Sumida Sparkling
Packaging | Branding
Sumida Sparkling is a concept sparkling juice brand based on the Japanese Sumida River. With a heavy focus on Japanese culture and flavors, Sumida Sparkling is designed to emulate it’s roots.
Know-How
Package Printing Handcrafting Digital Collage
Year
2024
Client
Academic
Programs
Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator
Overview
This project was an opportunity for me to explore an idea that had been sitting on my list of things to try, digital screen-print effects. I had a vision that was waiting for the right project, and when given this ask it felt natural to follow through. With a hefty focus on cultural research, this project was a combination of delicately creating a specific aesthetic and understanding the “why” behind these representations of culture.
The Ask
The central goal of this project was to produce four labels to wrap a bottle of our choice, and something to hold them, with the labels being digitally designed. The topic for our brands was to choose a river somewhere outside of the United States, and brand the beverage to match the culture surrounding that river.
The Process
Early Research
Going into this project, I knew designing with a specific culture in mind would be a delicate process. I made the time to research the areas my river ran through, design trends of past and present Japanese culture, and familiarizing myself with the writing system Kanji to ensure all the details were authentic. Alongside the cultural details of this project, I wanted to ensure as a product it would work as intended. This was an excuse to go to my local Asian grocery store and take a deep dive into what was already on the shelf, and make my design work with what exists already.
Putting An Idea In Motion
There is a design style I have had in my back pocket for experimentation that was just waiting on the right project to use. I love the look that comes with screen-printing and stamping, the use of layering and transparency is something I have wanted to try my hand at in the digital realm, but add in some vivid tones as well. During the research phase of this project, I kept seeing that layering and transparency in many instances. Much of the reason for this is an ink painting style, Sumi-e that is a traditional style of painting that has been used throughout Japanese culture
Refining Phase
The bulk of the work for this project came with the research and idea phase, and putting it into motion ended up just being sheer fun. Using the Metropolitan Museum of Art archives, I digitally altered paintings mainly done by Utagawa Hiroshige and created a digital collage as one of the main design elements. This was a process of messing around with transparency, shape, and distortion. Alongside this digital collage, I made my own Sumi-e paintings to bolster the cultural aesthetic I was seeking. The rest of this process lied in printing, hand trimming, and wrapping/assembling the bottles and holding box.
The Result
My final packaging included a two-piece box, with one base piece and one cover layer. Alongside the box included four glass bottles, with hand painted caps and a label including nutrition and ingredient information. Sumida Sparkling is a well rounded package design with attention to detail toward history and culture.
