JAPAN ADVENTURES HAPPY MEAL
Exploring Japanese Culture and Landscapes
BRIEF
The "Japan Adventures" Happy Meal was created to educate younger kids who do not live in Japan about Japanese culture, landscapes, and architecture. The process of creating this meal included researching Japanese culture and landscapes, prototyping the functionality of the containers, and designing graphics that would capture the beauty of Japan. The Happy Meal includes a Happy Meal box, a drink, fries, chicken nuggets, and a toy that children can assemble themselves. I wanted to challenge myself by using a new application, Procreate, for illustrations while still relying on Adobe Illustrator for my content design.
CHALLENGE
The idea of Japan came to me because I love admiring Japanese landscapes and hope to travel to Japan one day. Additionally, I was inspired by a McDonald's Sakura Meal, which directed my focus toward Japan. My ideal target audience would be children in America because it would enable another culture, in this case, American culture, to experience Japanese culture.
ROLE
Researcher, Visual Designer, Illustrator, Printer, Packaging Designer
TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator, Procreate
CLIENT
Class Project
HAPPY MEAL BOX
I wanted my Happy Meal Box to feature Japanese Cherry Blossoms, inspired by the Sakura McDonald's Meal. I used a Cherry Blossom tree branch to create a McDonald's smile on this box. In each of my containers throughout this project, I also included facts about the graphics being depicted.
6 PIECE CHICKEN MCNUGGETS
I adopted a minimalist approach to the graphics of the Tokyo skyline shown here. You can also find the QR code for the McDonald's mobile app underneath the box.
SMALL FRIES
The Chureito Pagoda is among the many sites in Japan famous for its view of Mt. Fuji. Adding the cherry blossoms was also a way to connect it back to the Happy Meal Box.
SMALL DRINK
In Japanese culture, koi fish are believed to bring goodness in various forms. You can see the fish and the McDonald's logo with water ripples, giving them movement.
TOY BOX - BUILD YOUR OWN KOINOBORI
In this toy, you would receive a sheet of paper with three windsock koi fish designs and three colored pencils for coloring your fish. After finishing the coloring, you would cut out the Koinobori, glue the fish together, and then create a hole to attach them to a straw to hold your new Koinoboris. The concept of Koinobori comes from Children's Day and is used to symbolize good health and prosperity to children in Japan.
RESEARCH
For my research, I initially learned about the Japanese Cherry Blossom Season, its timing, and why it was so popular. Secondly, I wanted to explore other popular landmarks in Japan and discovered the Chureito Pagoda. Additionally, I researched the original Sakura Meal, which was available only for a limited time during the Japanese Cherry Blossom Season.
SKETCHES
I created a rough draft of sketches in Procreate to brainstorm ideas. I ended up switching my concepts for both the nugget box and the drink container because I wasn't satisfied with how they looked. My color palette was centered around Japanese Cherry Blossom pink, Fuji mountain dark blue, and the light blue sky.
PROTOTYPING AND CONSTRUCTION
I used a piece of paper and my original Happy Meal containers to trace templates for my own containers. I didn't alter the layout of the original template because I liked its existing design and wanted to maintain the consistency of the true Happy Meal shape.
VIDEO PROCESSES
These are video timelapses of my illustrations in Procreate. I primarily used the round paintbrush tool to create a gradient effect in the background and the monoline brush to outline the shapes of my figures and buildings.
TEMPLATES
REFLECTION
This was, by far, one of the most exciting projects I've worked on due to my current interest in packaging design and creating products related to illustration and graphic design. One key takeaway I learned from this experience is that balance is crucial when it comes to both the graphics and content of a project. I sometimes found it challenging to maintain my focus on the content aspect rather than just the graphics. Another hurdle I faced was my dissatisfaction with how my graphics turned out after spending hours on them, resulting in having to redo the entire thing. Lastly, I could have managed my time better on this project because I didn't finish my milestones within the timeline I had set for myself. Overall, I enjoyed the process of creating my own Happy Meal and hope to apply what I've learned to my future career. One thing I would have changed is the style I used on my Happy Meal Box to make it more similar to the style of my Toy Box. Another change I would have made is in how I displayed my content, as it could have been better integrated with my illustrations, particularly in my drink and Happy Meal Box.
