Taking inspiration from the country of Laos, Wan crafts artisan candy bars with flavors like Markut Lime and Lemongrass and Crispy Rice and Palm Sugar. The figure on the packaging is Sang Sinxay, the main hero of a famous Lao epic poem. Elements inspired by Lao textiles and architecture help shape the wordmark, illustration, and product photography.
PROCESS WORK
RESEARCH
Laos is a predominantly Buddhist country with beautiful traditions, lush vegetation, and historical architecture. I researched the country’s history, food, culture, environment, and visual themes.
SKETCHES
In the sketching stage, the brand had two potential names: “Wan,” meaning “sweets,” and “Kanom,” meaning “candy.” Incuded are depictions of Naga (mythical Lao water serpents), giants from Lao mythology, traditional cookware like sticky rice steamers and mortars and pestles, and ceremonial items.
TIGHT ROUGHS
I moved forward with the ideas picturing Sang Singxay and the Naga. In this stage, I digitized my sketches and created two color variants and potential wordmarks. I roughly placed elements like the nutrition facts and ingredients. At this stage, the package was still a box.
ILLUSTRATION
This method of illustration used multiple layers of tracing paper that are scanned in and converted to bitmaps. Each image is brought into InDesign and is aligned using registration marks. The images are then recolored using spot colors and mixed inks for quick experimentation and a cohesive color palette.
The final illustration with three variants for different flavors. The colors reference traditional Lao color palettes. I showed Sang Sinxay in three skintones: the paler one is how he’s usually depicted, the darker one to represent the population of Laos with darker skin, and blue as a reference to the giants in Lao mythology. The colors of his clothes are inspired by traditional Lao garments.
PACKAGING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Instead of a box, I chose to create a band around a bar of chocolate wrapped in gold. Gold is significant in Lao culture as a symbol of prosperity and spiritual purity. Gold threads are woven in traditional textiles, and you can find gold adorning temples, altars, and jewelry.
The background is lokta paper, which is similar in texture to Lao sa paper made from bark. The props are bird’s eye chilis and makrut lime leaves.
