PROCESS MANUAL 2015 Jason Lin
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
6
Introduction
20
Business System
The Name
24
Creative Brief
Logo Drafts
25
7
Competitors
26
8
Digital Development
10
The Story
28
12
The Logo
30
14
The Grid Style Guide
32
16
Case Studies
Biomimicry
Packaging Drafts
The Packaging
Wrap it up
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1
紹介
4
一
Introduction
USU is a modern rebirth of traditionally prepared Japanese rice cakes, mochi. USU seeks to: preserve the rich and beautiful history that the snack carries, create a fun, enjoyable, and delicious experience for customers, and remain sustainable through biodegradable packaging. It serves the past, present, and the future. Through its engaging packaging and delicious product, USU hopes to pave the route for a new family tradition.
USU: The New Tradition.
5
名前 The Name
Before it was USU, our product went through a series of words to find the most appropriate name. Words such as tsuki and kagami reflected the traditional New Years aspect of Japanese mochi. However, to truly respect the handmade efforts of mochi-makers long ago, the word “usu” was chosen. Usu is the Japanese word for mortar. Usuing a large weighted hammer and a wooden mortar, mochi was traditionally prepared by two highly skilled people who would pound and wet the rice cake in perfect synchronization. The spectacle of preparing mochi is a show in itself. USU hopes to evoke a similar emotion of amazement and wonder at first glance.
tsuki
usu
kagami
zuki
muro
kine
mochi mochi
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Logo Drafts Because USU is meant to serve both conservative Japanese elderly and the contemporary teenage youth, there was a lot of deliberation over finding the correct balance of fun and playful versus reserved and traditional. I wanted to play with the imagery of a mortar and hammer.
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Digital Development To reflect the traditional calligraphic style of Japanese text, I started playing with hand painted textures and linework. I also tried modifying the kanji for the word usu (臟) and how that might play into the logotype. To further enhance the mortar and hammer imagery, I wanted to play with the “kineâ€? which is the large weighted hammer used for pounding mochi. I found its irregular shape to be very striking which could serve as a strong identifying factor for the brand.
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Refinement I narrowed down my design choices to those that included a rabbit (see “The Story� pg10) and played with different styles of depicting the animal from very rough and blocky to a smooth elegant style. From there, I experimented with the text placement in relation to the logomark. I settled on two final candidates. Each played more towards different audiences. The playful version of a rabbit pounding the mortar spoke more towards a younger audience while the golden version speaks towards a more regal highclass insignia. I ended up choosing this latter logo because I felt that respecting a rich history was a very important part of the brand.
USU
mochi
USU mochi
mochi
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月兎 の
10
The Story USU’s use of a rabbit in the logo mark is a reference to many asian countries who share versions of a story of a rabbit in the moon. In Japan, the story is as follows: An old Man-of-the-Moon once looked down and saw a rabbit, monkey, and fox living together as friends. The man came down. disguised as a beggar and asked for food. The monkey and fox brought a lot of food but the rabbit couldn’t find anything. Instead, he offered himself as food. The man was so touched that he decided to bring the rabbit back home in the moon to live with him. Nowadays, if you look carefully at a full moon, you can see a rabbit pounding mochi!
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12
一
4”
1/2”
The Logo The final version of my logo repositioned the rabbit from the side of the logotype to the top in order to create a strong vertical focus that looks more similar to a Japanese seal. The treatment of the logotype is very subtle and borrows the horizontal strokes of the kanji character for usu. The smallest that this logo should be printed is one inch. If absolutely necessary to allow for a slight increase in legibility beyond one inch, there is a horizontal version of the logo that can be used:
1/8” 1/8” 1/8” 1/2”
1 1/4”
3/4”
1”
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*
* Source: http://www.w3.org/2007/02/japanese-layout/docs/aligned/japanese-layout-requirements-en.html#en-heading1
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臼
基 本 版 面
The Grid All of USU’s documents are laid on and follow a strict grid that was also inspired by Japanese culture. The grid consists of a column of squares (each the size of a single Japanese character) and rows of these columns separated by 7pt. These strict standards were created by following the guidelines for Japanese book layouts. Specifically, the kihon-hanmen.
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äşŒ Logo Usage The logo should have adequate space placed around it when being placed inside a document. Additionally, the logo should be centered according to the words USU and NOT the center of the entire logo. Be careful to account for the extra space that the hammer takes up on the right side of the logomark. Please use the guidelines on the right to know how to appropriately use the logo.
