Traditional Chinese Medicine
中 医 学
Proposal Section
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Proposal Section
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Traditional Chinese Medicine
中 医 学
Proposal Section
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CONTENTS
8 10 26 30 44 58 76
PROPOSAL
1.1 ~ 1.9
RESEARCH
2.1 ~ 2.6
PRELIMINARY DESIGN
3.1 ~ 3.6
BRANDING DESIGN
4.1 ~ 4.11
POSTER DESIGN
5.1 ~ 5.3
PACKAGING DESIGN
6.1 ~ 6.5
WORK CITED
7.1
Proposal
PROPOSAL
1.1 INTRODUCE THE TOPIC Chinese herbology is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
1.2 WHY DID I CHOOSE THE TOPIC I feel Traditional Chinese Medicine has not been recognized as much as it once had before. It is better known by the older generation while most of the young generation prefer conventional medical treatment. There are also sayings and bias regarding Traditional Chinese Medicine that it is not scientific proven and sometimes toxic for the human body. Therefore I would want to conduct my research on Traditional Chinese Medicine and the result will give people a better understanding of its functions, thus an alternative medical treatment for the sick. 1.1 ~ 1.4
1.3 WHAT DOES THE TOPIC MEAN TO ME I personally do not know much about Traditional Chinese Medicine myself, when I was a kid my parents always took me to seek western medical treatment. My cousin who I grew up with took a different approach and she always seeked for a cure with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Because of my lack of knowledge on Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is one of the reasons that I want to conduct my thesis on it. I hope I will learn through the research process as well. Because it is one of the precious historic artefacts of China, I want to promote it so it will regain its recognition and will not be buried within history.
1.4 IS THE TOPIC RELEVANT & BENEFICIAL Traditional Chinese Medicine is totally different from conventional medical treatment. People are afraid to use it as a type of medical treatment because they feel it’s not scientifically proven. I want people to be aware about Traditional Chinese Medicine and change their impression towards it, therefore providing an alternative way for medical treatment when people is sick.
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Proposal
1.5 IS THE TOPIC RELEVANT TO GRAPHIC DESIGN I feel the current sources of learning Traditional Chinese Medicine are outdated, which is one of the reasons people have no attemp of trying. Therefore by branding and promoting with well developed design elements will not only help people to better understand Traditional Chinese Medicine, but also gain international recognition.
1.6 IS THE TOPIC WORTHY OF A UNIVERSITY LEVEL I think the process of researching, developing and producing will be ideal as my thesis project.
1.7 LIST OF LEARNING OUTCOME
1.5 ~ 1.9
1. I will gain knowledge about Traditional Chinese Medicine myself. 2. I will better understand the design process throughout the project. 3. I will challenge myself by establishing a branding house from scratch.
1.8 LIST OF GOALS & OBJECTIVES 1. Younger generation will be more aware of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2. Traditional Chinese Medicine will be better known not only within China, internationally as well. 3. To show the public Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ideal and trustworthy way of medication.
1.9 LIST OF PROPOSED DELIVERABLES 1. Branding 2. Advertising Posters 3. Packaging System
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Research
RESEARCH
2.1 WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
2.1
Chinese healers began the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) more than 3,000 years ago. As a comprehensive health system, it has a range of applications from preventive health care and maintenance to diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic disorders. Its treatments and diagnostic methods focus on balancing internal and external energies through diet, herbal treatments, acupuncture, and breathing techniques. Chinese healing practices have also spread, with variations, throughout other Asian countries, particularly Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In a few millennium of practice, TCM practitioners have evolved a system both subtle and dramatically effective, and one that, in China, is given as much if not more respect than Western medicine. The concept most central to TCM is chi (pronounced chee, and also spelled qi), which is translated as energy. Chi represents an invisible flow of energy that circulates through plants, animals, and people as well as the earth and sky. It is what maintains physiologic functions and the health and well-being of the individual. In TCM theory, energy is distributed throughout the body along a network of energy circuits or meridians, connecting all parts of the body. Obstructed chi flow in the human body can cause problems ranging from social difficulties to illness. Its effects are very individual—a person gets sick, has problems at work, or fights with family—depend on each individual’s unique chi.
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In the Taoist philosophy, wholeness is composed of the union of opposites—dark and light, soft and hard, female and male, slow and fast, and so forth. These opposite but complementary aspects are called yin and yang. Originally the terms
designated geographical aspects such as the shady and sunny side of a mountain. In modern terms, they are used to characterize the polar opposites that exist in everything and make up the physical world. From the health perspective, the basis of well-being is the appropriate balance of yin and yang as they interact in the body. The imbalance of yin and yang is considered to be the cause of illness. Yin is the general category for passivity and is like water, with a tendency to be cold and heavy. Yin is associated with the symptoms of coldness, paleness, low blood pressure, and chronic conditions. People with excess yin tend to catch colds easily, and are sedentary and sleepy. Yang is the general category for activity and aggressiveness. It is like fire with its heating and circulating characteristics. Symptoms such as redness in the face, fever, high blood pressure, and acute conditions are associated with yang. People with excess yang tend to be nervous and agitated and cannot tolerate much heat. It must be understood that yin and yang cannot exist independently of each other. Nothing is either all yin or all yang. They are complementary and depend on each other for their very existence—without night there can be no day, without moisture there can be no dryness, and without cold there can be no heat. Yin and yang are used in both the diagnosis and treatment of illness. For example, if a person is experiencing too much stress, usually understood as an excess of yang, more yin activities, such as meditation and relaxation, are the appropriate treatment.
