Traditional trophies often rely on standard shapes, gold finishes, and little personalisation. While they serve as symbols of achievement, they rarely become distinctive objects that are memorable or connected to the event they represent. Created for VK Group’s badminton tournament, the Badminton Trophy reimagines the traditional award by drawing inspiration directly from the sport itself. The sport provided a rich visual vocabulary, especially through the geometry of the racket, the shuttle, the grip, and the moment of impact during play. Instead of following the predictable language of generic trophies, the design looks at badminton as a source of form, movement, and meaning.
Name
Badminton Trophy
Year
2023
Typology
Location
Traditional trophies often rely on standard shapes, gold finishes, and little personalisation. While they serve as symbols of achievement, they rarely become distinctive objects that are memorable or connected to the event they represent. Created for VK Group’s badminton tournament, the Badminton Trophy reimagines the traditional award by drawing inspiration directly from the sport itself. The sport provided a rich visual vocabulary, especially through the geometry of the racket, the shuttle, the grip, and the moment of impact during play. Instead of following the predictable language of generic trophies, the design looks at badminton as a source of form, movement, and meaning.
The initial ideation began with conceptual explorations of how the form of badminton could be translated into a trophy. These early studies imagined different ways of abstracting the sport into a sculptural object. Some ideas explored warm materiality and sleek metallic finishes, while others looked at direct references to the racket and shuttle. The feathered form of the shuttle, the tension of racket strings, and the proportions of the handle were all studied as possible design cues. The intention was to combine innovative materiality with contemporary design, creating a trophy that felt personal to the tournament while remaining elegant and minimal. Rather than replicating a badminton racket literally, the final design abstracts its most recognisable elements into a single cohesive form.
The curved upper portion references the racket strings in a state of tension and compression. It captures the moment when the shuttle strikes the surface, creating a sense of energy, movement, and impact. This gesture gives the trophy a dynamic quality, reflecting the speed and precision of the game. The strings are held by two members that reinterpret the shaft of the racket, visually connecting the upper and lower portions of the trophy. These structural lines give the object balance and continuity, while also reinforcing its connection to the form of the racket. The body of the trophy draws from the grip, creating a strong and familiar foundation that grounds the composition.
Since 2019
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