Stonker appeal

Stonker is a world-class kiteboard manufacturer based in Melbourne, Australia.

My objective was to create a distinctive board and merchandise range for sale in Japan. The project involved market and design research, ideas generation, identity development, visual conception and the creation of distinctive graphics.

Made for stonking

The Stonker logo is based on the Japanese Hanko – an official family stamp that is used as a signature for approving documents. I wanted an iconic emblem that would be immediately distinguishable to the Japanese consumer while retaining a Western attitude.

The elements

Japanese artistic elements in paintings to represent natural elements such as wind and water were utilised to create a graphic library that could then be combined in different ways allowing for a rapid concept prototyping. Although I drew on these traditional Japanese graphic concepts, the final graphics were produced using my own illustration style to create an East-meets-West aesthetic.

For example, the waves in the above sketches are based on archetypical Japanese Ukiyo-e art prints depicting wild seas. The most famous is attributed to Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa from his 36 Views of Mount Fuji series.

The board meeting

The board printing process restricted the palette to two colours. Instead of this restriction limiting the creative process, it became the basis for the series.

In ancient Japan, colours played a significant role in defining the class of a citizen. The samurai clans were noted for their omnipotent colours. Subsequently, I chose three samurai clan colours to design the board series: Kokihi (Red); Tokusairo (Green); and Ruriiro (Blue).

Wearable style

The illustrated and extensive graphic library provided the flexibility to create numerous t-shirt designs, and the range reinforces the board series.