Drawing Board to Eager Palms | Inside look into DOTY 2025’s trophy design with Tennyson Chia

Tasked with the great responsibility of bringing the DOTY 2025 trophy to life, charismatic creative Tennyson Chia kindly gave an insight into the imagination, craftsmanship, struggles and hopes behind the design of each and every piece

TEXT | MONISHA SIVANESAN

“Great design is the offspring of imagination, logic and emotion” is a pretty good phrase to keep in mind, especially when trying to create something symbolic. For the highly anticipated Designer of the Year (DOTY) Awards 2025 which recently unfolded in grand fashion, Tennyson Chia—known better in the design sphere as the visionary Chief Design Officer of Sachi—found himself doing so when undertaking the desired role of trophy designer once more, no doubt thanks to the overall positive reception to his first endeavour for the previous edition of the prestigious event. The close collaboration between him and this year’s trophy partners—Global Titanium Coating Sdn Bhd, CYML Group Sdn Bhd and Guocera Sdn Bhd—brought about a series of one-of-a-kind pieces that can only be described as original, playful and nostalgic.

Instead of the predictable glitz and glamour route, he opted to try something new, something bold, something distinct. Following the concept of taking it “back to basics”, Tennyson was deeply inspired by the various essential materials that he and other fellow designers often employ for projects, such as wood, tile and steel.

To complement this choice, he also incorporated the shape of the spaces they usually work with, meaning good ol’ rectangles and squares. What emerges are well-crafted modern minimalist cubes made passionately with said materials slotted together like a puzzle to encapsulate the holistic journey of designers, celebrating all triumphs without ever forgetting the gruelling efforts made to overcome the various obstacles lining the way to the top.

Every journey is riddled with obstacles that must be overcome with wit, tact and will. In this case, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to bring all those ideas to life and in a cohesive manner, focusing on getting the shape, weight and look of the trophies just right.

Part of that was navigating the process of getting all the trades to work as a team and transition smoothly from one division to another. It was imperative to integrate both the materials and the dimensions together, ensuring their precision in the process. “Overall, we wanted to do something different; we wanted to make the trophy portable and turn it into a decorative piece that you can actually interact with,” expresses Tennyson.

Many have contributed greatly to the symphonic triumph of DOTY 2025, and Tennyson, along with all the aforementioned trophy sponsors, is listed among them. Having been hip to the DOTY scene for ages as well as experiencing first-hand what the design journey is like and what product designing entails, the designer definitely knows a thing or two about instilling infinite value into a trophy, and doing so in a way that tells a powerful and meaningful story too. He finalises the interview by stating this: “I hope the recipients feel proud and nostalgic when they look at this trophy. The trophy is not just about the finish line; it’s about the journey along the way.”

Visit doty.com.my to learn more about our annual DOTY Awards