ANAS CHAO

Client_Bean Friends Forever

Content_Corporate identity, brand & application guide, business card, packaging

Year_2021

Concept_Complete branding project for Bean Friends Forever (hence the initials BFF), an online coffee bean pairing and subscription service.

Naming was provided by client, and a research was done to help client further understand the brand’s position and potentials. The overall visual tone was meant to be fun and engaging along with light-hearted copywriting, without using flashy colors or over-the-top visuals to maintain a sense of trustworthiness.

The logomark is styled after the brand name’s initial alphabets, and the wordmark has a rounded look, paired with the Chinese characters that evoke an image of friends walking together. The logomark can be disassembled into patterns and graphic assets that are elegantly cute and friendly. The project included VIS design, brand guide and packaging design.

Client_Ouchelun Films, Tizzy Bac (B’in Music)

Content_Music video opening title design direction, insert card design

Year_2020

Concept_Opening title design direction and insert card design for Tizzy Bac’s The Light-Year Passenger music video.

The track is about the loneliness that one is willing to endure and sacrifice for the sake of love, in all kinds of relationships. It’s may be vague and dull, yet the feeling lingers on within, hence the title starts off as solid blocks of characters, and progresses as stretched characters, with both ends still solid but the center part becomes blurry, also corresponding with the actors’ movements in the video.

Insert cards showed quotes by the band members, a serif Chinese typeface was selected and horizontally stretched out, creating a calm look that is sad and soothing at the same time.

VFX by Hsiao Han Tseng.

Client_Ricor

Content_Title design, layout design

Year_2020

Concept_A book on Ricor’s recollection of his times with True Wang (Chen Lin Wang) through his photography, hence the name True Times.

True has a fun and outgoing character, yet has an elegant sense in her poise and thoughts. The title design is based off of these personal traits, making playful takes on a classical serif typeface.

Front and back covers use gold foil stamped on blue canvas. Minimal design has been made inside the book to allow the pictures speak for themselves, except adjusting photographs’ order to create an easier flow with different orientations.

All images courtesy of Ricor

Client_Ouchelun Films, Cosmospeople (B’in Music)

Content_Music video end title, credit roll, subtitle

Year_2019

Concept_Various title design for Cosmospeople’s YOUNIVERSE music video. Track title made with hollowed character strokes, paired with elegant English typeface, matching the track’s sense of losing hope in everything, yet finding a trace of belonging in that special someone. Credit roll designed to showcase a touch of floating in the cosmic dark space.

Client_venue

Content_Visual identity, poster

Year_2019

Concept_VROOM VROOM, a joint photography exhibition by Crystal Pan and Green Yang. The exhibition focuses on both photographers’ journey thus far, in terms of creative and personal journeys, hence the name which mimics the sound of speeding engines.

Though they were exhibiting under one theme, Crystal and Green had quite different styles, the design of exhibition’s visual identity attempts tp blend both styles into one—Crystal’s soft, often dreamy pastel palette, and Green’s dark yet energetic contrasts with neon.

The wordmark is applied for poster design, social media banners, and used by organizer for exhibition collaterals such as flyers and billboards.

Client_Eagle Pacific Technology Corporation

Content_Corporate identity, application guide, business card, envelopes presentation templates

Year_2018

Concept_EPTC is a Taiwanese company that serves as an agent for several transmission box brands from abroad, services range from sales to maintenance, with clients ranging from transporation companies to the defence sector.

The client has been in business for decades, and has asked for a rebranding with the same name. Logo takes inspiration from the transmission box with simplified shapes, symbolizing gears of various sizes.

The rebranded identity has garnered positive feedbacks from client’s local Taiwanese counterparts and international partners, as the simple and direct look of the identity allows the audience to easily relate the brand to their business.

Client_Jung Ju Huang MD

Content_Logo, business card

Year_2017

Concept_Jung Ju Huang is a renowned surgeon in Taiwan, specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery. She approached with a request to design a logo and business card, so patients can easily identify her, and better help build her personal brand in a competitive environment.

