SANSHO
Bridging the gap between East and West
Sansho is a homewares brand that brings traditional Japanese design to the UK. After travelling all over Japan, its founder was surprised that no one was selling these beautiful, handmade objects at home. He set up Sansho – which translates as ‘the three pines’ – as an online outlet for all the makers and artisans he met. On a small scale, Sansho’s mission is to preserve craft and tradition in Japan. We were asked to identify, position and build the brand.
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Brand strategy • Visual identity • Digital guidance • Literature design • Photography
We helped turn a business idea into a brand idea. At the heart of this was the concept of real products made by real people. We wanted to bring the products to life by turning the making process into a story, showing the craft and ethos behind each piece.
As well as highlighting where Sansho products come from, we needed to show how they could fit into everyday life. We designed an identity that captured the brand’s personality and combines traditional and modern elements.
Sansho brought a selection of products into the studio, where we looked at videos and photos of them being made. We also looked over business plans and pricing structure. Through our research and conversations with the founder, we were able to identify the brand’s target audience. Once we established who would buy the products and why, we researched what else they were interested in order to create brand communication that would resonate.
We developed a set of elements to help the brand communicate consistently across all output. The logotype was drawn by a Japanese calligrapher, the colour palette was inspired by the products themselves, and we used a variety of image styles to perform a range of functions. Images represent the products for e-commerce and literature, reveal the craftsmanship and help reinforce the purpose behind the brand.
We helped to build an authentic brand and establish a direct relationship with its niche customer base. As Sansho products are only available online, the identity, imagery and assets had to express their character and quality. This meant offering a compelling idea of Japanese design with unique products that are meant to be used day-to-day. With our help, Sansho embodied its brand values of simplicity and functionality in a digital experience.
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