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do not stretch
do not scale individual parts
do not recolor logotype
do not flip
do not move logomark
do not use black on gold background
do not recolor logomark
use white on gold background
三
Additional Resources すうす う うすう す すうす う うすう す すうす う うすう す すうす う うすう す すうす う うすう す 3.a
3.b
3.c
3.d
臼
These resources can be used as supplements to improve the aesthetic quality of documents and designs while still adhering to USU’s brand identity. The colors of items 3.a and 3.b can be changed from black to either white or gold depending on situation. Opacity can be adjusted as well. Item 3.b is a pattern that can be used to fill any shape or space. Element 3.d should strictly be used as a form of storytelling when conveying the tale of the rabbit in the moon. Do NOT use it as a replacement for the rabbit in the logomark. It is up to the discretion of the designer to choose where to appropriately place each item. Each item should not act as standalone pieces or be the center of attention in any design element.
3.e
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四 Typography The typography used for USU’s identity accounts for the multiple situations in which the product will be marketed. For all print productions, DIN should be used for major headings and subheadings. Cicle can be used for all body text and for all web typography. The final font, Kouzan Brush Font Gyousyo is used to produce the additional resources. These are the screened kanji characters on the backs of documents and other graphic material. If/when this product is marketed in Japan, Kouzan Brush Font Gyousyo should not be used as a header or body text. It is a font that purely serves as a decorative element. Instead, seek out a sans-serif Japanese font for official foreign documents. (NOTE: please avoid using Japanese graphic elements unless you have had some practice or knowledge of the language.)
DIN 30640 Std Neuzeit Grotesk Light Titles/Headings
AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPp QqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz 1234567890 Cicle Semi Body Text
AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQq RrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz 1234567890 Kouzan Brush Font Gyousyo 日本語だけ
一右雨円王音下火花貝学気九休玉金空月犬見 五口校左三山子四糸字耳七車手十出女小
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äş” 5.c
5.a #d6b135 C:0 M:23 Y:84 K:13 PANTONE P 10-15 U Use with White or Black Text
5.e #231f20 C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100 R:35 G:31 B:32
#ffffff C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:0 R:255 G:255 B:255
Use with White Text
Use with Black Text
5.d
5.b
5.f
#e9d395 C:9 M:14 Y:48 K:0 R:233 G:211 B:149
#6d6e71 C:58 M:49 Y:46 K:15 R:109 G:110 B:113
Use with Black Text
Use with White Text
Color USU’s primary color is the flat gold (5.a) that is used for the rabbit logomark. Whenever possible, it is the color that should be used to accent or highlight parts of a design. It can be easily paired with either white or black text. The lighter shade of gold (5.b) is to be used on background elements such as those found in Section 3, Additional Resources. The gray color (5.d) should be used when one must print in grayscale. Do NOT use an unsaturated version of the gold; replace it with this shade. The gold foil texture should strictly be used in physical products. Primarily, it is meant for the logo. Web or print depictions of the physical product can use the gold foil as well. Otherwise, the texture should be generally avoided.
Gold Foil Texture do NOT use with any text
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六 Business System 6.a Letterhead The business system allows for clear communication while adhering to the brand’s identity. The letterhead is a standard 8.5 x 11” letter. The logo is placed in the upper lefthand corner while the Japanese characters for USU are printed behind the body. The envelope is 4.25 x 9.5”. It uses curved edges to seal the top and bottom of the envelope and is lined on the inside with the Japanese character pattern (Additional Resource 3.b). The business card is a vertical 3.5x2” card with a corner clipped. The clipping should line up with the angle of where the logomark’s hammer would lie.