Research
As they studied the world around them, the is hollow or forms a pocket, like the gallbladder. Chinese perceived connections between major Remember, no one element is the beginning or forces in nature and particular internal organ end—they flow together in an endless loop. It is systems. Seeing similarities between natural ele- the proper interaction of the organ partners that ments and the body, early practitioners developed influences how well the entire body functions. a concept of health care that encompassed both natural elements and body organs. This theory The Taoists call body, mind, and spirit the three is known as the Five Phases Theory (wu-hsing). “vital treasures.” They are jing, meaning basic Five elements—fire, earth, metal, water, and essence, chi meaning energy or life force, and wood—represent movement or energies that suc- shen meaning spirit and mind. The balance of ceed one another in a dynamic relationship and their abundance or deficiency influences the state in a continuous cycle of birth, life, and death. of health. These elements do not represent static objects, since even mountains and rivers change constantly Jing is the essence with which people are born, with time. In the Five Phases Theory, it is not similar to Western concepts of genes, DNA, and the substances themselves that are important, but heredity. Essence is the gift of one’s parents; it is rather how they work together to make up the the basic material in each cell that allows that cell essential life force or chi. to function. It is the bodily reserves that support life and must be restored by food and rest. Chi, as The rhythm of events resembles a circle known as described previously, is the sustaining energy of all the Creation Cycle. In this cycle, wood burns to life. The vital treasure known as shen is the gift of feed fire; fire’s ashes produce earth; earth gives up heaven and represents spiritual and mental aspects its ore to create metal; metal causes condensation of life. Shen comprises one’s emotional well-being, to bring forth water; and water nourishes and cre- thoughts, and beliefs. It is the radiance, or inner ates plants and trees, creating wood. Each element glow, that can be perceived by others. In order is related to a specific bodily system, as well as to for people to be healthy, their physical, emotional, a pair of internal organs—you guessed it, a yin mental, and spiritual aspects must be balanced. organ and a yang organ. The yin organ is solid and dense, like the liver, while its yang partner
2.1
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Research 2.2
2.2 HOW DOES IT WORK
The Chinese regard the body as a system that requires a balance of yin and yang energy to enjoy good health. Each part of the body is also thought of as an individual system that requires its own balance of yin and yang to function properly. TCM assumes that a balanced body has a natural ability to resist or cope with agents of disease. Symptoms are caused by an imbalance of yin and yang in some part of the body, and illness can develop if the imbalance persists for any length of time. Therefore, health is maintained by recognizing an imbalance before it becomes a disease. Chinese medicine holds that everything needed to restore health already exists in nature and that it is up to the individual to free up energy and restore balance using diet, herbs, acupuncture, and other yin and yang treatments.
The Chinese believe that all living things—people, the earth, and the universe—are connected by cosmic energy. Thus the balance of chi in an individual is connected to the balance in the environment. Simply put, nothing happens without consequence to something else. The concern for balance and harmony is not only reflected in the TCM approach to the individual but also in the view that the balance and well-being of the resources of the natural world and society are vital to the overall health of all who live on the earth. Practitioners never lose sight of the multifaceted relationship between individuals, communities, societies, and nature.
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Research
2.3 TCM DIAGNOSIS
The TCM practitioner has four diagnostic methods (szu-chen): inspection, auscultation/ olfaction, inquiry, and palpation. These methods gather information about the five phases and their related body systems. The practitioner examines how the person eats, sleeps, thinks, works, relaxes, dreams, and imagines. No part of the self is considered a neutral bystander when the body is in a state of imbalance. All of this diagnostic information is compiled to arrive at a “pattern of disharmony,” or bian zheng. 2.3 Inspection refers to the visual assessment of the spirit and physical body of patients. Spirit inspection or observation is an assessment of the person’s overall appearance, especially the eyes, the complexion, and the quality of voice. Good spirit, even in the presence of serious illness, indicates a more positive prognosis. Tongue diagnosis is a highly developed system of inspection of the physical body. The tongue is considered to be the visual gateway to the interior of the body. The whole body “lives” on the tongue, rather like a hologram. Different areas of the tongue correspond to the five phases and related organ systems. The practitioner inspects the color, shape, markings, and coating of the tongue to gather information about the state of balance in the person’s body. For example, a moist tongue with a thin white coating may signal the presence of a “cold” or yin illness whereas a dry, yellow or dark tongue may signal a “hot” or yang illness.