The client’s initials are used in the logo, shaped in simple and straight forward forms, with pointy edges to highlight the client’s occupation and specialty.

Color is also kept very low key with a warm tone, as the client’s role is to assist her patients to walk through the road of recovery.

Besides the business card, the logo has been used in presentations during client’s participations in seminars and lectures worldwide.

Client_Wanjin Studio

Content_Paper photo frame

Year_2017

Concept_Wanjin studio is a photography studio in Taipei, Taiwan. Since its opening in late 2016, the studio's unique vintage setting with meticulous details of the restored building has become the talk of the photography circle in Taiwan, not to mention its popularity on social media check-ins.

The client commissioned a paper frame to be used as a cover for its portrait service, hoping to bring back former glory of photography studios, and to celebrate actual printed matter in this digital age.

The design is drawn up after countless researches on vintage photo frames and pattern design, elements associated with Wanjin Studio has been incorporated into the design. To accomplish the studio's interior setting, only embossing and gold foil stamping techniques are used. The end result has generated interest on social media, hopefully attracting more people to walk in during special moments, for actual printed portraits instead of cellphone selfies.

All images courtesy of Wanjin Studio

Client_The PlayGrounD

Content_Visual identity, poster, invitation, exhibition graphics

Year_2017

Concept_The PlayGrounD has been promoting picture books in Taiwan for quite a long time, believing that picture books are for people of all ages, and aesthetics is a lifelong pursuit.

With much anticipation, they organised and curated this rare exhibition themed around the making of picture books, along with a series of events, allowing the public to have a more intimate interaction with picture books.

The design had two neon colors as the exhibitions main focal point, reflecting picture books' fun and lively side, and the customised typeface invokes a sense of playfulness in a rather serious font, the same way a picture book can be read by both children and adults.

The exhibition and the following events had a great turnout, while creating a buzz within the illustration and publishing community. A booklet about the exhibition was published as well, leaving a permanent mark for a memorable exhibition.

Client_Initial Solar

Content_Naming, corporate identity, application guide, business card, envelope

Year_2016

Concept_FLH is a Taiwanese smart home system agent and developer, in 2016 they've branched into the solar energy market with the introduction of Initial Solar.

Solar energy is still in its developing stage in Taiwan, but Initial Solar is ambitious as one of the early birds in the industry, gradually setting its foot in the local market and evolving into one of the main players.

Client had a Chinese name in mind, but needed an English one for its international market, yet asked for the identity to be relatable to the Chinese-speaking customers, as China remains one of its largest foreign target markets.

The identity plays with Chinese alphabets, which is rarely used as alphabets are used to help pronunciation only, once past the learning stage they're not used in the written form; the Chinese name's first alphabets are used to shape the logo mark, which also resembles the solar panel. Both Chinese and English word marks have rounded edges to tone down its aggressiveness, as client hopes its origin of "home" related products still be represented with the new brand.

Client_East Center for Transportation Research & Development

Content_Logo

Year_2016

Concept_East Center for Transportation Research & Development (ECTRD) is a research center in Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan. It works closely with the Hualien county government to develop transportation solutions to the Eastern region, which is often isolated due to its geographical conditions.

The aim of this project was to come up with an easily identifiable logo that incorporated "東" (Chinese for "east") into the design. Hence using letters in client's acronym as elements to form the Chinese character. The resemblance of road sign icons and colour of earth emphasises the organisation's mission and hope.

Client_Big Data Center, SooChow University

Content_Logo

Year_2016

Concept_Big Data Center is a research center in Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan. The center is dedicated to analysing and utilising the collective information gathered through its work, aiming to assist the creation of a better environment for tomorrow.

The design resembles several aspects of the center, the boxy machines in data rooms, circuit boards inside the machines, and the clarity of digital information, all expressed through the center's acronym "BDSC", which stands for Big Data SooChow. The bright color is intended to create a more uplifting and lively impression of the digital world, as opposed to the usual dark and mysterious image.

