningxia’s inclusive and diverse ethnic culture. In the third phase, creative and reflective practice was employed to explore and reconstruct the visual and verbal elements of NETT packaging, representing its multidimensional CVs. The study evoked the interconnectedness of research and practice, highlighting the critical role of the practitioner as a researcher. The creative process and outcomes offered new insights into packaging design, enhancing the communication of NETT’s cultural values to potential consumers.

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