Belanna Zhou, IDSA, has been recognized with the Red Dot Design Award: Best of Best for CHEECI, an innovative brand identity system for artistic coatings and wall decor. The project stands out for its sophisticated grid-based design system, which visually represents the brand’s philosophy of “from coarse to fine” through a dynamic dot pattern integrated within the letterform ‘C’. This approach mirrors the artistic process of painting, where the final image gradually emerges.
The design system employs a refined color palette of black, white, and warm golden-brown orange, ensuring versatility across various media while maintaining a premium market positioning. With its balance of structure and creativity, CHEECI’s identity reflects both the artistic and functional aspects of the brand.
Belanna credits IDSA as an important part of her professional development, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and networking that has shaped her design thinking.
“Being part of IDSA has been instrumental in my evolution as a design professional. As a designer who believes in going beyond aesthetics to create transformative solutions, IDSA’s community has provided an invaluable platform for knowledge exchange and professional growth,” she shares. “The community’s emphasis on holistic design thinking helped me develop the CHEECI brand identity beyond mere aesthetics—creating a system where the grid-based pattern serves both visual and conceptual purposes. Through IDSA’s knowledge sharing and networking opportunities, I’ve gained valuable insights into how design can bridge the gap between artistic vision and practical application, which was essential in developing CHEECI’s sophisticated visual language that speaks to both creative professionals and high-end consumers.”
About Belanna
Before coffee, Belanna Zhou, IDSA, is an influencer, traveler, lifelong learner, writer, and mentor who thrives on exploring knowledge from around the world and inspiring others to facilitate positive change. After her first coffee of the day, she is a Senior Principal Product Designer specializing in human-computer interaction, leading end-to-end design for complex B2C and B2B applications.
With a unique background spanning law, project management, entrepreneurship, and design, Belanna transforms user challenges into elegant, accessible, and manageable solutions across web, mobile, and desktop platforms. Her work is rooted in user-centric and beyond-aesthetics design, focusing on making technology more effective for real people.