A corporate typeface design direction for Japanese startup giant
We partnered with Mercari's in-house creative team and Monotype's Akira Kobayashi to develop Mercari Sans – Mercari's new corporate typeface created to embody the organisation's brand values. Other deliverables for the project included a type specimen book and a website to introduce the typography design.
Mercari is a Japanese second-hand market platform that aspires to create a circular society where things are passed on to those who need them. Mercari has been working on a design language that symbolises the openness and trust it promises since its brand identity update in 2018.
In 2019, the company unveiled Mercari Sans – a custom corporate typeface designed to take the spirit of the brand even further. The typeface's trustworthy and friendly qualities allow a consistent design system, unifying languages and platforms while adding a touch of human warmth.
Mercari Sans provides a consistent cross-language messaging, working in harmony with Tazugane Gothic (by Monotype), the Japanese corporate font. The integrated font simplified the management of corporate design language, communicating the integrity and friendliness of the company and its services.
We created a website to showcase Mercari Sans, which included a concept video that highlighted some of the typeface's unique properties, a font tester for visitors to interact with the typeface, and a link to download the type specimen PDF.
Mercari Creative Lead (Yoshiko Miyakami, Gai Inoue, Jeongun Woo, Akiko Kurono, Sonoka Sagara)
, Taro Yumiba, Kinya TagawaAkira Kobayashi and Monotype Studio
Jeongun Woo, Akiko Kurono, Sonoka Sagara (Mercari)
Kenta Takahashi (monopo)
Michele Angeloro (monopo)
Misaki Nakano (monopo)
MELODYPUNCH
Sonoka Sagara (Mercari)
Jeongun Woo, Akiko Kurono (Mercari)