Project Notes: Maples Niseko Brand Strategy and Identity Design

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(Notes on) Selected Works 2009—2024 › The Maples Niseko

Brand Strategy + Identiy Design

The Maples Niseko

How do you position a ski-in ski-out property as a year-round destination?

Located in Hokkaido Japan, Niseko is a popular ski destination for a mix of international and domestic travellers who flock to the town for a ski season that stretches from November to May.

The Maples Niseko is nestled on a choice site in the popular Hirafu area where the residence opens up on one side directly to the powder skip slopes while the reception lobby lines the lively main street of Hirafu-zaka. The development was named after the many Maple trees that dot the surrounding landscape.  

We worked with strategic partner Saltus Consulting to create the brand positioning for The Maples Niseko. This ultimately provided a clear roadmap from which a wide spectrum of design outcomes were developed.

Brandmark

The Maples Niseko is located in the Hirafu area where the landscape is dominated by Mount Annupuri and Mount Yotei. Two equilateral triangles representing the famous peaks come together to form the brandmark — letter ‘M’.

Visual Rules

We often rely on simple visual rules to determine proportional relationships. Here, we use The Maples Niseko logotype as a constant factor. The only change in size of the brandmark is for application on long horizontal spaces. There are three main logo lockups found in the brand playbook.

Graphic Textures

Design elements created from a visual play of lines and dots coming together. These elements are numbered and filed into the brand toolbox, ready to be used by future designers

The use of graphic textures was kept really straightforward except for some logical reminders.

Design Application

The satisfaction of any creative process is seeing the design system come together cohesively in a multitude of use cases.

Editorial Design

Editorial design for The Maples Niseko came in the form of a sales pack containing three parts: a) floorplans catalogue, b) architect’s impressions and c) a photo journal containing short stories of life in Niseko through the eyes of four protaganists.

Design detail from the floorplans catalogue, showing a strict discipline expected of proper editorial design.

We worked with photographer Rebecca Toh for the stories. The time frame for the project meant that we were faced with the challenge of not being able to photograph Niseko in its peak ski season that it’s famous for. At the same time we were also conscious not to represent Niseko as a winter only destination. Some of the most exciting activities that can be done here are year-round. Catching the tail end of the skiing season allowed us to capture Niseko sights that are less often seen, since much of the snow action could be provided by Niseko Photography. The online journal, A Niseko Life could be viewed here.

Client: Keimin Investments Pte. Ltd.
Creative Director: Kai Yeo
Designer: Anthony Lew
Project Coordinator: Shannon Wee
Strategic Partner: Saltus Consulting
Photography: Rebecca Toh + Niseko Photography & Guiding

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Byline—Bureau is the official website of Bureau Private Limited. Headquartered in Singapore, our work includes, but is not limited to: Brand Identity Design, Packaging Design, Editorial Design, Exhibition and Event Space Design and Strategic Planning. Sometimes we take walks in the jungle to ponder words that rhyme with “orange”.

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