Dear Valued Customer, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In aliquam interdum condimentum. Nam iaculis massa a neque ultrices euismod. Mauris tincidunt sed lacus quis pharetra. Morbi cursus diam augue, id euismod mi lobortis quis. In consequat dignissim accumsan. Aliquam erat volutpat. Sed sit amet orci mi. Quisque interdum urna a tellus bibendum, et dapibus purus egestas. Sed interdum ut ex tincidunt porttitor. Vestibulum id libero id ipsum volutpat viverra at sit amet dolor. Cras porttitor ipsum sollicitudin, dapibus mauris at, elementum tellus. Vivamus pharetra, eros vehicula scelerisque egestas, libero turpis rhoncus quam, at tincidunt mauris ligula ut nisl. Sed facilisis nibh et feugiat ornare. Donec vel ante dignissim, eleifend dolor id, ornare felis. Mauris non porttitor lacus. Morbi dignissim mauris nisi, eget aliquet neque efficitur eu. Aliquam erat volutpat. Morbi cursus massa nec massa egestas, ut aliquet purus mattis. Sed vel ligula arcu. Duis consectetur felis arcu, a imperdiet ligula finibus vel. In congue vestibulum eros. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Sed et tincidunt enim, eget egestas leo. Morbi bibendum sit amet justo id vestibulum. Vestibulum at dui feugiat, cursus ligula in, tristique neque. Nullam ut eleifend risus. In id nisi at felis luctus maximus eu vel magna. Aliquam a nisi molestie, dictum velit et, pretium arcu. Quisque rutrum neque vel scelerisque euismod. Ut id eleifend massa, sit amet iaculis enim. Nulla quis semper massa. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Suspendisse a odio magna. Vestibulum ut viverra tellus. Nullam ornare volutpat consequat. Praesent at lectus sit amet leo facilisis lobortis. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Curabitur imperdiet et nibh quis commodo. Quisque dictum fringilla purus vel tempor. Vivamus tincidunt eleifend nibh at consequat. Aliquam ut turpis tempor, tincidunt dui eget, aliquam ipsum. Sed a lacus non nunc tincidunt finibus. Duis ex sem, cursus sit amet posuere ac, dignissim ut mauris. In quis leo et justo sagittis consequat. Duis eu lorem vehicula, facilisis urna eget, posuere eros. Vivamus pharetra sem vitae erat elementum mollis. Mauris vel massa sed ex aliquam molestie. Sed elit leo, rutrum a tellus ut, faucibus laoreet metus. Donec semper risus id tincidunt tempus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris at pellentesque nisl. Cras maximus efficitur auctor. Curabitur sed ipsum efficitur, auctor ante ut, tincidunt dui.v
at your service, Jason Lin 202-555-0190 www.usumochi.com hello@usumochi.com 2480 M St Davis, CA 95616
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6.b Envelope
6.c Business Card
Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20500 USA
う す う すう す う すう う す う す うす う す うす う す す う す う すう す う すう す う う す う す うす う す うす う す す う す う すう す う すう す う
すう す う す うす う す すう す う す うす う す すう す う す うす う す すうす うす
Jason Lin 202-555-0190 www.usumochi.com hello@usumochi.com 2480 M St Davis, CA 95616
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七 Marketing
Marketing for USU includes ads on both magazine and billboards, a custom designed shipping truck, a website, and a promotional T-shirt. “From Japan to You” and “The New Tradition” are optional taglines to be used to sell the product. If additional marketing materials are created, they should make use of the logo, additional resources, and high quality images of the following subjects: bamboo, rice fields, mortar and hammer, or mochi.
8.a Website & App
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8.b Magazine Ad
8.c Billboard Ad
8.d T-Shirt
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人 Creative Brief
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NEEDS
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
PROJECT STRATEGY
USU is a traditional mortar-pounded sweet rice cake. It serves as an enjoyable chewy snack. Sometimes, mochi that is made too large will get lodged in the throats of some people. USU is designed to produce smaller bite-sized pieces of mochi.
USU seeks to celebrate the rich historical and traditional Japanese values that mochi carries with it. At the same time, it is meant to be an enjoyable bite sized snack. The packaging should be sustainable, recycleable, and easy to open. Additionally, the packaging itself should reflect the values of the snack and also provide an enjoyable experience for the user rather than a simple protective case. The snack itself should be easily swallowed and enjoyed.
When completed, USU will have a complete business system. (letterhead, business card, and envelope) Additionally, advertising materials in food-related areas will be produced (magazine ads, signs inside stores, etc.) A unique packaging experience will be created as well. To appeal to a younger audience, graphic pieces such as T-shirts will also be designed.
BACKGROUND
MESSAGE
AUDIENCE
Current competitors include more contemporary and modern approaches to mochi. These include fruit filled and ice cream mochi. Sometimes, these mochi are quite large and consist of box packaging along with many layers of plastic. Traditional kagami mochi bought in Japan to eat during the New Year has unfortunately caused multiple deaths in the past when older people found themselves having trouble swallowing large pieces of the sticky snack.
