Market Research
Through brand development, we aimed to design cultural and creative products that tell our brand's story and increase brand value through the multi-use of cultural elements. Hong Kong's rich cultural mix presents a unique opportunity for us.
By creating culturally significant products, we can attract a specific customer segment: those who value style, are willing to pay more for meaningful products and appreciate cultural elements. With numerous lifestyle product stores in Hong Kong, such as Homeless, G.O.D, and LOG-ON, there is significant potential for both B2C and B2B markets.
By creating culturally significant products, we can attract a specific customer segment: those who value style, are willing to pay more for meaningful products and appreciate cultural elements. With numerous lifestyle product stores in Hong Kong, such as Homeless, G.O.D, and LOG-ON, there is significant potential for both B2C and B2B markets.
Product Research
Our research found that designing small consumer products, like stationery, is a highly potential category for our brand. By offering fun and culturally relevant options, we can better serve our target market and stand out in the crowded stationery market.
We noticed that many small pins on the market lack cultural significance and saw an opportunity to create a unique pin set product that incorporates both practicality and a nod to Hong Kong's culture and history.
We noticed that many small pins on the market lack cultural significance and saw an opportunity to create a unique pin set product that incorporates both practicality and a nod to Hong Kong's culture and history.
INsight's “Ping On” pin set (Bun Festival) integrates traditional festival culture into the workplace. The red-colored word “Ping On” is a symbol of happiness and blessing; it also means “safety & peace” in Chinese, which reminds the users to use the pins safely.
Design Background
Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a well-known traditional festival with over 200 years of history in Hong Kong. It started in the Qing dynasty in the 18th century. Bun Scrambling Competition is one of the famous activities in the festival. “Lucky buns” represent a blessing, safety, and health in the traditional sense. Although the competition had been suspended due to safety reasons, it resumed because of the perseverance of Cheung Chau residents, which also was inscribed on the national list of intangible cultural heritage.
Although most of the Cheung Chau residents think the meaning of the competition now is different from the past, we believe the meaning and blessing behind the culture are still worth to be carried forward.
Although most of the Cheung Chau residents think the meaning of the competition now is different from the past, we believe the meaning and blessing behind the culture are still worth to be carried forward.
The original bun towers are 13 meters high and carry 20,000 real buns.
Design Process
I designed a unique pin holder inspired by Hong Kong culture, in the form of a cone-like shape bun tower and Ping On buns. I received positive feedback during a mid-review, where I presented a mock-up to showcase the scale of my concept. Working with production and marketing teams led to the inclusion of feet for stability and optimized bun tower size and cost-controlled, making it a standout in the crowded stationery market.
Moreover, by using corkwood as the material of the pin set, users can easily place the pins on the pin set, from that they can experience the fun and feel the atmosphere of the Bun Scrambling Competition. In the meantime, it contains the corkwood board function to let users pin up some memorable or little things on it. Apart from the meaning of sending best wishes to someone, the "Ping On" pins can pass down this intangible cultural heritage.
Final Design
Remind the user safely to use it
Taking out the real bun from the bun tower and pulling out the pins are related to show the Bun Scrambling movement
Pin up the Memo on the tower
Features
The Details Of Design
Product size:
87mm(D)x 87mm(W) x 152mm(H)
Material:
Water pine corkwood | ABS | Iron Pins
87mm(D)x 87mm(W) x 152mm(H)
Material:
Water pine corkwood | ABS | Iron Pins
Packaging
Designed by Veg Tsoi & Michelle Lam
Packagin Details
Intended to use a transparent PVC box to show the details of the product. The size of the box is compact that also can be a display box. Added the product graphic and usage on the back to make interaction with the user.
The background cardboard used high-contrast colors with special cutting to parallel the design language of the brand. And the details holes on the cardboard were considered to help fix the product in the packaging when shipping.
Packaging size:
95mm(L) x 95mm(W) x 150mm(H)
95mm(L) x 95mm(W) x 150mm(H)
Other Design Directions
Sustainable Design
