2025 Galleries
The Spark Gallery pages are one of our most popular design destinations, with thousands of visitors each year. Check out some of the latest Spark entries, in the galleries below.
Galleries // 2025 Spark:Spring Student // EcoWeave ball
EcoWeave ball
Entrant
Competition: Spark:Spring Student
Designer: Yiwen YUAN
Design Type: Concept
Company / Organization / School: Beijing Institute of Technology
Team Members: Stephane GNONLONFOUN,Zihan GENG,Yilin WANG,Hanyin ZHENG,Fangyu YI,Bowen SUN
EcoWeave Ball addresses Africa’s twin challenges of tire waste pollution and children’s lack of toys. This toolkit empowers kids to create their own soccer balls by weaving cleaned tire strips using traditional Chinese Cuju craftsmanship. The kit includes safe tools, simple instructions, and rubber fixings. Locally produced in Africa, it uses discarded tires—transforming environmental hazards into durable sports equipment. The process develops children’s manual skills, creativity, and environmental responsibility while providing balls superior to makeshift alternatives. Beyond play, it fosters China-Africa cultural exchange, teaching heritage through hands-on recycling. The design establishes a closed-loop system: tires are collected, woven into balls, and recycled again post-use, extending material lifecycles. Socially, it creates local jobs in production/tire collection and builds community resilience. Environmentally, it reduces landfill waste and carbon footprints via hyper-local manufacturing. Commercially scalable to regions facing similar issues, it merges sustainability, education, and cultural diplomacy into one impactful solution—proving ecology and tradition can unite to empower youth.
