Rita's Inn
Label Design | April-May 2025
My role
Label Designer
Tools
Figma & Procreate
Timeline & Stutus
1 Month, Complete
Overview
Team
Rita: Co-Owner
Yuka: Employee
Highlights
Informative, Intentional and International Design.
Process
How I Designed Labels for Japanese Guesthouse.
The Japanese guesthouse is situated in a remote town, about an hour from Fukuoka City and just a 4-6 minute walk from the train station. Despite its secluded location, it offers a prime setting with a great view and slow life. The small business thrives, supported by a vibrant community of both locals and tourists. For those seeking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, it's an ideal place to stay.
Problem
With more local and international tourists visiting, husband and wifi duo wished to update the signage information to make everyone feel comfortable staying at their guesthouse.
User Feedback & Key insights
A guest who was staying at the hotel was confused about how to wash dishes. She accidentally put dirty dishes under the sink.
"I thought for sure that was where I was supposed to put the dirty dishes! There's no label or anything, so I just accidentally left them there."
- Female guest
Other key feedbacks and observations from guests included following:
Guests neglected to clean their hair from the shower after use.
Guests left razors and disposable toothbrushes in the shower room.
The inn is cleaned only on Tuesdays, which is when the café is closed, or when most guests leave (on Sundays).
There was an increase in foreign visitors compared to last year.
Japan has a distinctly different waste management system.
Takeaways
It is important for guests to observe high standards of etiquette and clean up after themselves, especially when using shared items such as bins and bathrooms/rooms. Additionally, labels should be introduced to encourage accountability and proactively inform guests.
Vision
We hope to reduce confusion through label design, help guests clearly understand etiquette through label communication, and reduce unintended friction between guests and hosts and between local guests and international guests.
Before State
Without labels or instructions, both local and international guests are left to rely on their own discretion.
Brand Assessment
Since Rita's Inn already has an established brand, I wanted to integrate it into the design of the labels.
Moodboarding & research
I took several photos of how other guesthouses manage their waste management systems and to compare other label designs for international settings. I also researched different categories of waste systems in Japan (by region, it may change).
I've noted that all of the labels had illustrations or icons and segments of multiple languages. The most widely popular international language is English due to its international recognition. Mandarin (traditional simplified Chinese) and Korean followed after due to their proximity and long history that favours accessible trade and tourism.
Unique Illustrations
I've decided to introduce unique illustrations that also highlight some examples associated with the waste management system in Japan.
Final Design & feedback
The final design represents the priority of how guests will read the label.
English identification in the largest font, associating it prominently with smaller-font examples of what is considered burnable trash.
Below are the secondary fonts, which include Simplified Chinese and Korean (verified).
Lastly, the tertiary font is in Japanese. Bold font weight ensures that the design also prioritizes local tourists who may already be familiar with Japan's waste management system.
After finishing the design, I've sent it over to Rita's Inn and received positive feedback.
Reflection & Improvement
A unique situation requires a unique design. However, the label design process works similarly to any other design process.
It's important to accommodate international tourists without alienating local tourists in design.
For improvement, I would like to improve colour contrast by using green brand colour, as orange against a white background will not pass AAA accessibility.
This project is completed.
Please reach out if you'd like me to retrace my flight path.