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Auscultation/olfaction is the second part of diagnosis, which consists of listening and smelling. Practitioners will listen to the quality of speech, breath, and other sounds their patients make, and they will observe other odors such as those from the breath and body, as well as excreta. Types of sound are associated with the five phases and organ systems. How the person is breathing is a good indication of the status of the organs. Phases and organ systems are associated with specific odors such as sickly sweet, rotten, putrid, rancid, and scorched. Odors can arise from the skin itself or from the ears, nose, genitals, urine, stool, or bodily discharges. The breath may also have a distinctive odor. Usually the stronger the odor, the more serious the imbalance has become.
Research 2.3
Inquiry is the third part of diagnosis, it is the process of taking a comprehensive health, social, emotional, and spiritual history. The practitioners question their patients not only about the complaint that brought them there, but also about many other factors, including sensations of hot and cold, perspiration, excreta, hearing, thirst, sleep, digestion, emotions, sexual drive, and energy level.
Palpation is the fourth diagnostic method and includes pulse examination and general touching and probing of the body, especially at the acupuncture points. Reading the pulses can provide key information about the person’s condition. For example, a fast pulse might indicate a problem with an overactive heart or liver; a slow pulse might indicate a sluggish digestive system; pulses described as wide, flat, and soft may indicate a spleen problem; and narrow, forceful pulses might indicate a liver dysfunction. The pulse allows the practitioner to feel the quality of chi and blood at the different locations in the body.
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Research Section
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Research Section
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Research
2.4 TCM TREATMENT
"Since an individual’s combinations of yin and yang are unique, TCM practitioners must tailor their treatment to each client."
The goal of treatment is to reestablish a balanced flow of energy in the person through diet, herbs, massage, acupuncture, and Qigong, a Chinese form of Yoga. 2.4
Diet The simplest and most accessible treatment is diet. Dietary interventions are individualized on the basis of the individual’s pattern of disharmony. Foods are used to rebalance the body’s internal “climate” by bringing warmth to coldness or cooling off too much heat—that is, by balancing yin and yang. The thermal nature of food is described by the way a person feels after ingesting it. Each food has both yin and yang energies but often one is dominant. Cooling foods and those with bitter and salty flavors are yin. Warming foods are yang, as are foods with pungent and sweet flavors. When people have an excess of yin they may be sluggish, laid back, calm, slightly overweight, and emotionally sensitive. To balance these overly yin tendencies, yang foods are added to the diet to help activate the metabolism and provide more energy. People experiencing an excess of yang may be tense, loud, hyperactive, and aggressive. By adding yin foods to their diets, internal tension can be cooled.
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TCM practitioners recommend certain foods for balancing and improving a variety of conditions. Foods can be potent healers, especially when dealing with temporary illnesses, but they are never used as a lone treatment for serious or chronic conditions.
Massage Traditional Chinese massage methods were described in texts as early as 200 BC. Both energizing and sedating massage techniques are used to treat and relieve many medical conditions. Widely varying illnesses treated with traditional Chinese massage include the common cold, insomnia, leg cramps, diarrhea, abdominal pains, headache, asthma, rheumatic pains, stiff neck, colic, nasal bleeding, and throat pains. Massage increases circulation of blood and lymph to the skin and underlying muscles, bringing added nutrients and pain relief. Massage can help restore proper movement to injured limbs and joints and help restore a sense of balance. Massage is an effective method of reducing stress and tension that usually leads to a feeling of relaxation.
Research 2.4
Acupuncture
Qigong
Acupuncture involves stimulating specific anatomic points called hsueh where each meridian passes close to the skin surface. The primary goal of acupuncture is the manipulation of energy flow throughout the body following a thorough assessment by a TCM practitioner. Puncturing the skin with very fine needles is the usual method but practitioners may also use pressure (shiatsu), friction, suction, heat, or electromagnetic energy to stimulate points.
Qigong, pronounced chee-gong, is the art and science of using breath, movement, self-massage, and meditation to cleanse, strengthen, and circulate vital life energy and blood. In India the comparable practice is called yoga. Both of these traditions of self-healing have been called “moving meditation” or “meditation in motion.” T’ai Chi, which is familiar to many Americans, is a more physical form of qigong. The techniques are easy to learn and simple to apply for people who are well or sick. Qigong decreases fatigue and forgetfulness and generates energy by enhancing bodily functions.
Treatment is offered in the context of the total person and with the goal of correcting the flow of chi to restore health. Some Western health care practitioners who have learned the techniques of acupuncture miss the broader context and limit their focus to an injured or painful body part. Acupuncture is effective in the treatment of acute and chronic pain and motion disabilities.
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Research
2.5 WESTERN MEDICINE VS. TCM
“We know what remedies are supposed to do. They are supposed to improve your health, but Western drugs can actually backfire and boomerang healthy lifestyle intentions.”