The user should walk away knowing that USU is a new traditional rendition of mochi. It’s fun and celebrates the flavor of the mochi itself rather than the filling.
USU’s primary audience is 50-60 year old men and women with a conservative and traditional Japanese cultural background. They should have a deep understanding and appreciation for the hand made method of creating mochi. USU plans to ship to both the U.S. and to Japan and Korea. The secondary audience of USU is 16-25 year olds in the United States who may find an appreciation for the contemporary graphic logo and unique packaging experience. Due to the hand-made nature of the product and the extravagant packaging, the price point will be quite high, so the target audience will also be those who have higher than average SES.
Competitors There are not many competitors of USU in the market currently. Many different flavor-filled mochi as well as ice cream mochi are in high popularity, but a strong brand name plain mochi product could not be found. USU’s promise that each rice cake is hand-pounded is a major selling point that not many other competitors can offer. What’s more, is that most mochi are sold in very uninteresting boxes. We hope that true mochi connoisseurs will appreciate the effort and image that USU upholds in its branding.
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米 Biomimicry initial case study
Glutinous Rice 一 二 三 Rice is the primary staple food for nearly half of the world’s population. Each edible rice seed is contained in a husk. The husk provides protection from insects. Rice can be stored for a few weeks if air moisture is below 14%, to as long as a year in drier conditions. Vaccuum packed and frozen, it could last even 100 years. Leftover rice husks can be upcycled towards use as building material, insulation, pillow stuffing or even toothpaste.
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Grains of rice have their own unique uses and properties when taken from their husks. Rice grains are very absorbant and useful for cleaning. Bags of rice are often used for absorbing water out of electronic devices that have been dropped in a puddle or other body of water. Rice in large quantities can also retain their temperature fairly well and take the shape of whatever they are pressed on allowing them to be effective compresses.
Amylopectin is what allows glutinous rice to have its sticky property. (Glutinous rice contains no traces of gluten.) Amylopectin is water soluble and breaks apart in hot water. The starch then becomes sticky allowing it to even be used for adhesives and pastes. The very long chain like properties of amylopectin allow for great viscosity while having low strength. Designers could imitate similar patterns to create stretchy but easily detachable products.
雷 一
二
三
Lightning is a strong electric current that travels through the air. Its shape is determined by the electrical resistance in the air. By avoiding as much resistance as possible, the bolt will jump around creating the jagged shape we know. Lightning bolts are also fractals. Fractals are incredibly good at increasing surface area because one pattern is repeated over and over. This allows for increased area/ reception without much added space.
Fulgurite are natural hollow tubes of glass that form when lightning strikes sand or soil. They are informally known as petrified lightning. The shape formed is known as a Lightenberg figure (a branching electric discharge.) Practical uses for Lichtenberg figures involve diagnosing electrical equipment. Aside from this, the figure has been used effectively in mimicking animal tissue. These could become 3D molds for packaging use.
The Japanese haraegushi or sometimes called the lightning wand is a wand that is covered with zig-zag shaped papers called shide. These shide will make light rustling sounds as it travels through the air. One theory as to why the shide is shaped in its specific way is so that strips of paper could be easily torn off. This functions as a long intricate chain that allows for easy “grab-andgo.” The tearable strips allow for a level of modularity as well.
Biomimicry initial case study
Lightning
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獚 Biomimicry
Bamboo Bamboo is a symbol of Japanese culture and is known for being both strong and incredibly fast growing. Because it is technically a type of grass, bamboo grows to full maturity in as little as 5 years. Sometimes, it will even double in length within a day. Historically, bamboo has been used to create weapons such as bows and arrows. By 105 AD, Cai Lun creates the first plant tissue paper. There are over 1400 species of bamboo.
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Biomimicry
Application Bamboo lends itself to being a packaging material due to properties such as its size, strength, and even self-healing properties. Because it is fibrous, bending and compressing can even be applied to create unique but durable shapes. Many products in circulation today imitate bamboo structure. An especially convenient factor in relation to packaging is the fact that bamboo is hollow; a large empty space on the inside alllows for safe and strong methods of transporting materials and goods. In addition to its physical properties for building, it is also an incredibly sustainable choice of material. This is because bamboo (as previously stated,) is fast growing and while it is growing, carbon dioxide is consumed at very rapid rates. As a natural plant, the material is obviously biodegradeable and compostable.
