In November 2009, We were approached by the NCKU (National Cheng Kung University) to participate in a Marakot relief project in Liouguei, one of the area hardest hit by the Marakot typhoon in 2009. The project’s goal was to help the local women to produce hand-made soap for sale (before the flood, the women used to pick local farm goods to help support their families).
We were to take charge of the packaging and branding side of the project, beginning with selecting the soap with the “right” look, to putting all the visual elements together to tell the women’s stories. the “hand” was selected as the central theme of this work, because in both harvesting and soap making, it’s with their hand that these women work hard to provide for their families, and in Taiwanese culture, many feel that one’s destiny is recorded on one’s palm print.
Once the “hand” concept was decided, it was extended to the design of the packaging and flyers as well as the video which was produced to tell the women’s story in a slideshow documentary like fashion. To help convey the sense of “craft” and quality of the products, we used the calligraphy-style packaging the Japanese often use for products with a heavy emphasis on craft, as it will resonate with many Taiwanese who are drawn to Japanese culture.
Designed by G-idea