Researchers found that on the whole, consumers tend to prefer TCM but will opt for Western medicine in particular situations, such as when they are hoping to quickly alleviate their symptoms or when they are certain about what is making them sick. The study has implications beyond the Chinese market. “Consumers today face a wide array of choice options. Proliferation in choice extends to remedies for illness or disease—including drugs, supplements, radiation, surgery, chiropractics, acupuncture, massage therapy, homeopathy, and TCM. In many countries of the world, medical pluralism is the norm, with Western and traditional medicine existing side-by-side in the marketplace. Even in countries with a dominant medical tradition, complementary and alternative medicines are increasingly available.”
Scientific vs. Holistic Western medicine “is closely linked to the scientific method and emphasizes empirically measurable biochemical processes that drive disease, its treatment and health,” adding that this form of treatment “views all medical phenomena as cause-effect sequences” and relies on drugs, radiation and surgery to alleviate symptoms and cure disease. On the other hand, TCM favors a holistic approach, views the universe and body
philosophically and develops inductive tools and methods to guide restoring the total balance of the body. In TCM, herbal medicines account for about 90% of the Chinese drug market. In China, drug labels are legally required to include all ingredients, whether what’s inside the bottle is a pharmaceutical product or an age-old remedy.
2.5
The researchers analyzed consumer perceptions and preferences by presenting small groups of undergraduate and graduate students with various combinations of questions and health scenarios. For instance, the students were asked what category of medicine they preferred for a variety of conditions. They favored traditional Chinese medicine for rheumatoid arthritis and insomnia, and Western medicine for the common cold, coronary heart disease and diarrhea. Treatment goals and patients’ time frames influenced their preferences. Consumers perceive TCM to have slower action and milder side effects and a greater focus on treating the underlying illness versus alleviating the symptoms. Likewise, when consumers were uncertain about their condition and not in any particular hurry for a resolution, they preferred traditional remedies.
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Research
The ‘Boomerang’ Effect The researchers found that, in general, Western medicine (versus TCM) reduces the perceived importance of, and motivation to engage in, complementary health-protective behavior, thereby undermining a healthy lifestyle. In other words, patients taking pills for their high blood pressure may be less apt to see the need to exercise, watch their diet or lose weight. For example, people taking cholesterol drugs may figure they don’t need to cut fat from their diet because the pills are protecting them from heart disease. 2.5 TCM is seen as holistic, and when you take a certain kind of medicine you are told specifically what behavior to engage in. For instance, a patient may be advised to avoid greasy foods in addition to taking an herbal remedy. If a consumer sees medicine as a “supplement to other things they need to do, then they are going to be more likely to engage in healthy choices.”
The Differences The main difference between TCM and Western medicine is that the former is rooted in traditional culture, while Western medicine is a branch of modern empirical science.
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Chinese medicine is a set of practical skills targeting a full array of diseases, from the common cold to more serious ones, such as tumors and heart disease. Professor He Yumin from Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute said: “Take pancreatic cancer as an example, where the international prognosis is 4 to 6 months. However, 20 out of over 100 patients here in Shanghai who received our treatment have lived for 3 to 5 years. Most of them were either unable to go through surgery or chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”
An ironic folk saying says, “People seeking treatments in Western medicine usually die knowing the exact reason why; People seeking treatments in Chinese medicine usually live not knowing exactly why." Western medicine focuses on removing the symptoms using direct methods, so-called “fix the head when the head hurts; fix the foot when the foot aches.” Yet Chinese medicine emphasizes a dialectical analysis of the human body as a whole, where it is viewed as a collection of interconnected and interrelated systems. Therefore, the holistic approach inherent in Chinese medicine shows great potential in treating more complex illnesses such as cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer’s. The World Health Organization defines the subhealth condition as a state between health and disease when all necessary physical and chemical indexes test negative, but the person experiences all kinds of discomfort and even pain. Western medicine is at its wits’ end when dealing with subhealth conditions. But Chinese medicine shows its strength through examining the overall body conditions and derivative analysis of the symptoms. Western medicine does not recognize the existence of meridian or energy channels in the human body, because anatomy cannot prove it. With a special camera used in Kirlian photography developed in 1939, where no films or emulsion are required, pictures showing the “biological plasma body” can be taken with the flash of light between electrodes. Such a picture was taken by a group of scientists at the Kirov State University and showed many brightly lit areas throughout the body correlating well with the meridian points.
Research Section
For Chinese people, cherishing Chinese medicine also has a cultural aspect, for it is the manifestation of traditional Chinese culture in areas related to human health. Western medicine advocates “seeing is believing.” Chinese medicine follows the principle of yin and yang and the philosophy of mutual generation and mutual subjugation.
