UTARI CENTER

CORPORATE IDENTITY

Graphic Design / Brand Development / Typography

The word UTARI means comrade or people in the Ainu language. For the Ainu—the original indigenous people of Hokkaido—nothing is more essential than harmonizing and coexisting with the natural world. This spiritual sensibility was a perfect launching point to develop a brand for a new cultural events center in Sapporo, Japan.

The visual design approach worked to incorporate variations of traditional Ainu art and culture into the brand identity. It is in keeping with the integrated, environmentally friendly approach to the new event center project’s architecture and engineering.

Greatly influenced by Ainu textile patterns, the final identity design features a graphic abstraction of the Moreu. An important protective symbol of strength for the Ainu people.