Kirakucho 喜多酒造

An Internship Overseas - UX Design In Japanese For A Foreign Audience, Working Directly With A CEO, And Performing In A High-Expectations Field Recognized By The United Nations Organization UNESCO

PROTOTYPE VIDEO

My Roles

UX Designer
Envision, design, and prototype a new website to showcase Kirakucho's "first" and "second" sake
Product Designer
Adjust the product labels of these sake with an added qr code and updated descriptions
Project Manager
Work directly with the CEO, discuss my needs, and plan my own deadlines
"I chose you for this internship because no other student could handle the pressure and perform in such an environment"
Hamada-sensei, JCMU 4th Year Japanese Teacher
(Translated to English)

The Project

Deadline
End of Internship
Requirement
Make a new website for a foreign audience that stays minimalistic yet flashy in showcasing the "first" and "second" sake
Software Used
Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Office 365
Timeline Of Completion
4 Months From Initial Planning

The Early Process

Ryan Mahlmeister Portfolio

BRAINSTORMING WITH THE CEO

What kind of product can I deliver? What does Kirakucho want out of this project? What ideas did the CEO already have prior to this meeting? How can I use my expertise as a UX Designer to improve upon these ideas? This drawing, as with a well of ideas, was collaborated on and given to me at the end of our first meeting, and it was my job to come back with a more refined goal and project that would best suit Kirakucho's brand

MY PROPOSAL

A new website that would showcase Kirakucho's "first" and "second" sake through a bit of visual storytelling, Instagram integration with prizes for people utilizing #Kirakucho, and a new QR Coded label for our bottles that would take people to this new website
Ryan Mahlmeister Portfolio
Ryan Mahlmeister Portfolio

FIRST ITERATION

With the previous wireframe and approval from the CEO to test various designs out, I experimented with some new logo ideas and website layouts before ending up on this draft of the main landing page. It was a look that had a splash of Japanese aesthetic while being very minimalistic in UI elements 
"It's a bit sharp, make the visuals flow more and see what it's like with the current logo"
 Kita-shachou, Kirakucho's CEO
(Translated to English)

THE END RESULT

Utilizing all the feedback I received and paying close attention to those words, I worked tirelessly, utilizing my own free time outside of my internship to deliver upon my promises, as well as a product that truly displayed a vision. The end result was a page that can only be described as "smooth," staying true to my minimalistic UI pursuit, while also experimenting with modern UI animations and telling a story through motion upon first visiting the site. It was met with resounding praise 

FEEL FREE TO LOOK AROUND

Challenges

Language Barrier
Even though my Japanese language skill is at the business level, it's an extremely complex language, so it was still common to run into miscommunications or difficulty understanding the nuances of words when discussing design goals
DIY
I did not work directly under any experienced or senior UX Designer, so I learned and experimented with things completely of my own volition
Half & Half
My internship duties were comprised of both my UX Design work and being an actual Sake Brewer. As such, half of my limited internship time was not working on this project at all, which led to me spending countless hours of my own free time doing so

What I'd Do Differently

Time Investment
My work with Kirakucho actually went beyond my intended Internship end date for the sake of this project by my choice. In knowing now how much time this project demanded, I would have put in even more of my own personal hours to see it get done on time
The Mobile Version
From the beginning, my proposal only involved me completing the website version, with Kirakucho's website partner adapting it to mobile, but given the time I would have loved to tackle this on my own

The Impact

The art of Sake brewing is officially recognized by the United Nations organization, UNESCO, as a "Cultural Heritage of Humanity" - which is to say that it is a profound, rare art and business that is to be given the utmost respect. To be a foreigner working in this field is nearly unheard of. Yet, as one, and a UX Designer, I poured my heart and soul into Kirakucho knowing full well the expectations and generous opportunities given to me. Through my influence, unique experiences, and design, I helped open Kirakucho to a more international audience and way of thinking. In turn, I gained a plethora of UX Design knowledge, and invaluable cultural epiphanies that have diversified my mind, hardened my work ethic to the extreme, and improved my ability to function and adaptability to completely unknown environments. 

Not All Of My UX Work Was Listed Here! Check Out Kirakucho's Main Website Below To See More