Furthermore, Chinese tradition holds that any matter in this universe has its physical side and its spiritual side. Both sides work together to form a complete entity. For example, when one catches a cold, Western medicine says it is due to a virus infection but Chinese medicine says it is due to the imbalance of yin and yang resulting from blocked energy channels. — 23 —
Research
2.6 NATUROPATHY VS. TCM
Naturopathy is a form of alternative medicine employing a wide array of "natural" treatments, including homeopathy, herbalism, acupuncture, diet and lifestyle counseling. Naturopaths favor a holistic approach with non-invasive treatment and generally avoid the use of surgery and drugs. Naturopathic philosophy is based on a belief in vitalism and self-healing, and practitioners often prefer methods of treatment that are not compatible with evidence-based medicine. 2.6
Canada Naturopathy Naturopathic medicine was introduced in North America in 1902 by Dr. Benedict Lust. By 1920, naturopathic practice was well established in Canada. After the Second World War health care moved away from a more natural approach, focusing on the advances in surgical techniques, the introduction of antibiotics and the growth of the pharmaceutical industry. In the last twenty years, public desire for greater control in the health care process and a growing dissatisfaction with hightech solutions to health problems has resulted in a resurgent interest in the natural methods of preventive health care. This trend has increased demand for naturopathic services as people seek ways to improve their health, cope with day-today stresses and avoid illness.
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Today, more people than ever are seeking naturopathic medical care and the number of naturopathic doctors is growing at record rates to accommodate this increased demand. Currently there are naturopathic doctors practicing in every province and territory in Canada. The over 1,875 qualified naturopathic doctors in Canada continue to provide high-quality health care to address the health care needs of Canadians.
The Differences When talking about their skin issue, many people have already tried Naturopathic medicine and they wonder if TCM is any different. A common trend exists, whereby all natural medicines get lumped into the same big category. Believing that “if you have tried one, then you have tried them all”, is simply not true. Both medicines have similar ethics, such as do no harm; provide the most effective health care available with the least risk to patients at all times. Recognize, respect and promote the self-healing power of nature inherent in each individual human being. Identify and remove the causes of illness, rather than eliminate or suppress symptoms. Educate, inspire rational hope and encourage self responsibility for health. Treat each person by considering all individual health factors and influences. Emphasize the condition of health to promote well-being and to prevent diseases for the individual, each community and our world. These thoughts are certainly echoed within TCM, as it is practiced with very similar standards. The differences are found in the very core view of the human body. TCM has its own very unique philosophy as to how the body works, which is very different than any other system in the world. From this viewpoint, very systematic methods have been developed to treat and prevent disease. These methods have been in existence for literally thousands of years, developing and being practiced right up to this present day.
Research 2.6
Naturopathic medicine is pretty broad in its approach to health, being a kind of eclectic mix of many different modalities – some modern Western medicine, some Homeopathic medicine, some TCM, some European herbal medicine, etc. In their basic training many Naturopaths do study some TCM, such as diagnostic theory, acupuncture and herbal medicine, but the amount is very limited to just a few courses here and there. A Doctor of TCM usually went to school for a minimum of 5 years, studying primarily TCM with some modern Western medicine. This includes a vast amount of theory, herbal medicines, acupuncture and massage. The training that is designed here in the west is pretty similar to what a Doctor will receive in China.
TCM is a unique medicine. It has its own theories, which are rooted in thousands of years of clinical thought and experience. Naturopathic medicine does claim to have roots in ancient Greek Hippocratic philosophy, but really only began as a profession in the late 18 hundreds, making it only about 130 years old. Although Naturopathic medicine certainly has had a lot good contributions to healing, it lacks the solid lineage of continued practice as seen in Asian medicine. The history of TCM is immense, consisting of thousands of years of unbroken practice, being full of thousands upon thousands of written pieces being published during those years. To truly grasp the amount of literature, thought and experience Traditional Chinese Medicine has contributed, would take many life times to accomplish.
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Preliminary Design
PRELIMINARY DESIGN
3.1 MARKETING STRATEGY
1. First Do No Harm Traditional Chinese Medicine follows the following principles to avoid harming the patients. TCM utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects. It avoid, when possible, the harmful suppression of symptoms. TCM also acknowledge and respect the individual's healing process, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat illness. Your TCM doctor chooses remedies and therapies that are safe and effective, to increase your health and decrease harmful side effects. 2. The Healing Power of Nature
3.1
TCM doctors work to restore and support the powerful and inherent healing ability of your body, mind and spirit and to prevent further disease from occurring. TCM doctors identify and remove obstacles to recovery, facilitating and augmenting this ordered and intelligent healing ability. 3. Identify and Treat the Cause The primary goal of your TCM doctor is to determine and treat the underlying cause rather than simply managing or suppressing the symptoms. The underlying cause may be due to diet, lifestyle habits, life events, posture or environment. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body's natural attempt to heal. 4. Treat the Whole Person Each person is unique and requires individualized care. In treating the cause of any condition your TCM doctor takes into account not only your physical symptoms, but also mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, spiritual and other factors. Disease affects the entire person, not just a specific organ or system. Your nutritional status, lifestyle, family history, feelings, environmental stresses, and physical health are all carefully evaluated and addressed. 5. Doctor as Teacher Your TCM doctors will assist you in understanding health and illness. He/she will provide with an understanding of the factors that affect your health and help you balance and become more capable of maintaining your own health. TCM doctors also acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor-patient relationship.
