The organizing committee of the 2024 International MUSE Design Awards recently announced that "Cutting Stones" won the silver medal in the 2024 American MUSE Design Awards. University students Huang Lingbo, Li Chenxi, and Wang Yubin created the award-winning work under the guidance of Wang Yunfei, a teacher at the School of Future Design, Beijing Normal University.

Award certificate

Winning entry: Cutting Stones

The product is a biologically inspired crayon designed for children, in the shape of a smooth and textured stone. When children pick up stone crayons to draw, they will involuntarily switch between multiple angles to produce different stroke effects. By transforming the rounded stone crayon into a faceted shape, it awakens the innocent memories of stacked stones deep down in children's hearts, allowing them to enjoy the fun of drawing. 

Inspired by rocks found in nature, these crayons combine natural elements with children's creative activities. This not only provides the joy of painting, but also stimulates children's perception and imagination of the natural world. The stone crayons not only make the crayons look more unique and interesting, but also stimulate children's curiosity and desire to explore. During the drawing process, children use stone crayons to imitate their daily experiences, such as stacking, arranging, and mixing stones together. This interactive method helps children understand shapes and spaces. 

The MUSE Design Awards, organized by the International Awards Associate, is one of the most influential international awards in the global creative field. The award emphasizes aesthetics and functionality and aims at recognizing excellence in multiple fields including architecture, interior design, product design, landscape design, lighting design and packaging design. In 2024, the MUSE Design Awards attracted nearly 50,000 entries from more than 100 countries/regions around the world. These entries were carefully evaluated by a jury considering aspects of academia, community, creativity, innovation, education, and inclusivity. This award showcases innovations that inspire and redefine the field of creative design, while also promoting international exchange and collaboration among designers worldwide.