Elwing Gao 









Work

Little Library

About



USE FOR
2025 / VISUAL IDENTITY, BRANDING, PACKAGING




Speculative packaging for a product line of “WeChat Remedies,” or Chinese superstitions for preventing sickness. Each giftable package transforms the care behind absurd advice into a tactile experience that unboxes a shared cultural secret.

By juxtaposing vibrant vortexes of illustrations with awkward translations, I created a packaging system that parodies cultural skepticism while reimagining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ideas of creating healing power and legitimacy through unsterile and intricately maximalist design. 

The Collection:
  • The Hair Towel: “Never sleep with wet hair.”
  • The Slippers: “Always keep your feet warm.”
  • The Thermos: “Hot water solves everything.”

Deliverables: Three custom boxes, each with an object wrapped in patterned tissue paper, an illustrated instruction card, and a funky seal.
COLLABORATOR: L.ily Nguyen















THE PROCESS

I began by deconstructing the visual vernacular of TCM—its textural depth, dense layouts, and protective seals—then evolved the design with more contemporary interpretations of vitality using dynamic vortexes and high saturation colors reflective of a digital generation, while using hand-drawn illustrations to maintain tradition and as a vehicle for parody.







FOR U(SE)