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Preliminary Design
6. Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Your TCM doctor applies all of the above principles in a proactive form of disease prevention and health promotion. TCM doctors emphasize healthy daily habits, they assess risk factors and hereditary susceptibility to disease and make appropriate interventions to prevent illness. Health is more than just the absence of disease. Health entails daily functioning on the highest possible levels, and is obtained by proper nutrition, exercise, a balanced lifestyle, positive emotions, thoughts and actions. The capacity for optimal wellness or an improved quality of life is inherent in every body.
3.2 BRAND ATTRIBUTES
Natural Balance Meditating Heal Soothe
Improve Process Herbal Yin & Yang History
3.1 ~ 3.3
Harmony Energy Nourish Preserve Living
Quality Trustworthy Holistic
3.3 BRAND NAME DEVELOPMENT
Herbalance Ginkgo inFlow Reishi Chi Roots Soothe Elements
Ginkgo is a multifunctional herb that has many healing properties and frequently used in TCM therapies. It is known as living fossil and native to China. It is a symbol for health, long live and well being. The properties of Ginkgo are what my company holds and its goal to achieve, therefore I chose Ginkgo as my company name.
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Preliminary Design
3.4 BRAND PROMISE
To cure, to reach out, to help people at our greatest effort.
3.5 BRAND MISSION & VISION
Our mission is to help people of achieving balance and wellbeing in life. Our vision is to help people of improving overall health thus reduce unnecessary visits to doctors. 3.4 ~ 3.6
3.6 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Ginkgo is a clinic which provides Traditional Chinese Medical practices to our patients. Our clinic provides Traditional Chinese Medical diagnostic process from our TCM doctors as well as assign Chinese herbology prescription to our patients. Our clinic consists of pharmacy and diagnostic rooms. Patients would visit our clinic and be assigned to our experienced TCM doctor. They will be diagnosed by the doctor through 1. inspection 2. auscultation/olfaction 3. inquiry 4. palpation. After the diagnostic process the doctor will communicate to our patients regarding his or her status of health and if there are any concerns the patients need to avoid. A Chinese herbology prescription will be assigned to the patient and the patient taken it to the pharmacy and waits for the herbalist to grab the herbs prescribed by the doctor.
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Preliminary Design
Section
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Branding Design
BRANDING DESIGN
4.1 LOGO CONCEPT
+
Ginkgo
+
Herbs
Traditional Chinese Pattern
4.1
=
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Concept branding and visual identity in brand sources Ginkgo is to hold properties of what my brand has to offer. It consists of shape of the leaf of ginkgo tree, which reresents many attributes of the brand. I referenced on traditional chinese pattern to give it an oriental touch and also represents the origin of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The squares within the centre of the logo represent multifunction and diversity of the herbs which are used in Traditional Chinese
Medicine prescriptions. The impression presented in branding Ginkgo is more toward the modern with the classic concept of merging china. The use of ornamental china asia adds branding concept in the presentation Ginkgo.
Branding Design
Section
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Section
— 32 — Branding Design
Branding Design
4.2 LOGO MARK EXPLORATION
4.2
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Branding Design
4.3 LOGO MARK SELECTION
4.3
After further development of the logo mark, the 2nd was chosen as the final version. Compared to the others, the final logo mark offers a more dynamic perspective thus grabs attention.
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Branding Design
4.4 LOGO MARK CONSTRUCTION
4.4
45°
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Branding Design
4.5 TYPE EXPLORATION
4.5
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GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO Ginkgo GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO
GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO GINKGO Ginkgo
Branding Design
4.6 TYPE SELECTION
Lato Bold ABCDEFG HIJKLMN OPQRST UVWXYZ
abcdefg hijklmn opqrst uvwxyz
4.6
12345 67890 ~!@#$%^& *()_+{}|:"<>? `-=[]\;',./ — 37 —
Branding Design
4.7 LOGO ANATOMY
a
x 4.7
2x
x/2 x
x
x x/2
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a
a
Branding Design
4.8 COLOR SELECTION
4.8
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Branding Design
4.9 COLOR PALETTE
4.9
80% 60% 40% 20%
80% 60% 40% 20%
80% 60% 40% 20%
80% 60% 40% 20%
Pantone 438C HEX #: 584444
Pantone 130C HEX #: f7a700
Pantone 7527C HEX #: d7d1c4
Pantone 437C HEX #: 7b6568
C: 51 M: 59 Y: 50 K: 53
C: 0 M: 39 Y: 100 K: 0
C: 18 M: 15 Y: 24 K: 1
C: 45 M: 52 Y: 41 K: 30
R: 88 G: 68 B: 68
R: 247 G: 167 B: 0
R: 215 G: 209 B: 196
R: 123 G: 101 B: 104
The color palette chosen for my brand is very earthy and subtle. To make it pop Pantone 130C is used on the logo mark, which is also the color of actual ginkgo leaf. Because the dried herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine are usually in shades of brown, therefore I chose these shades to represent the nature of Chinese herbology.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 40 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
Branding Design
4.10 FINAL LOGO DESIGN
Vertical
4.10
1" Minimum Size
Horizontal
1.5" Minimum Size
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4.10
— 42 — Branding Design
Branding Design
4.11 PATTERN DESIGN
4.11
A pattern is derived based on the logo design. The pattern carries a traditional Chinese ornamental feel in a modern way. Similar to the logo, the pattern is in a lattice grid which is dynamic and classic.
