How do you create awarness from the ground up?

The Hua foundation is a respected non-profit organization that raises awarness and educates the local Chinese-Canadian population on hot topics such as urban development, envrionmental sustainability, local produce, and healthy eating.

We collaborated with them to design a product that would bring about a wave of awareness of the changes and development issues that are happening in Chinatown. The team designs a tote bag, along with a stamping regiment system that would encourage local sustainable product consumption and loyalty, as well as provide a brand identity to these young workers that stand behind the Hua foundations views.

My Role

I worked as the videographer, and prototyper for the project. I edited and filmed the video as well as manufactured the tote bag itself.

Business Problem

Hua however has a lot of products that educates thier public but very little materials that promote their goals, and messages to the general public. Their affiliated youth groups also lack a sense of identiy outside of their regular club activities.

Proposal

A tote bag initiative that rejuvenates the cultural atmosphere by creating awareness about the changes in Vancouver Chinatown. Through using an illustration of the Millennium Gate, the bag represents the values of the community, while also bringing new perspectives to local consumer culture. The initiative supports the future while appreciating the past of Chinatown.

"Maintaining the past in future pathways"

Taking inspiration from the Millenium Gate at the edge of Chinatown as a symbolic pointer, the message on both sides symbolize the significance of the future and the past. By using this symbol the tote bag promotes the awarness of the urban development plans that surround chinatown. The other side of the bag holds the message 'We are chinatown' giving its wearers a sense of collective identity. The inner embroidery says Chinatown in chinese characters, abstracted into an elongated pattern.

Along with the tote bag, it was paired with a stamp reward system. Customers are able to get the bag from local grocery stores. Through the system, customers build brand loyalty with the local chinatown grocery stores, which incidentally are dessipating in numbers. The stampe itself takes inspiration with caligraphy pads from the 90's as well traditional stamps from chinese culture. the stamp is 3D printed, bringing about another dimention of sustainability, making it lasting for long term use.

Understanding the process

It was important for the team to undertand our users and how they would intereact with the product. We looked at how consumers in the area shopped for groceries and how this product would go about helping them and making their tasks easier and their experience better. It was also important to understand the stakeholders in the whole process: merchants, Hua foundation, consumers, etc.