累成狗
work like a dog
Role: Font Design | Poster
Year: 2022
My poster inspiration stems from the concept of pictograms, Chinese character deconstruction, and recombination, particularly inspired by the recent popular Chinese internet slang "累成狗" (literally "tired as a dog"). This term describes a person's state of extreme fatigue, likening it to a dog being so tired that it can't catch its breath. It carries a sense of irony, expressing that when faced with immense workloads or stress, people may be regarded as mere working machines, lacking adequate care and attention. This expression conveys feelings of exhaustion and unfair treatment through humor and exaggeration.n China's workplace culture, young people, especially those new to the workforce, are often jokingly referred to as "社畜" (pronounced 'shè chù'), a term that reveals a societal work culture that reduces people's work and life quality to a level worse than that of pets. This culture encourages inhumane demands for long working hours, such as the 996 work system. The term "社畜" also satirizes the situation in which young workers in China are forced to bear excessive work pressures, often without being fully recognized or cared for, as if they were just labor for work rather than complete individuals.
Through variations in type, I depict how people are gradually oppressed by their burdens and pressures, and behind their hard work, they are motivated by the responsibility of paying mortgages and sustaining their families. However, China's social work system still harbors gender inequality, resulting in differences in opportunities, wages, promotions, and treatment between female and male workers, typically to the disadvantage of women.
In my design, I use bright feminine colors to envelop the entire type shape, conveying profound messages about gender and societal roles. This design is also inspired by the traditional saying "妇女能顶半边天" (pronounced 'fù nǚ néng dǐng bàn biān tiān'), which symbolizes a social reality where, despite women playing crucial roles in work and society, their abilities often go underappreciated and they are perceived as mere decorative flowers (or, in other words, decorative vases).