Balhae - Design Business Index

Balhae

The background of the project follows apprentice Junghyae and her mentor, Master Yoo, summoned to Gyeru village to banish spirits from the seas. Their journey unveils Balhae's culture and mystical practices. This character design project pays homage to Balhae's civilization, blending history and fantasy. The artist's fascination with history, culture, and fashion not only imbues this design project with aesthetic appeal and functional storytelling but also adds a sense of historical weight and a touch of poetry to it.

Designed by Ziwan Li

12.262 Views

Recognized by A' Design Award.

Ziwan Li

Graduated from the renowned ArtCenter College of Design in the USA. Contributed to AAA game art design for titles like The Apex Legends and PubG. Later, I was invited to Marvel Studios as a character designer for The Golden City animated series. My accolades include awards from the International Frontier Innovation Design Art Competition and the Japan Illustrators' Association. Drawing from a tapestry of diverse experiences, I've always been keen on exploring new ways to convey stories through design. It's this quiet dedication to the craft that has shaped my journey in the art world.

Ziwan Li DBI Rating

A-

2025

Professional Rating

Assigned to entities whose performance demonstrates competent craftsmanship, meeting baseline standards of quality required for professional recognition.

Ziwan Li has A- Rating, valid through 2025. A- stands for Professional Rating. DBI Awards the A- Rating to entities whose designs meet the baseline standards of professional craftsmanship and creative execution. This rating recognizes reliable and competent efforts that are professionally executed. This certificate is awarded following a rigorous evaluation process conducted by an esteemed jury panel, comprising a diverse group of experts from around the world, including journalists, academics, design professionals, and entrepreneurs. The assessment adheres to a blind peer-review methodology, ensuring complete impartiality. Entries are meticulously evaluated based on pre-established criteria, with scores being normalized and standardized to uphold fairness and consistency. This process acknowledges and celebrates professional achievements in innovation, design quality, and creative capacity.

DBI Rated Logo

Ziwan Li Fields of Mastery

Showcase

About DBI

The Design Business Index (DBI) is a merit-based rating system and professional directory founded to address one of the design industry’s biggest challenges: the difficulty of reliably assessing a designer’s true capabilities before a project begins. Through its partnership with the internationally recognized A’ Design Award, DBI combines a rigorous blind review process with transparent evaluation criteria to transform subjective design quality into objective credentials. By featuring only those who have demonstrated excellence under these stringent standards, DBI ensures a carefully curated pool of top talent, where clients can make confident, data-driven decisions about creative partnerships.

Beyond its directory, DBI offers a comprehensive DBI Credibility Suite™ designed to help designers and studios stand out in an overcrowded market. Each DBI-rated professional receives authoritative certificates, digital assets, and rating logos that validate their skills and attest to their proven creative excellence. These tools seamlessly integrate into websites, social media, and marketing materials—reinforcing trust, credibility, and, ultimately, market value. Notably, DBI ratings remain valid for a two-year period, encouraging ongoing professional development and highlighting those who continuously push the boundaries of innovation.

By systematically reducing guesswork and eliminating reliance on subjective portfolio reviews alone, the Design Business Index creates a more efficient, trustworthy, and merit-based environment for both clients and designers. With DBI, top talent rises above the noise, clients gain peace of mind, and the entire global design community benefits from higher standards of creativity, innovation, and professional excellence.

Design Business Index champions design excellence, valuing official recognition from respected international juries over mere popularity. Our criteria focus on transparent, rigorous evaluations by peers, assessing quality, ethics, and innovation. Notably, the prestigious A' Design Award highlights truly exceptional projects, judged by academics, press members, and professionals using a documented scoring system. We exclusively feature professionals and studios that have earned at least one peer-reviewed award, particularly the A' Design Award, ensuring that our listings represent meritocratic accomplishment, innovation, and credibility.

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Professional Edition

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  • Perfect for enterprises, agencies, professionals, government & NGOs
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Classic Edition
Classic Edition

Industry Standard Entry

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  • Submit your work for official A' Design Award consideration
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  • Pick the package (Professional, Digital, or Vision) if you prefer no winner fees
  • Winner fees apply to finalize your award status for the Classic Edition