Yumiko An
The client, a Japanese tea ceremony instructor, had reached out to me to create a brand identity and website for her business.
YUMIKO AN
The approach
The client is a Japanese tea ceremony instructor in Columbus, OH, whose teaching business was starting to take off through word of mouth. At this point, she did not have a brand identity established. She wanted to take her business to the next level and reach a wider audience. I created a brand package for her which included a logo, business card, Instagram page and website.
The brand
In Japanese culture, the Enso circle is a Zen symbol that represents connection, the circle of life and letting go of the mind. Zen philosophy and Japanese tea ceremony are very much connected. Thus, the Enso symbol is important in Japanese tea ceremony. Conveniently, it also happens to look like a Japanese tea bowl when looking from above. The client has experience in calligraphy and hand brushed the Enso symbol that became her logo. I vectorized her brush stroke into an usable logo and chose a modern san serif font to accompany it.
Implementation
With the brand identity established, I created a website, Instagram account and business card. The client expressed not being very digital literate so I created her website through Weebly, a user friendly website builder. I also linked her Instagram with her website so that photos will automatically update on her website as she posts on Instagram. Her website can be accessed here.
Business card
With the digital space covered, I also created business cards. After all, the Japanese tea ceremony is a very social activity conducted in person. The client often performs at events, meeting new people and thus a business card is a great way for future students to keep in touch.
