Ikigai is a personal project, which I am trying to express emotions through objects by their shapes and colors. One of my favorite thing about design is the idea of putting thoughts and meanings in it, and I think this is the perfect project for this exercise.
Keeping the bathroom clean and minimum is a universal challenge, and toothbrush, toothpaste, and a cup are the most important things for this space. I think good design should be able to influence space and people’s behavior. I try to redesign a toothbrush that is an interactive piece and can bring good meanings as well as smiles to the users every morning.
For the mood board, I am heavily inspired by modern interior designs and also products with a very minimal approach. I like the texture of bamboo and the color gradience on products and packaging. It gives you very relax and natural feelings.
This toothbrush is designed to fit a modern and minimalistic urban lifestyle. It is ready to go, and rest like a contemporary sculpture when you are not using it. Since I realized this is a project more about Aesthetics, Colors, and Materials. Therefore, I decided to leave tech in the grey area, and focus more on what an object truly feels and means to a consumer.
The idea starts with branding. I decided to tell a story around life and balance, so I used the name Ikigai for the branding and designed a logo around it.
Roly-poly toys are the best way to express the idea of balance. So I started my ideation from there…
The idea is to create a language that can express the feeling of getting pulled down by gravity. I want to use that to highlight the idea of the balance of life. Therefore, that way it connects with the branding perfectly.
Ikigai is packaged in a recyclable paper cylinder tube with a transparent display window in the front. The color is inspired by bamboo. And since the color inside and outside of the packaging are the same, It creates an illusion of a floating toothbrush inside the package.
I love packaging designs and I also appreciate the experience of unboxing. For this design, I want to create a fun experience. So for the interaction, I decided to use pull as an action, and the paper material can cause the smooth pulling effect.
Bamboo has a unique personality. The overlay, color changes, and soft shadows are the inspiration for the final delivery. My favorite touch is when you pull out the package and the green creates a similar look as bamboos.
The product is made of three parts, head, neck, and body. They are detachable from each other.
The material is a special Anodized Aluminum with a brushed texture and a beautiful green finish. The neck of the toothbrush is thin and light. And the bottom is made of a solid piece of aluminum to create the balance I am looking for.
Foams are created by the function. This toothbrush took the minimum approach, it breaks down to the most basic functionalities.
It is quite fascinating when you are absorbing a moving object. This reminds me of a scene from the movie Amelie. “the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth.”
There are also three colors and material finishes, supreme red, matte black, and snow white.
With the experience working in the sports fashion industry, hype and collaboration are the most trending topic. So I decided to create a SUPREME collab colorway, just cause…
it is supreme life, baby!
Some concepts including wireless charging and application interface.