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Poster Design
POSTER DESIGN
5.1 DESIGN INSPIRATION
The Compendium of Materia Medica, also known by the romanizations Bencao Gangmu or Pen-tsao Kang-mu, is a Chinese materia medica work written by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty. It is a work epitomizing the materia medica known at the time. The Compendium of Materia Medica is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive medical book ever written in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. It lists all the plants, animals, minerals, and other items that were believed to have medicinal properties. The text consists of 1,892 entries, each entry with its own name called a gang. The mu in the title refers to the synonyms of each name. The title, which Unschuld translates as "Materia Medica, Arranged according to Drug Descriptions and Technical Aspects", uses two Chinese compounds. Bencao (Pen-tsao; "roots and herbs; based on herbs, pharmacopeia, materia medica") combines ben (pen; 本 "root; origin; basis") and cao (tsao; 草 "grass; plant; herb"). Gangmu (Kang-mu; "detailed outline; table of contents") combines gang (kang; 纲 "main rope, hawser; main threads, essential principles") and mu (目 "eye; look; category, division"). The characters 纲 and 目 were later used as "class" and "order", respectively, in biological classification. Li Shizhen completed the first draft of the text in 1578, after conducting readings of 800 other medical reference books and carrying out 30 years of field study. For this and many other achievements Li Shizhen is compared to Shennong, a mythological God in Chinese myth who gave instruction on agriculture and herbal medicine. — 44 —
With the publication of Compendium of Materia Medica, not only did it improve the classification of how traditional medicine was compiled and formatted, but it was also an important medium in improving the credibility and scientific values of biology classification of both plants and animals. The compendium corrected many mistakes and misapprehensions of the nature of herbs and diseases. Li also included many new herbs, adding his own discoveries of particular drugs and their efficacity and function, as well as more detailed descriptions of the results of experiments. It also has notes and records on general medical data and medical history. Compendium of Materia Medica is also more than a mere pharmaceutical text, for it includes a vast amount of information on topics as wide ranging as biology, chemistry, geography, mineralogy, geology, history, and even mining and astronomy, which might appear to have little connection with herbal medicine. It has been translated into more than 20 languages and spread all over the world. Even now it is still in print and used as a reference book.
Poster Design Section
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Poster Design Section
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Poster Design Section
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Poster Design Section
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Poster Design
5.2 ILLUSTRATION DEVELOPMENT
5.2
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Poster Design Section
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Poster Design
5.3 POSTER DESIGN
5.3
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The poster serie is inspired by the Compendium of Materia Medica, an illustrative book that document Chinese herbology, one of the greatest milestone in all time for Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am deeply inspired by the illustrations and decided to create my own and use it as an element in the poster design. Because Traditional Chinese Medicine is a new form of medication for people to learn in the western market, therefore through the posters I want to communicate to
the public the characteristics and advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I've summarized these attributes to four words: tradition, natural, holistic, and personal. Based on the key words I've also developed slogans for each. By incorporating the illustration and the key words I came up with a modernized design concept in a simple and clean manner. The posters are consistent and there is a flow of information.
Poster Design 5.3
The slogans are kept short and simple so it is easy for people to digest, as people walk by the posters they will not be overwhelmed by information. The illustrated herbs are ginseng, reishi, astragalus, and wolfberry. These herbs are not chosen as random. A different part of these herbs are used in TCM prescriptions, such as ginseng's roots, reishi the fungus, astragalus's leaves, and wolfberry the fruit. Through the chosen herbs, I want to show the variousness of TCM in terms of
its use of herbs. Last but not the least, the brand identity, website, and #GINKGO-TCM is put on the poster for people to reach us on the web. The final poster design will advertise Ginkgo the brand and what Traditional Chinese Medicine can offer as a "new" option to cure the sick. The design concept is bright and fresh thus friendly for the younger generation to accept as well. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 53 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
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Poster Design Section
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Poster Design Section
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Poster Design Section
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Packaging Design
PACKAGING DESIGN
6.1 DESIGN CONCEPT
6.1
The current packaging for Traditional Chinese Medicine is very out-dated and organic. Based on my research and personal experience, most of TCM clinics still use the old way of packing prescribed herbs. The herbs are simply laid on a few pieces of paper and wrapped up after all herbs are grabbed by the pharmacist based on doctor's prescription. After taken the herbal packs home, the patient will boil the loose herbs in water which is very messy to clean up and also inconvenient to pour out the liquid. Because the current package is inefficient for the pharmacist and patient, therefore I want to create a packaging system that is easily accessible for both groups of end users. The goal of my design is to simplify and speed up the entire process when it's accessed by the pharmacist and the patient. There are a few things that I need to consider in my design. I am inspired by the idea of tea bag packages. Other than the fact that one is a type of drink and other is medicine, the preparation process are very similar between the two. Different from tea, herbs need to be soaked completely in water and boiled twice for half of an hour each, the patient will mix the liquid from both times and drink it for medical purposes twice a day after meals. I believe by creating a herbal pack will avoid the mess created from putting loose herbs directly inside the pot. It can simply be tossed away after usage.
