Traditional Japanese craftsmanship meets danish minimalistic no-nonsense design.
Hirata Gen Collection
Visual Identity, Brand Development
Established in 1963, Hirata Chair Manufacture is a furniture maker from Morodomi, Japan – a town famed for its furniture production. With roots in chair making, they have since expanded into other furniture, and now produce a wide range spanning from sofas to cabinets.
The Hirata Gen Collection is realised through a dedicated collaboration between the craftsmen of Hirata, Danish architect Lars Vejen and Japanese designer Taijiro Ishiko. The word Gen is in Danish singular for gene and in Japanese the word for origin.
In developing the visual identity for Hirata Gen Collection the challenge was to bring together the Gen narrative of two worlds emphasizing the essence of the collection. We created a logo with roots in Japanese caligraphy, combined with the strict and minimalistic approach of Scandinavia. The identity was then build around the color indigo, which has a prominent place in Japanese history and today is associated closely with artisan craftsmanship.
Visit the Hirata Gen Collection website.
Product renderings
As a nod to the traditional asesthetic concept wabi-sabi, we applied a monochromatic grain filter to the product renderings which gave them a much more unique – almost analogue – feel.
