Yk Hanko Brand Book

YK HANKO BRAND BOOK | 2018 1 | YK HANKO

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...make sure that while our children are growing up, to leave records of their journey.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS About the brand 6 The product

Logo variations & usage

9

11

Colour palette

17

Patterns

20

Typography

26

Tone of voice

30

Imagery

32

Applications

36

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Welcome to the YK Hanko brand guidelines.

This document ensures that our communications towards our customer is consistent throughout all of the brand’s applications, delivering premium products while preserving the family values that our brand embraces.

After years of struggling, YK Hanko was finally established in 2004 by Ken Yamada, known then as Kanji Hanko. The business was cultivated with the love and support of the Yamada family to finally evolve into what it is currently. This brand refresh is proof of the business’ growth over the years, and it is important that we preserve, and even develop it.

Although we do have a number of different customers, the main audience group comprises mainly of foreign tourists. They come to Japan for holidays, family trip, but most importantly to create unforgettable experiences. The 2018 customers are more experience-driven, less asset-oriented, and so the hanko seal is the perfect souvenir: a symbol of Japanese culture that can be personalised, similar to a special photograph to be brought home from a trip.

With this understanding of the audience, our job as hanko craftsmen is to incorporate their experience into the seal, personalising each creation to the individual, letting our product act as a memory recorder for those who came.

Please make strong considerations when using each element of the brand, whether it is in the tone of voice, the placement of our messages, or the service that we provide. Our brand is the reflection of not only the business, but also of our audience, and so be very mindful of the perceptions that we are to create.

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BRAND PROMISE

CHARACTERISTICS

Our YK Hanko seal is created with the intention to embed the memories of the family experience in each visit to Japan.

Our YK Hanko seal is created with the intention to embed the memories of the family experience in each visit to Japan.

And thus, the main focus of our product is on personalisability. Our seals can be customised in all possible aspects - material, design, and of course, the actual seal itself.

And thus, the main focus of our product is on personalisability. Our seals can be customised in all possible aspects - material, design, and of course, the actual seal itself.

Our customers can choose from seven different materials, all of premium quality. These range from tempered wood, horn, to ceramic and titanium. The seals are designed to be long-lasting, as they are an object made for reminiscence.

Our customers can choose from seven different materials, all of premium quality. These range from tempered wood, horn, to ceramic and titanium. The seals are designed to be long-lasting, as they are an object made for reminiscence.

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OUR PRODUCT Our YK Hanko seal is created with the intention to embed the memories of the family experience in each visit to Japan.

And thus, the main focus of our product is on personalisability. Our seals can be customised in all possible aspects - material, design, and of course, the actual seal itself.

Our customers can choose from seven different materials, all of premium quality. These range from tempered wood, horn, to ceramic and titanium. The seals are designed to be long-lasting, as they are an object made for reminiscence.

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LOGO USAGE. YK HANKO | 10

PRIMARY LOGO This is the main logo to be used across most of YK Hanko’s branding. To ensure clarity and avoid clutter, the clear space should always be equal to the second smallest circle set on the symbol.

YK Hanko’s logo is a representation of the brand story. While the type, Bodoni Condensed Bold, gives the logo a clean and traditional look, the symbols construct the family values and story that the brand embraces. There are four main symbols used in the overall creation of the logo: The red circle: This follows the looks of what a hanko seal would normally produce, hinting at the brand’s primary product.

The mountain: Representing the Yamada family name, this symbol takes the part of the fish fin, being the strength and directing the Yamada family.

The koi fish: Representing his three kids, the koi fish is commonly seen in Japanese culture as a symbol of healthy children, and overcoming adversity.

MINIMUM SIZE The smallest the logo should be presented is 2.5cm wide.

The waves/ripples: Making up the scales of the fish, these are the struggles that the Yamada family had to go through for years, until Ken could establish the business, with the support of his loving wife and children.

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ALTERNATE LOGO There are three colour variations of the logo: Primary (full colour), Light, and White. While the Primary version is intended for most surfaces, the Light version is for darker backgrounds, with less textures or gradients. The White version is used solely for the purpose of overlaying on dark-coloured imagery or photography, and act as a focal point for the image.

The symbol can also be used in solitary, in the case that the brand name is not necessary, or displayed near by in plain text.

If space or arrangement is an issue, the Single-line version can also be used. This is to ensure plenty space is available in our designs and communications.

None of the alternate logos should be used in combination with the primary logo, or with each other.

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L O G O O N VA R I A T I O N S O F BACKGROUNDS

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UNACCEPTABLE USAGE The logo should never be tilted, stretched, used on busy images that may distract or hinder the logo, placed on a white background before the photography, used in a different colour other than provided, or in any other way not demonstrated in the guides above.

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COLOUR PALETTE.

