TOJI
Problem: A winter apparel brand that requires a logo and swing tag.
Category: Branding and Product Design
Background: This is a response to a brief created by @briefclub on Instagram. ‘Toji’ (winter solstice) is one of the 24 seasons in the Ancient Japanese Calendar.
Target audience: Men and women ages 17 to 40 who are interested in a hip winter apparel company. The primary method of discovery is through social media.
Software: Photoshop | Illustrator | InDesign | Figma | After Effects
Process: I started by looking at current fashion apparel companies (i.e. UNIQLO, Athleta) that dress consumers on a daily basis and how they change their marketing during the winter season. I also looked at outdoor apparel companies (i.e. TheNorthFace, REI) that specialize in year-round outdoor or winter apparel. After this research process, I started thinking about the entire category of winter apparel and how that looked like and meant to consumers.
Solution: I created a logo that I felt was sturdy and strong. I really wanted to use cool and fun colors, while avoiding the traditional winter colors that people associate with the season. I kept the tags really simple and made it about the copy or brand voice I was trying to amplify. I created a slogan, “winter starts here” to nod towards the brand name’s origin of being the indication of the beginning of the winter season. In the pieces I chose to design, I wanted to convey fun and celebration of the winter season. The winter season to me isn’t just about skiing, snowboarding, holidays, and being cold, it’s about discovering experiences that keep you going in the winter months and having fun.
Brand Development
Logo development
I started by going into Adobe Fonts to find a typeface that felt strong and purposeful. I wanted to see if I could include the kanji characters, but I felt they didn’t fit well. I turned my focus to Futura where the design of the typeface wasn’t so rounded.
Color exploration
In the mood board, I wanted to show the look and feel of what I wanted the apparel to make people feel. I added winter scenery because I find that snowy terrain always has special hues of blues and purples not found anywhere else. I also included Mt. Fuji to nod towards the origin of the brand’s name.
Final
Here we have the final logo and how the final logo can be scaled into a 1x1 inch box without losing readability.
Swing Tag
I created a front and back swing tag for the brand. I kept the front super simple. I wrote some copy meant to be inspirational and communicative of the brand’s voice on the back along with an area for product information. I left some space under the size and price indicator for the product’s identifier code and other information necessary to make the merchandise ready to sell.
Front
Back
An assortment
I created an assortment of swing tags that could be used depending on the product.
In-clothing tag
Store Materials
Storefront
I design a storefront look that includes the logo, slogan, time and days open, and the snowflake icons.
In-store signage
Because a lot of stores have signage on their racks indicating what the clothing is, I created one as well. Because the specific clothing marked below is a thermal parka, I put a cold meter on the signage using the signature snowflakes.
Reusable bag
In an effort to reduce the amount of plastic and paper bags, I created a design for a canvas or non-woven bag to place purchased merchandise. I used the same snowflake and some decorative circles to add more interest and flair to the logo.
This design will be printed on both sides of the bags.
Digital Pieces
Sample E-mails
I created two sample emails that would be sent around the holiday shopping season. In Figma, I put GIFs of the moving images. You can see them on Figma HERE.