Sean will be graduating from SCAD in May. He sent in this project for Gatsby Moving Rubber Hair wax and a very thorough explanation which we’ve included with a couple more photos after the jump.
Gatsby Moving Rubber
This package is a proposed design for Mandom Corporation’s Gatsby product line of Moving Rubber hair wax. In order to better align myself with the Asian (specifically Japanese) job market, I wanted to design something popular and prevalent in Asian culture and society. I challenged myself with this project by choosing a subject that must be designed to successfully integrate into both Eastern and Western cultures. My previous travels in Japan and Thailand have contributed to my understanding of how a product like this can be marketed internationally and appeal to a broad demographic.
There are currently seven different products in the Gatsby Moving Rubber line, each lending to a different hair style and technique. About a year ago, I decided to try the product myself, but I found myself confused on which product would work best for me. After researching the product on their website and a few blogs, I took a risk and ordered some online, not knowing how it would react to my hair.
To avoid this type of problem for future and prospective customers, I decided that it would benefit Gatsby to release a “sampler set” or “travel set” of their product, containing all seven different waxes. Not only would Gatsby benefit from increased revenue, but they would also see an increase in customer base, as the product would offer an all-in-one solution, reducing confusion and intimidation towards the product.
The final design result incorporates an semi-transparent band that wraps around a transparent PVC tube measuring 6.5in (16.5cm) tall by 2in (5.08cm) in diameter. The colorful nature of the existing individual product design creates strong visual interest, which I decided was important to highlight. By making the product visible from outside of the container, the customer is not confused by what the actual product looks like.
Because of the strong visual dominance created by the colors, I approached the band design in a minimal style. On the front of the band the customer is presented with all seven styles in English, set in Helvetica Bold, with the respective Japanese name of the style behind it in the matching color, set in Heisei Maru Gothic. For the Asian market, the English and Japanese typography would change places, as well as color system.
At the very top of the front of the band, a brief product description and explanation is listed. As the band continues across the top, the signature lower-case “g” is placed at the exact same size as those found on top of the product. The addition of the Gatsby logotype creates a more unified branding experience. The back of the band contains the ingredients, individual and net weight, Mandom logo, barcode, both American and Japanese recycling codes, and a QR code that customers can use to direct their mobile phones to the official Gatsby website.
