Treasure island

05 : 02 : 2016 USIO Design Project : Ishigaki Island : Japan

Japan – The USIO Design Project gave local manufacturers access to a design team to create new brand identities for their products.

  • USIO Design Project fosters relationships between designers and local businesses from Ishigaki Island
  • The project was designed to harness the creative power of design to make products even more appealing
USIO Design Project, Japan USIO Design Project, Japan
USIO Design Project, Japan USIO Design Project, Japan
USIO Design Project, Japan USIO Design Project, Japan
USIO Design Project, Japan USIO Design Project, Japan

The project, organised by design platform Loftwork, gave products and souvenirs made on the island to designers who re-imagined them in different ways.

For the project, design agency Graphika created a yellow box with a handle to comfortably carry pineapples sold at the local farmers’ market. Atsushi Honda created iconography for bottled brown rice milk made locally on the island. Garden’s Herbal Tea was redesigned by Tatsuro Hirano into simple boxes that resemble miniature houses. Sea salt, ginger syrup and even locally made masking tape were also given the design treatment.

The name of the project is derived from the word ushio, which means sea water or tide. This is used as a metaphor for the island inviting in new collaborators like the tides approach the land.

The Big Picture

More platforms like USIO Design Project are emerging as consumers continue to want local, traceable and sustainable products. Find out more in our New Urban Guilds macrotrend.

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