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The package system will consist of two parts, the first will be the herbal packs and the second will be an outter shell to contain the packs. The prescriptions for TCM is usually assigned in 3, 5, or 7 days of dosages, compared to even number of packages that is easier to be assigned within a box, the package has to be compatible for the odd numbers.
The package must be environmental friendly because all herbs came from nature. It is important to Ginkgo that 'what comes from the Earth goes back to the Earth'. The material used for the outter package and herbal packs should be biodegradable, hence the design must try to achieve minimum use of adhesive and the number of substrate. The herbs need to be soaked completely in water and boiled for an hour, therefore the material for the herbal pack must endure high heat and long boiling time. From research the types of materials I looked into for herbal packs are PLA or nylon mesh. PLA is short for polylactic acid, it is a type of bioplastic created from corn. This material is biodegradable and it is almost invisible in water. It is thin but does not tear easily. Nylon mesh is a type of synthetic polymer fiber, it is also high heat resistant yet non-biodegradable. Therefore I chose PLA as the material for the herbal packs.
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Packaging Design
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Packaging Design
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Packaging Design
6.2 SKU DEVELOPMENT MOCKUPS
6.2
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Packaging Design
6.3 FINAL DIELINE
6.3
Client: Ginkgo Medical Inc. Project: Ginkgo Herbal Packs Variety: 3 Dosages Fonts: Lato Bold, Lato Black Color: 5 Colors
PMS438C
PMS7548C PMS130C
File: Ginkgo Dieline 1 Date: March 30, 2015 Scale: Hard Copy 20% of Actual Size Software: Adobe Illustrator CC
PMS7527C CMYK — 65 —
Packaging Design 6.3
Client: Ginkgo Medical Inc. Project: Ginkgo Herbal Packs Variety: 5 Dosages Fonts: Lato Bold, Lato Black Color: 5 Colors
PMS438C — 66 —
PMS7548C PMS130C
File: Ginkgo Dieline 2 Date: March 30, 2015 Scale: Hard Copy 20% of Actual Size Software: Adobe Illustrator CC
PMS7527C CMYK
Packaging Design 6.3
Client: Ginkgo Medical Inc. Project: Ginkgo Herbal Packs Variety: 7 Dosages Fonts: Lato Bold, Lato Black Color: 5 Colors
PMS438C
PMS7548C PMS130C
File: Ginkgo Dieline 3 Date: March 30, 2015 Scale: Hard Copy 20% of Actual Size Software: Adobe Illustrator CC
PMS7527C CMYK — 67 —
Packaging Design
6.4 ICONS
6.4
This set of icons demonstrate the preparation process for making the herbs. The idea is to create simple and clear graphic so the procedure can be easily understood by first timers. The icons are accompanied by instructions in both English and French.
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Packaging Design
6.5 FINAL MOCKUPS
6.5
The herbal packs are assembled on spot by the pharmacist. The pharmacist will equally assign herbs inside the herbal packs according to doctor's prescription. The packs will be sealed with a heat sealer. This will ensure secure closure so it will not break apart when boiled in water.
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Packaging Design
The outter package is designed with handles to avoid an additional bag used to carry it after purchase. The handles are designed with a cut in the end to avoid the flaps from opening thus secures the package.
6.5
Herbal packs are put inside the package from the top. For easy access of inserting the handles through the flaps, circles are cut out in the centre of the flaps. By doing this will fasten the process.
By revealing the logo mark on the top panel of the package, it will increase brand recognition.
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Packaging Design
The peforation will allow patient to tear open the package when used. This is a gravity fed system, the top pack will drop down while the bottom is pulled out. The centre part is an extension from the logo, it acts as a stopper avoiding the top from coming out while the bottom being pulled.
On each of the side panels have thin strips to reveal the herbal packs inside. It gives patients an idea the approximate number of packs left.
6.5
The double inserts bottom design secures the package from opening up by the weight of the herbal packs.
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Packaging Design
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Packaging Design
Section
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Work Cited
WORK CITED
7.1 RESEARCH
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herbology http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=174361&seqNum=2 http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/traditional-vs-western-medicine-which-one-is-easier-for-chinese-consumers-to-swallow/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy 7.1
http://drerikson.com/2011/10/31/chinese-medicine-and-naturopathic-medicine-are-not-the-same/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compendium_of_Materia_Medica
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Proposal Section
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Proposal Section
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Proposal Section
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