Client_Yvonne & Victor

Content_Event identity, art direction, invitation, photo book, banners

Year_2016

Concept_Yvonne and Victor have dated each other for more than 12 years, when they commissioned their wedding design, they made it clear that they wanted something unusual with a touch of crazy, but it had to be done elegantly.

Most Taiwanese wedding invitations are in red and gold, with nothing more than a standardised copy of invitation and banquet information, and they all end up in the trash bin after the wedding, hence a lot of thought was put into not making it something that people would actually want to keep, and avoiding it being too funny or too formal.

Pink color is used to differentiate from the usual red, paired with illustration made of essentially just dots and lines, which can be seen on all wedding materials, making it the connecting element of the entire wedding. Illustrations, pink color, and a light touch of humour have kept all materials consistent.

Besides the invitation card, the commission included customised photo book, and materials used at the wedding venue, such as direction signs, seating chart, and welcome banners.

Client_Self-taught Gourmet

Content_Logo, business card, web layout

Year_2011, 2016

Concept_Liz, the sole writer behind the Self-taught Gourmet blog, first approached in 2011 for a logo and business card design, then in 2016 a redesign was carried out to meet the blog's growing popularity. Along the logo redesign, business card and website were all remade to match the sophisticated image possessed by this elegant blog.

It's now one of the very few food-related blogs in the Chinese world that has a customised design, providing a better experience for its readers, who browse through it for articles ranging from restaurant reviews to news in the gastronomy world.

The blog received Shopping Design's 2016 Taiwan Design BEST100 award for best arts and culture platform.

Client_Ricor

Content_Visual identity, poster design, postcard design

Year_2016

Concept_Ricor is a Taiwanese up-and-coming photographer, he held his solo photography exhibition — True Times, upon returning from his European trip. The handwritten title expresses the sense of freedom and adventure of embarking on a journey.

Main visual of the design is left to photography, which is the main focus of the event. with key exhibition information displayed in a logic and non-disturbing manner.

Client_CHARxCHEN

Content_Business card, exhibition catalogue

Year_2016

Concept_CHARxCHEN is an up-and-coming wearable handmade  accessories brand, known for its contemporary style with clean silhouettes and geometric shapes.

Client already had a logo designed before approaching for business card and catalogue design, which were to be used for upcoming trade fairs,  hence the commissioned designs were mainly based on the existing identity and guidelines, resulting in a clean, powerful yet elegant style, allowing them to stand out from hundreds of others at the same fair.

The brand has grown from a few products to having several lines made in various materials, and deals with customers from all over the world.

Client_BIOS Monthly

Content_Newspaper

Year_2015

Concept_A joint publication between BIOS Monthly and Home Hotel, BIOS News was launched exclusively for guests of Home Hotel, where they may find useful information about Taipei city, penned by the editorial team from BIOS Monthly.

The publication consisted of eight pages, ranging from articles introducing Taipei's noteworthy cafes and interviews with interesting people, as well as information on cultural hotspots. 

The design is kept in tone with BIOS Monthly's simple yet functional identity, creating a neat and eye-pleasing layout with soft colors, jumping out from the rest of free-of-charge publications found at most hotels.

Client_BIOS Monthly

Content_Corporate identity, business card, website development

Year_2010, 2016

Concept_First founded in 2010 as an online lifestyle magazine, BIOS Monthly has soon became the go-to arts and cultural website in the Chinese-speaking world, and now has over 120k followers on social media page. With such growth resulting in increased workload of various departments, the company has restructured itself in 2016, and made BIOS Monthly the mother brand's independent media outlet, focusing more on self-made contents and collaborated reports, while shifting all other works to newly established affiliates.

Since the original BIOS Monthly identity is the most recognised part of the brand, the redesign has kept key elements such as the "B" icon and name, while updating the brand with a new color and typeface, resulting in a refreshed look that's a unique presence in the ever-expanding online world.

