ChaTo
 Hello~, I'm Hideko! ChaTo Owner
ChaTo is a boutique retailer specializing in Japanese loose tea, ceramics, and gifts imported from Uji, Kyoto and Kawane, Shizuoka to the heart of San Francisco.
Hideko required an identifying logo mark for the grand opening of her store in Japantown's Center East Mall. I was recommended the commission due to my ability to produce quick turnaround and high quality output. Working with ChaTo was an excellent opportunity to study the nuances of contemporary Japanese typography, design and its effect on product branding. Vertical Divider
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Process:
Consultation > Research > Concept Sketches > Selection #1 > Drafting > Selection #2 > Finalization > Review > Delivery Approx. Completion time: 3 weeks Tools:
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Inspiration |
Design Exploration |
Wordmark Design |
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I create mood boards via Pinterest to help focus the theme, color, tone, direction etc. for each design. This also allows the client to have more creative input and guide their vision toward a more favorable outcome.
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Hideko originally wanted to incorporate cat imagery into the logo as seen in the bottom half of the sketches. We eventually abandoned the idea in favor of the calligraphy as seen in the top half. She was inspired by another piece of art in my portfolio, ”Conspiracy Against Me” that utilized a similar particle mask effect .
Ballpoint pen thumbnails
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After simulating different degrees of the typographical layout, we refined the font, transformed the particles to actual kanji characters, adjusted the gradients/opacity to get the final product seen at the top.
Drafts and Final product were created with Photoshop and Illustrator respectively.
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Implementation
Below you will find mock-ups of various use cases in which the logo has been branded onto various products and merchandise. Photos in the slideshow are from the ChaTo Facebook page and thus represent live usage of my design.
Years after the expiration of this contract, I revisited the project to create a symbol mark that could be incorporated into the brand.
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Business cards mocked-up to incorporate both logos featuring a functional QR code.
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Since this a retail location, I thought it would be nice to mock-up a potential staff shirt.
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