Taste of Spring is a set of red envelopes designed for the Lunar New Year occasion and inspired by the traditional foods to celebrate the holiday in Southern Vietnam.
Course
Visual Communication I
Scope
Illustration, Packaging Design
Year
2021
Taste of Spring was a project created for his Visual Communication I class assignment. He was tasked to develop a set of graphics following a festival theme and apply them to different designs. The objective was to explore the cultural context behind the dishes and convey the holiday vibe through these recipes’ imagery and cultural values.
Visualisation
The illustrations take on a minimal approach using line art to create a modern look. The dynamic composition and vibrant colour palette visualise a cheerful and festive appearance. Each envelope features an illustration of one of the five dishes: Braised Pork with Eggs, Pickled Scallion Heads, Sticky Rice, Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup and Chilly Sauce.
Colour Palette
The colour palette was picked from the “Dong Ho” folk paintings, which were commonly used by the Vietnamese to decorate their houses in the past and were believed to bring good luck to the family.
Typography
The high contrast and whimsical characteristics of Ariom Sans convey the intended lively and cheerful mood and add levity to the overall design.
Braised Pork with Eggs is a must-have dish at mealtime for the Lunar New Year Festival in Southern Vietnam. The balance and complementary relationship between the square shape of the meat, which symbolises the earth, and the round shape of the egg, which embodies the sun represents the wish for fullness and a smooth sailing year ahead.
The bitter melon in Vietnamese is ‘khổ qua’, and the presence of the dish on the table shows how people use wordplay in choosing foods for the holiday. The word “khổ” means misery, and the word “qua” means passing away. Putting together, it conveys a hope that all the misfortune of the last year will pass away in the coming year.
The image of the banana wrapping leaves and the green colour of the cake represent the embrace of mother nature and blessing for an abundant crop, respectively, bringing full and happy lives for all. Additionally, it also shows respect towards the preceding generations.
The spicy and sour taste of scallion head pickled is complementary to the other main dishes in the meal. The pickled scallion head’s imagery symbolises wealth, fortune, and prosperity.
The red of chilli represents luck in Vietnam and Eastern culture in general. People generally love adding spice to the food with a bite of a red chilli or dipping the food into the chilly fish sauce.
