Preserving legacy: Vun’s project seeks to reconnect Sabah’s coastal community through a culture-led, community-driven tourism framework inspired by Bajau heritage.
EVEN in contemporary times, heritage has a place in the world.
That is the fundamental belief that shaped two budding designers’ award-winning projects.
Following their Gold Award wins at the 2025 Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA), Michelle Vun Yi Ling from Universiti Malaya and Xu Yinghai from City University Malaysia will compete at the AYDA International Awards (regional finals) later this year.
The competition in Bangkok, Thailand, will pit them against student designers from 19 locations across Asia, with participants vying for either US$5,000 (RM20,270) in cash or an all-expenses-paid experience in the Design Discovery programme at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, worth US$10,000 (RM40,540), awarded to the overall Asia Young Designer of the Year.
Ready for it: Vun (left) and Xu are set to compete for the Asia Young Designer of the Year title.
Vun will compete in architecture, while Xu, originally from China but studying in Malaysia, will compete in interior design.
For her “Reimagining Floating Future: Tanjung Aru Tourism Experiential Hub” project, Vun focuses on the coastal community of Tanjung Aru in Sabah, where the rich Bajau heritage has been slowly fading due to disconnected spaces and an underused waterfront.
With the aim of reviving local culture, strengthening community involvement and creating new economic opportunities, she designed a floating, community-led tourism hub featuring spaces like the Sambulayang Studio, a lepa boat repair workshop, and floating food areas – all inspired by the Bajau people’s deep relationship with the sea.
“This project allowed me to better understand that culture and community are inseparable. I wanted to honour the Bajau people’s stories while exploring how design can support their future.
“Being recognised at AYDA motivates me to continue creating work that uplifts communities,” she said in a Dec 17 press release.
Xu, on the other hand, transformed an abandoned red-brick factory in Luoyang into a cultural sanctuary that revives the fading art of Chinese calligraphy through his Track Ink project.
By turning the old factory into an accessible cultural space – where visitors can try basic calligraphy strokes, interact with each other, and learn the history and meaning behind the art – he seeks to bring writing, tradition and community together, helping people reconnect with a heritage that is slowly fading from everyday life.
For his design, he drew inspiration from the movement of calligraphy – brush strokes and the flow of ink – designing a space that allows people to experience these qualities in a simple, hands-on way.
He also used clean timber frames, soft lighting, and easy-to-understand displays to create a space that feels calm and welcoming.
Creative hub: Xu reimagines an abandoned factory as a cultural sanctuary that brings Chinese calligraphy to life through immersive design.
Xu’s entry in this edition marks his second attempt, having secured a Top 12 finalist spot in 2024.
“Returning to AYDA this time, I wanted to use design to give voice to a tradition that has grown faint with time. Track Ink was my way of translating emotion, memory and culture into space. Winning the Gold Award reassures me that thoughtful design can still spark connection and preserve what matters,” he said.
Introduced in 2008, AYDA is an initiative by Nippon Paint to nurture young design talent across the region.
The 2025 edition, themed “Converge: Crafting Cultural Legacies”, received 1,764 submissions from students across Malaysian universities and colleges.
It aimed to challenge designers to consider how heritage can be safeguarded as inspiration for new, collective pathways forward, while encouraging them to rediscover the traditions, practices and narratives that shape their communities.
Nippon Paint Malaysia general manager Tay Sze Tuck said culture is a powerful thread that connects people to place, memory and community.
“The participants’ projects reflect both skill and heart, honouring the communities they represent while imagining new possibilities for the future.
“The design landscape is evolving rapidly, and young creators are stepping up with ideas that are thoughtful, bold and deeply connected to real human needs.
“Through AYDA, we continue to challenge participants to look deeper, design with intention and push their own boundaries, while equipping them with mentorship and experiences that prepare them for a global stage,” he said.
