Kaimeisha Silk
A redesign of a silk companies logo utilizing the Swiss International Design principals. Minimalism and geometric shapes work hand-in-hand in this simplified logo- creating a timeless design that is sure to be effective in captivating its audience. This design utilizes the Swiss influence, yet still stays true to the Japanese roots of the company.
The Re-birth of Kaimeisha Silk
There is so much to love about Japan as a whole, but one thing that seems to always fascinate me are the patterns you find on kimonos and silk products. Every symbol and image carries meaning, and each piece contains a certain beauty, elegance, and timelessness with it. I wanted to encapsulate all of those aspects into the redesign of this logo in order to create a design that could be used forever. This design could have gone many different ways, but choosing the minimalistic aesthetic of the Swiss International Design principals was a no-brainer. A good portion of the current Japanese branding aesthetic is already influenced by Swiss design, and brands are showing that they are effortlessly“cool” without having to over complicate their identity.
This redesign began with establishing a clear name for the company. In the original design, it was titled as, “Steam Filatures Silk by Kaimeisha”. I chose to go with the name Kaimeisha Silk in order to stay true to the roots, simplify the overall name, and to also be clear on what the brand is known for. Once I had that figured out, I began to look for symbols
and colors I wanted to possibly work with. I came up with symbols that were important to the Japanese culture such as cherry blossoms, cranes, tori gates, chrysanthemums, etc. In my research, I came across two images of old family crests, also known as Mon (fig. 1.1 & 1.2). These symbols were usually sewn onto clothing to help distinguish which family you were apart of. I was intrigued, and knew that this is something that I wanted to further explore.
My next step was to begin sketching out ideas, and after testing many of the typical icons of Japan I wanted something more than what is typically expected. I came to the conclusion that I would be able to create my own crest for Kaimeisha by taking elements of both of the old Mon family crests and putting them together. After I was happy with my exploration sketches, I went ahead and created them digitally.
I began to play with color, and looked into the symbolism in which colors hold in Japan to further connect the Japanese culture to the design. I discovered that the combination of red and white are known to represent happiness and joy, and that blue was a lucky color that represents purity and calmness. I chose to work with the red and the white to tie in the Japanese flag, and to also incorporate the blue by sampling a darker
blue from The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai (fig 1.3); marrying the old (both the previous design’s water element and older art of Japan) with the new. I tried many variations of colors and symbols, and decided the new crest with rounded squares and in red and blue in the middle would be the most effective. I wanted to keep it as geometric as possible, but felt that when the inner squares that form a flower shape were left as a true angular square, the feeling of Japan seemed to no longer be as strong (fig 1.4).
For the typeface of the logo, I chose to use Helvetica for its geometric and neutral qualities. It has been quite the champion in the design world in its versatility, and I felt it would be appropriate to utilize the approachability of the font to help draw consumers in. It’s sleek and minimalistic, ties in nicely with the new branding, and together it effortlessly radiates modern and chic.
