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Etto-Kitchen Cooking Service Business Card

Fumiko Okazeri designed these business cards for Etto-kitchen, an on-site cooking service based in Tokyo and Hiroshima Prefecture, by visiting users’ homes to prepare meals in advance.

The word etto means “more, a lot” in the Hiroshima dialect, and the mission of Etto-kitchen is to make home cooking more enjoyable while also bringing joy to many dining tables.

The lovely business card design has a natural vibe, with adorable hand-drawn illustrations and a hand-lettered logo, which are all accommodated well within its vertical layout.

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Unique Hand-Drawn Logo & Illustrations

“Mariko, the brand owner, is from Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. One of her business goals is to promote her hometown, and she wanted to incorporate the scenery of Hiroshima’s Seto Inland Sea into the design of her business card,” Fumiko said.

From there, Fumiko created a visual image for the business card that’s a well-balanced blend of three elements:

  • the motifs of ‘sea’, ‘island’, ‘wind’, and ‘lemon’, all of which are associated with the Seto Inland Sea;
  • the nostalgic cuisine of the client’s hometown that she has cultivated in the area;
  • the business owner’s very own natural and gentle image.

Instead of a circular shape, the logo shows one side that protrudes irregularly to create visual interest and uniqueness. Explaining the inspiration behind it, Fumiko said,

“The logo design visualises steam and expresses it as an emblem. I wanted the logomark to express a heart-warming sense, so I chose the steam motif as a symbol of the warmth of the dining table and the people who sit around it.”

“One part of the logotype (‘etto-‘) that’s written in cursive form, also expresses steam. Combined with the pot illustration, it conveys the scene of cooking and the sense of temperature.”

From the logomark/logotype to the illustrations, all of these elements revolve around cooking, and they’ve succeeded in establishing an unwavering brand image for Etto-kichen!

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A Special Handwritten Typography

Fumiko custom-designed the logotype specifically for her client, and the two handwritten fonts each have their own distinct style. Just as Fumiko puts it, one can easily appreciate the combination of these two typefaces!

“The brand statement section uses a Japanese typeface called Tenmincho. It’s a dynamic, handwritten font inspired by cute small animals.”

“Overall, the handwritten letters help to show the warmth, gentle cooking, and personality of the brand owner,” Fumiko added.

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Seto Inland Sea Inspired the Brand Colours for Etto-Kitchen

The colour palette is derived from the Hiroshima Prefecture PR element, which is another project in conjunction with its on-site cooking service. There’s a certain colour palette that’s usually used when expressing the Seto Inland Sea.

“The Seto Inland Sea is often expressed with multiple colours of green and blue mixed together. Plus, the yellow colour is inspired by lemons, which are a specialty of the area as well.”

“It can be said that this colour scheme expresses the refreshing atmosphere of the Seto Inland Sea, and is full of the identity of people from Hiroshima.”

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Printing of Etto-Kitchen’s Business Cards

These business cards were digitally printed due to the client’s budget and the number of copies to be printed. According to Fumiko, she chose the paper stock with the highest priority given to its simple and gentle touch.

“The paper used preserves the colour without losing its soft texture and enables natural and elegant printing expression.”

“As a result, the business card has a natural and soft finish that looks as if it was actually drawn on a sketchbook with watercolours or coloured pencils, and I believe that it is a tool that expresses what it should be like as an etto-kitchen.”

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Designed by Fumiko Okazeri at Fodesign

For Etto-kitchen

Jennifer Wong
Jennifer Wong
Articles: 1514

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