In an era dominated by fast-moving consumer goods, the CAFA Cultural and Creative design team insists on “slow creation” – on average, it takes 300 days for a product to go from initial inspiration to final launch. The “Dunhuang Feitian” pen holder even went through 12 sample adjustments, all to recreate the perfect curve of the mural’s ribbons.
Behind this “slowness” lies deep respect for both art and quality. Take the “Collection Series” refrigerator magnet featuring The Founding Ceremony (a classic Chinese oil painting) as an example. At the beginning of the design, the team faced a challenge: how to condense the rich, heavy colors of the oil painting onto a small magnet? They compared high-resolution scans of the original artwork repeatedly, created 8 prototypes using 3D printing, and adjusted the number of paint layers. Finally, they ensured the red on the magnet not only retains the texture of the oil painting but also resists fading from oxidation. The selection of materials is even stricter: all metal parts must pass a salt spray test (simulating 5 years of use), and fabric products undergo 50 washing tests – ensuring both durability and artistic appeal coexist.
A senior professor on the team often says, “Every cultural and creative product is a ‘mobile business card’ of CAFA. We must not let the quality fall short of the ‘CAFA’ name.” Last year, a customer contacted us with a 3-year-old “Academic Style” notebook, saying the inner pages were still flat and had no glue failure. Feedback like this is the best recognition of our “slow creation.” For us, cultural and creative products are not fast-moving goods, but “artistic companions” that can accompany users for a long time. This dedication is worth the time and effort.
