Create Your Own Moon: A New Spin on Traditional Mooncakes

Designers Lam Cheung and Yi Lau Transform Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions, but the true meaning of the festival can sometimes be lost amid the flurry of gift-giving. Cheung and Lau were inspired by this disconnect and sought to create a design that would reengage people with their families. Their solution? A mooncake that users can design themselves, fostering creativity and communication among family members.

"Create Your Own Moon" is more than just a mooncake—it's an experience. The mooncake's unique round shape is a blank canvas for users' creativity. As they sprinkle colorful edible powder on the mooncake, they are not only creating a unique dessert but also sharing in the sweetness of reunion time. This interactive process adds a new dimension to the traditional festival activities, making them more engaging and memorable.

The production of these unique mooncakes required careful calculation of time and temperature, as well as the sourcing of food-safe materials. Two different versions of the packaging were created—one made of acrylic and the other of cardboard. Each required a slightly different structure, and two production companies were hired to ensure that both versions were perfectly paired.

Despite the challenges faced during the production process, including difficulties in achieving the custom round shape of the mooncake, the designers' efforts were rewarded with heartwarming results. Feedback from users was overwhelmingly positive, with many sharing happy family photos featuring their own unique mooncakes.

"Create Your Own Moon" is a testament to the power of design in transforming traditions. By adding an interactive element to the Mid-Autumn Festival, Cheung and Lau have created a new tradition that families can look forward to each year. Their design was recognized with a Golden A' Packaging Design Award in 2018, a testament to their creativity and innovation.

As we look to the future, "Create Your Own Moon" serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving traditions while also finding ways to make them relevant and engaging for new generations. Whether it's through a mooncake or another cultural artifact, design has the power to bring people together and create meaningful experiences.