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PRIMARY COLOURS The overal palette sees a subdued, dark set of colours. While the primary red is the strongest, showing off the brand product, the rest carries a more nostalgic, memory-like connotation.

The three primary colours can be found in all versions of the logo, not including white. White is often complementing the light gold.

The dark blue that is almost close to black often comes as a background, or on text.

#AA0F0F C=22 M=100 Y=100 K=17 R=170 G=15 B=15

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# 121F3B C=95 M=84 Y=47 K55 R=18 G=31 B=59

#FFD786 C=0 M=15 Y=55 K=0 R=255 G=215 B=134

SECONDARY COLOURS The secondary colours are more earthy, meant to be used as accents, creating contrast on design elements, or with the YK Hanko pattern set.

#7A8B88 C=55 M=36 Y=43 K=5 R=122 G=139 B=136

#1C281F C=76 M=58 Y=73 K=72 R=28 G=40 B=31

#009198 C=83 M=24 Y=40 K=2 R=0 G=145 B=152

#BE996C C=26 M=38 Y=64 K=2 R=190 G=153 B=108

#DDB38A C=13 M=30 Y=48 K=0 R=221 G=179 B=138

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PATTERNS.

SYMBOLISM Symbols and patterns make up a very big portion of our brand’s communications. Each symbol should be handled carefully, considering the context of each message when using a certain symbol.

Out of the four main symbols incorporated in our logo, four more symbols are used in creating decorative patterns. These patterns are very commonly seen in the Japanese culture, however they are transformed in the YK Hanko brand, each carrying a unique, similar,but not identical to its traditional counterpart’s meaning.

Unlike our logo, where the symbolism communicates the brand story, our patterns convey the brand’s vision, hope and promise to the audience. Regardless of whether they are our customer or not, our message is delivered to the wider community. The patterns are encouraged to be used in conjunction of each other, overlaid over each other, to demonstrate family bonds and values set.

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H E M P L E AV E S The symbol of hemp leaves is widely used in Japan as a symbol of wellbeing and growth. They are sewn on children’s kimono and yukata, and is believed to bring good health to the child.

At YK Hanko, this symbol is one of the most often-used, showing the importance of children in the brand. The hope for a healthy growth is also imbued in the uses of this pattern.

The cover of this brand book features this pattern, showing the growth progress of our brand as a whole, and hoping for even more future improvements of the business.

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H E M P L E AV E S The second pattern of hemp leaves is much more free-flowing, not often seen in application. This particular pattern for YK Hanko symbolises the process of growth, where children start to be able to learn about their surroundings. It is an expression of the need to absorb knowledge of the world, and is a very important period earlier in life.

The significance when using this pattern is to remind parents that they shouldn’t be stopping this process, but to facilitate the learning of their children, for them to one day become respectable adults.

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WAV E S With knowledge and exploration, comes challenges and adversity.In applications, the wave symbol should inspire the overcoming of these challenges. This is once again, a reminder for parents to not hide their children away in the face of hardship, but rather to expose them to it and watch them learn as a result.

As this is a much bolder pattern compared to the first two, when using these patterns in conjunction of each other, it is advisable to pair one bold pattern and one of the simpler hemp leaves ones. The hemp leaves will act as a simple background, enhancing the effects of the bolder patterns.

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HYDRANGEAS Unlike the previous patterns, the hydrangea is not produced digitally. This was drawn with watercolour, then scanned, to maintain the watercolour texture and qualities.

This symbol is a sign of gratefulness towards the parents.

The pattern recognises the effort that was put in to raise their children, accompanying them throughout their journey.

Similar to the waves, the use of this pattern should only be in conjunction of one of the hemp leaves, instead of with the waves, due to the more bold colours and size.

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TYPOGRAPHY.

LOGO TYPEFACE Bodoni condensed bold has a distinct, traditional look that is often associated with premium Japanese brands.

This typeface is used primarily for the YK Hanko logo, and this use is to be in all capitals.

The typeface can also be used in titles, subheadings, especially in the online medium, to complement with the Futura typeface.

BODONI CONDENSED BOLD

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ RSTUVWXYZabcde fghijklmnopq rstuvwxyz 0123456789 27 | YK HANKO

PRIMARY TEXT TYPEFACE To complement with the traditional looks of Bodoni, EB Garamond, one of the older variants on the classic Garamond font. EB Garamond is a very human serif, providing our brand a timeless, elegant solution, while being very readable.

While only two weights of the font are commonly used, other variations are also acceptable.

The text should always be left aligned.

Italics are used primarily for highlighting ideas.

An all-capital version of the font, with heavy kerning at 250, is used for titles and headlines. The colour of these headlines should also be #7A8B88, the first secondary colour in the colour palette.

