Chopsticks Packaging Development

For my japanese restaurant, I thought it would be nice to create the packaging for some chopsticks, which also contains information on the proper japanese etiquette related to their use. 

As inspiration, I looked up some packaging styles, and they all have a similar format, a simple rectangular shape with a triangular cut out for easy access to the sticks. 

I found this packaging really interesting, as it contains very little text but still communicates information about the use. The illustrations work very well, but I don't like how clinical the packaging feels in terms of colour. I also feel like so much use of image won't fit well with my designs so far. 

The chopstick design of these two brands is also a good inspiration, and I really like the design for the Sushi and Sake packaging. The design is really simple, but works really well with the branding, and the typeface used is really classic, and works well with the muted red. The overall design appeals to the same target audience I'm trying to appeal to.  

With that in mind, I did want to use the packaging as a guide, and so I needed to work on an illustration showing the correct positioning of the sticks in the hand. 

I found the image of a really useful sight based on japanese food, and it also helped me source the information I wanted to yse. 

I then traced the hand with the pen tool on illustrator, and I think, with my minimal illustrator skills, it has actually come out quite well, and actually looks like what it is meant to. On a smaller scale I also still think it will work. 

I then had to measure out the package, which was about 21cm in height, which is the average size of chopsticks in Japan, and approx 3cm in width, so that it is large enough to fit the chopsticks in, but still tight enough so they stay put.

I wanted to use red and black, as I think on a smaller scale it will be more readable and still work aesthetically as well. 

The front of the packaging I wanted to keep quite simple, and similar in style to the Sushi and Sake packaging, and I think the use of the translations will work well as it is semi-educational by offering translations, and I think the typefaces used also make it work well as a design element. 

I used Mensch for the smaller, instructional text as it was more in keeping with the modern Japanese style, and it was far more readable in smaller print than league gothic.

Overall I am very happy with this design and feel it will work well printed out, especially on sugar paper, which will mute the colour of the red slightly, and make it feel a little more sophisticated.