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Packaging Drafts All of my very early packaging drafts sought to use a very ornate decorative piece of Japanese culture. The first and most obvious idea was to borrow the extravagant kagami-mochi displays as a way of actually packaging small individual mochi. Seeking to employ the biomimicry of bamboo shoots, I looked towards more cylindrical shapes and methods of holding my product. Another very obvious idea was the kadomatsu: a bamboo and floral arrangement set up in the front of Japanese homes. In pursuit of simplifying the idea down to its most bare form, I ended up choosing what may have been the most obvious option of all: the mortar and hammer itself.
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After drafting the imagery of the packaging, I began exploring methods and ways of playing with the actual physical product. I believe that packaging should be fun and engaging; the user should be rewarded in some way that will entice the buyer to revisit the product. Another Japanese food/drink product by the name of Ramune does exactly this. The drink is sealed with a marble which the user must pop into the neck of the bottle in order to enjoy the drink. While it is engaging, the task used to activate the product may be too physically taxing. Because my product does target older conservative Japanese elderly, I want the product to be very simple to open as well. I ended up designing a method in which the packaging will split itself open after its seal is struck by a hammer.
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Final Packaging
32
33
4.75”
3.75”
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The Packaging
う う うすうす すうすう うすうす すうすう うすうす すうすう うすうす
How to Use 1. POUND.
2. EAT.
The final packaging is a short miniature mortar and hammer. The mortar is bound by a strip of recycled paper folded in the shape of Japanese lightning-esque motif, the shide. The top of the mortar is bound by a thin rice paper membrane. When the center of it is hit by the hammer, the packaging splits into four panels which reveal a layer of mochi on the inside. On the side of the mortar is a tag whic bears the insignia of USU as well as the product’s nutrition facts. Inside is a short graphic explaining the method of opening the packaging and revealing that the handle of the hammer is actually a small fork.
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Wrap it Up! Preface USU is a branding/identity and packaging design project that seeks to put a “new� spin on mochi by honoring the deep and fascinating history of the Japanese rice cake. I acted as the single designer of this project and made an extra effort to base my product and its identity around the users and idea audience. The strong yet minimal style speaks to multiple generations and hopes to make a stand as a lasting brand and image among numerous cluttered generic brands currently in existence.
Problem The one surprising problem found during my research was that there are an alarmingly high amount of people who die each year on new years from choking on mochi. Otherwise,there are few, if any, major problems related to mochi. Some minor problems include packaging that is too generic. Packaging that is too difficult to open. A large divide between what was once an extravagant preparation ceremony and what is sold in stores to day. USU hopes to address each of these problems no matter how small. I believe it is more accurate to say that my product sought to find improvements rather than to solve problems.
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Objective
Measurement
USU has three main objectives each targetting a different audience: 1. respect and showcase the rich beautiful history of mochi making and the traditions that are tied to it. 2. gain the interest of the up and coming youth who are more cognizant of the graphic world around them and how it affects their decisions. 3. create trust amongst long term future users by using sustainable practices and establishing itself as the “New Tradition�
Measurement will be conducted by statistically analyzing sales and user feedback surveys. The surveys would ask how each user found the product to effectively determine if marketing tactics are working or if the product is simply spread through word-of-mouth. This would be cross analyzed with age and country to see if whether the older generation or native Japanese users respond differently to ads. Finally, the youth target group would be analyzed to see if related merchandise is being purchased or not.
Method
Summary
To assure success, USU will tackle their multiple audiences through different methods. The branding and identity of USU is very heavy on the traditional aspect of the product to intimately connect with the elderly Japanese audience. At the same time, marketing will be heavily promoted and targetted towards the youth through interesting graphics and the use of a commanding but fun tone. This is due to the fact that a much higher proportion of youth versus elderly will actively see marketing ads in magazines, billboards, or t-shirts.
The results of this project were fruitful. The break-away packaging and bite-sized mochi addressed the problem of assisting older users while the minimal iconic style of imagery helps establish a brand within the minds of a younger audience. It is our goal that after brand loyalty has been established, that USU may branch out beyond the traditional style of mochi to even fruit filled or seasoned flavors of mochi.
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ありがとうございます。