The USIO Design Project is an initiative that pairs designers with local business on Ishigaki Island in Japan’s southwestern Okinawa Prefecture. The idea is to harness the power of design by rebranding and redesigned the treasures that the island has to offer. The first phase of the project began with redesigned a series of products and souvenirs that were made on the island.
Ishigaki Island Pineapples. Designed by Graphika inc and available at the Yaeyama farmers market.
Brown Rice Milk. Designed by Atsushi Honda and available at the Yaeyama farmers market.
For centuries, Ishigaki Island has “been home to a unique local culture that stems from a blend of the Ryukyu, Japanese and Taiwanese cultures,” say the organizers. The USIO project, which derives its name from the word ushio (潮) meaning tide or sea water, was conceived as an invitation: a project that would invite people to the island like tides of the ocean.
It’s an amazing project that seems manageable only with the right kind of driving force (ie: not city bureaucrats). And that’s exactly what is making this project viable. It’s being run and managed by Loftwork, an unconventional company that leverages its online portfolio site of artists and designers create synergies between design and local industry.
Garden’s Herbal Tea. Designed by Tatsuro Hirano and available at Shiraho Nichiyoichi.
Four rather obscure herbs grown on the island were selected: Variegata, Guava, Kanbara and Minaga.
Another phase of the project included designing a new website, ISHIGAKI NOW, that helps prospective visitors plan their itinerary. For now it appears that all these lovely products are only available at local Ishigaki Island shops, rather than online, which makes sense given the objective is to bring people to the island
Mineya Masking Tape
Ryukyu Awamori Liquor Gekkou. Designed by HAM and available at Ishigaki Specialty Foods. The package describes the process of how a pack of Awamori liquor reaches its perfection during the lunar cycle of 30 days through the condensation of everything starting from sky to sea, sea to the island and the island to raw material
Ishigaki Salt. Designed by Idea N Design. Crystal lattices of salt were used for the motif. Since seawater salt is also a product from the sea, ‘the feel of sea’ and ‘the feel of seashore’ are part of the design concept..
