Elwing Gao 









Work

Little Library

About



USE FOR
2025 / PACKAGING, BRAND IDENTITY, MOTION
Class Project


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, then introduced more contemporary interpretations of vitality using dynamic vortexes and high saturation colors reflective of a digital generation, while using hand-drawn illustrations to as a vehicle for both tradition and parody.









FOR U(SE)