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EB GARAMOND

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP QRSTUVWXYZabcdefg hijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 REGULAR

ITALIC

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR STUVWXYZabcdefghijkl mnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR STUVWXYZabcdefghijkl mnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

WEB TYPEFACE The Garamond type, however, is not very web-friendly. Futura is the alternative for our online content, including website, blog, and so on.

One of the more popular sans serif typefaces, Futura is clean, and has a somewhat childish personality due to the rounded bowls. This font also adds the touch of modernity to the brand.

This font adds a mother-and-child feeling to the online content due to its contrast against other brand elements.

FUTURA

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP QRSTUVWXYZabcdefg hijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 LIGHT

OBLIQUE

BOLD

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRSTUVWXYZabc defghijklmnopqrst uvwxyz 0123456789

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRSTUVWXYZabc defghijklmnopqrst uvwxyz 0123456789

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRSTUVWXYZabc defghijklmnopqrst uvwxyz 0123456789

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TONE OF VOICE. YK HANKO | 30

POLITE Our tone of voice and slogan are expressions of our values and personality, and as such shouldn’t be lightly handled.

Following the traditional ways of speech in Japan, our tone of voice needs to be polite, but not too overly formal. Not only the YK Hanko brand culture. our product is also a unique expression of our culture as Japanese, and it is important how we convey the brand in a way that is consistent with the wider society that we live in.

The tone of voice determines the impression that customers get of our brand, and is our main medium of engaging customers in our messages.

PERSONAL

The slogan creates a memorable motto for our customers, and thus should be short and significant, packing our values and hope in one single sentence.

ENCOURAGING

Always refer to the brand as “us”, or “we”. Engage our audience in the conversation. Ask questions, create relationships with our audience. Aim not to earn single-transactions, but to build a connection and loyalty to our brand.

The most important set of value that our brand embraces is the family values. Be empathetic, supporting, and motivating. Most importantly, be encouraging. Encourage your audience to explore and learn more of our culture, and while they’re at it, make sure they carefully watch over the growth of their children and grandchildren. Leave records of their growth - not just through photos, but also in writing, in the objects that they get from their trip. They aren’t simply souvenirs, they are a physical object of memory.

LIVE. EXPLORE. RECORD. This is the brand slogan. The three words embed in it our wish for a family to live their lives to the fullest. We also hope for the children to have a plethora of opportunities to travel, explore, and learn, while their parents watch over each of their steps, and carefully record their journey.

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IMAGERY.

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The primary imagery used should be lifestyle photoshoots of children, or families. These should show respect for the family values, of the learning progress of children, and interactions between family members.

Colour tones for imagery should be subdued and calm, resembling older-style imagery.

The feelings generated from the images should be warm, personal, while being quite playful, involving young children.

However, be mindful of the premium image of our brand as well - avoid any inappropriate imagery, and always remain respectful in our representation.

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Aim to record the daily interactions of the subject without their notice or wariness of being recorded. Particularly, capture moments when the subject is preoccupied with their day to day activities. This allows us to capture the most genuine expressions of the people being photographed.

Essentially, we are a brand that is an expression of the Japanese culture, it is also important to show aspects of the Japanese culture that foreigners may not experience often through our imagery.

This may be visits to the shrine, festivals, and other aspects of culture unique to our home country.

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APPLICATIONS. YK HANKO | 36

ONLINE MEDIUM The website is refreshed to have updated branding and a cleaner look. User interface is improved for easier browsing and clearer purchasing process. Personalisation is embedded in the system, with all materials and designs are logged in online shopping catalogue style, and a custom seal-design can be attached after choosing materials and design.

Social media, mainly Facebook, is updated with new branding and imagery. Tone of voice to be kept consistent with brand while keeping it brief on this platform to attract and retain customer attention.

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OUTDOOR ADVERTISING Outdoor advertising is most effective with tourists. In Japan, public transport is the main mode of transport even for tourists, so these are placed at train stations and bus stops to maximise exposure.

The advertisement would have our brand name, slogan, and very short messages to pique the interest of our audience, before directing them to our website.

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PACKAGING Packaging remains simple, utilising patterns and new logo throughout. The current use of mizuhiki (decorative knot used on envelops and gifts) as adornments for the packaging will be retained. This is an interesting and elegant take to packaging that's not often seen in European culture.

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MERCHANDISE A series of merchandise is created for the new branding. This includes tea sets, T-shirt, and tote bags. These are fairly popular items, and mainly incorporates different patterns from the YK Hanko branding.

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STATIONERY

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PUBLICATION For those who wish to visit the physical shop and personalise their order at the time, this is a YK Hanko-published travel magazine with cultural heritage explanations, tourist recommendations, and more. Customers can spend time reading this while waiting for their hanko to be crafted.

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YK HANKO BRAND REFRESH 2018 Kat Huong Thu Nguyen

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