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Vera Kim work About

Untitled, 2017

   

is a project that leveraged the celebrity as a brand persona to develop a distinctive brand identity

Team

2 Art Directors
(Hyunhwi Kim,
Jihye Jung)
1 Brand Designer

My Role

Identity Design
Package Design
Furniture Design
Graphics

Year

2018

contents

overview

Untitled, 2017 is a cafe of the famous K-pop celebrity G-Dragon located on Jeju Island. Overall, it was a project about translating his new-found identity as an artist into the brand identity. More than just a place to enjoy specialty coffee and buy coffee-related goods, Untitled, 2017 is a space expressing G-Dragon's unique and iconic tastes, art styles, and identity as an artist. Following the naming convention of the rest of his nameless art pieces, Untitled, 2017 was designed to follow the motifs of the rest of his painted works.

As a sole designer on this explorative project, I created the brand identity, coffee accessories package design and cafe furniture design.



Project Goal

Establishing a celebrity’s image as an artist, rather than just a K-pop singer, and incorporate this character into the brand

Design Process

project background

G-Dragon, a well-known K-pop star, is influential not only as a musician but also as a fashion icon. Through various exhibitions and articles, he is also recognized as a passionate collector and painter. In the planning phase of the brand, he wanted to create a space that was more than just for selling drinks but also expressed his diverse interests in culture and arts.

Instagram Analysis

He used Instagram as a platform to showcase these varied interests and hoped to actively refer to it in expressing his third identity, beyond being a musician and fashion icon. Through the analysis of his entire Instagram feed, I identified four key visual elements: abstract art, street scenes, daisy, and graffiti.

Brand Core Value

Based on several meetings and an analysis of his Instagram, we selected five key words that represent G-dragon as an artist and incorporated them into brand's visual elements.

Visual Identity

Logo

I designed the logo to reflect his rough and rebellious identity, drawing inspiration from his interest in street art. The concept is inspired by the stencil techniques frequently used in street art, aiming to evoke a sense of rebellion and intensity. Additionally, I intentionally tilted the text to express an undefined character, further emphasizing the logo's dynamic nature.

Color Palette

Color plays a key role in this project. The color combination of red and black was deliberately used to perceive his passion and iconic confidence. Moreover, the usage of restricted color has united several individual elements.

Furniture and Package Design

DISPLAY SHELF

A display shelf for cafe merchandise was placed in the center of the area that was inspired by repetitive and collective elements in his painting works. A chunk of square-shaped racks has notably emphasized the characteristics of each displayed item which led people to choose one-and-only item for themselves.

FLOWER ROAD -
Gift Package

Since this was G-Dragon’s last project before joining the military, a limited edition package was dedicated to his fans. The package includes coffee beans, mugs, notebooks, and other stationery items. I designed the package as if it was a gift from around the world. By carefully selecting neon colors, it accomplished his wish that waiting for his return would be an enjoyable time for all of his fans.

Key Takeaways

Key Learnings

  • Expressing an individual's characteristics through branding

    Discovered and articulated a celebrity’s alternative persona, creating a consistent brand identity.

  • Overseeing Merchandise Production

    Learned the processes required for production after design, including material selection, printing, and supervising the manufacturing.Adapted flexibly to sudden demands, such as modifying or canceling ongoing projects, demonstrating agility and responsiveness.

  • Understanding and Managing Diverse Stakeholders

    Navigated the voices of various stakeholders, including the celebrity himself, his agency, and family members.

Results

  • The cafe's merch items (mugs, tumblers, coffee beans, etc.) sold out entirely on the first day of its opening.


  • The Flower Road gift package, released online in five countries, sold out within hours