YONG Choy Peng remembers a day in the 1970s when she was just a little girl. It was the day when she visited her aunt and first saw some Corelle dinnerware. She was in awe of the quality, shatter-proof range.
“The plates had fruit motifs, I still remember them. I guess that kind of design stays in your mind.”
Years down the road, Yong got a chance to design a Corelle dinnerware set after she stumbled upon the online Asian Plate Design Competition held recently.
“I have always been a fan of contests. I’ve entered numerous competitions but this is the first time I’ve ever competed in a plate design contest,” says the 35-year-old media manager who loves art and photography.
Yong was among the top 10 finalists in the contest. Her achievement can be considered exceptional as there were over 2,000 entries from Southeast Asia. In Malaysia alone, there were 500 entries.
What’s special about this competition is that the winner gets to see her design in the retail market. “There will be more chances in the future,” says Yong who sent in 16 entries.
There were three categories in the contest: Earthy Connections, Floral Inspirations and Illustrative Geo. Yong entered all three categories.
“I did my research reading design books and surfing the Internet. My job also helps me get design ideas,” says Yong.
“I always observe the creative people around me at work and take note of their designs,” says the bubbly Yong who finds plate designing quite easy.
During the competition, she had to design a few series of plates every day. She worked on the designs after office hours and during weekends.
“Some people may think that it is all about luck when you enter a competition. But it requires hard work too,” says Yong, adding that her designs for the competition were mostly simple clean lines, which are the qualities of Corelle’s signature look.
Some of her designs included motifs like the maple leaf and sakura tree. She was also inspired by Japanese gift wrapping paper.
World Kitchen (Asia Pacific) vice-president of marketing Dawn Lee says that the contest was introduced for the first time this year after the brand saw an increasing interest among women in the region to entertain at home. World Kitchen is the manufacturer of Corelle.
“Dinnerware naturally plays an important role in the dining experience. It is important to constantly refresh our designs to allow consumers to better express themselves through our products,” says Lee.
Yong is determined to enter the contest next year. She may yet have a set of Corelle that she designed herself.
Sense-ible
DESIGNING dinnerware is rooted in the knowledge that you will be appealing to all the senses. Diners will be experiencing the design through the taste of the dish on the plate, the sight of the plate, the touch of the silverware and the sounds around the dinner table.
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