The business card and website are both done in a similar visual style, making the brand easily recognisable whether they're online or offline. Website design is done by Chris Tuan, programming by ktrees design; the collaboration included website content and style development.

Client_BIOS GROUP

Content_Logo, business card, website layout, brand booklet

Year_2010, 2016

Concept_Founded in 2010 as an online lifestyle magazine titled BIOS Monthly, then in 2016, after years of growth with more than 100k followers on social media, the organisation was restructured into BIOS Group, with several affiliates: BIOS Monthly as an online media outlet, Talent as talent management agency, with Project responsible for sales of collaborated merchandises.

As the original design in 2010 was just for an online magazine, redesign focused on maintaining the BIOS identity, while differentiating each organisation's hierarchy and role. With BIOS Group being the mother brand that usually doesn't show up under spotlight, it's given a black color to maintain its neutrality, whereas the wordmark expresses a tone of authority, reflecting its role as the force behind all.

Client asked for CI redesign along with business card and website layout design, later added a  brand booklet design, to be used in trade exhibitions in China. Both printed materials are mainly white, with simple and subtle design, underlining the brand's low-key nature. The website is also done with a minimalist touch, acting as a hub to link out to its affiliates' independent websites, with a straight forward introduction of the group as the only content of the website.

The group is maintaining a steady growth with increased popularity in the industry, and now carries a client list that ranges from international airlines to world famous furniture chain.

Client_Ouchelun Films, Janice Yan (HIM Inc)

Content_Music video main title, subtitle

Year_2015

Concept_For Janice Yan's music video of Might As Well, handwritten characters are used as title and subtitle, with the elongated and shaky strokes, the design reflects the emotion conveyed in the lyrics, encouraging listeners that when facing relationships, it's okay to give up, to cry, to let go and just be who you are.

Client_Amal & Omar

Content_Wedding and Nikah invitation

Year_2015

Concept_Amal and Omar are Taiwanese Muslims coming from Middle Eastern background, they're both metalsmiths, and thought of having a wedding invitation that could express their background as well as themselves.

The wedding invitation graphics showcases their names in Arabic shapes as the main visual focus, with geometric shapes as decoration, along with Chinese text conveying auspicious messages in a humorous tone. 
As for the Nikah invitation (last two pictures), it's kept very simple with just their names in Arabic calligraphy as the sole graphic of invitation, with Chinese text on the back.

Both invitations are printed in gold, silver, and copper foil stamps on white card, the use of metallic and matte foils add a touch of detail to the design, and reflects the couple's occupation.

Client_Taiwan Flavor Symposium

Content_Visual identity, art direction, poster, invitation, handbook

Year_2014

Concept_A pioneer in the Asian gastronomy world, chef André Chiang of Restaurant André organised Taiwan Flavor Symposium in 2014, the first event themed around Taiwan's food culture of such scale.

Aimed at an international audience, the client has asked for the identity to be in English only. The design was set with a neutral tone, with lines around the event name representing "fill in the blanks" lines, as it's an event that's encouraging the audience to have dialogues with speakers, in hopes of finding the defining aspects of Taiwanese food.

Aside from the star-studded speaker lineup, the event was attended by a houseful of food enthusiasts, mostly through voluntary registration, and ended with high anticipation for the next event.

Client_Ouchelun Films, Ricky Xiao (Warner Music Taiwan)

Content_Music video main title

Year_2014

Concept_Main title design for Ricky Xiao's music video of Penny. Characters are presented in Chinese calligraphy with bold and streched strokes, symbolising the daily struggles of commoners, as mentioned in the lyrics and portrayed in the film.

Client_Ouchelun Films, hush! (Sony Music Taiwan)

Content_Music video intertitle, subtitle

Year_2013

Concept_Intertitle and subtitle design for hush!'s music video for Abnormal Signs. Strokes of Chinese characters are broken down then rearranged, and placed randomly across the subtitle line, as a reference to the song's title, Abnormal Signs.