Kiinalainen Kauppa
Helsinki, Finland
2021

From noodles to doodles. Fresh new window design for the friendliest shop in the hood.

Before

Kiinalainen Kauppa EZ-Fresh is a grocery shop in the heart of Kallio-Sörnäinen, in Helsinki, Finland. This historically working class neighborhood is in one of the busiest and most colorful parts of town, which has been undergoing a major gentrification process over the last few years. Unlike other grocery shops of its kind in Helsinki, EZ Fresh is small, intricate, and cozy. Being there feels like traveling to a convenient shop in a major city in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. Moreover, the shop owner, Jian-Cheng, is very friendly and affable; ever quick for a conversation about the most current world affairs. After becoming his regular customers, we proposed to revitalize the shop’s window, which had been neglected for several years.

Process

It was necessary to remove the previous visuals displayed on the front window and develop new graphics, colors, and fonts. The new proposal was inspired by a series of very neat hand-made drawings made by his own family, which can be found around the store advertising certain products. In constant communication with the shop owner, the Super Eclectic team drafted a new series of drawings from a selection of products, including noodles, veggies, soy sauce, and many more. These graphics were subsequently diversified, amplified, printed on adhesive vinyl, and displayed on the front window.

Results

EZ Fresh has now a new and versatile visual identity that embraces the multifaceted spirit of the shop, making it more friendly, dynamic, and inclusive. We also set up a practical system with posters to advertise different products, as well as a digital template to print announcements. In addition, the lighting in the store was replaced and improved with energy-efficient lights.
Super Eclectic would like to thank Laurens Haas for his work in the project, and Nordisk Kulturfond’s Globus Opstart for the support.

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