Icons as Wayfinding
Over fifty original icons for a Japanese-themed retail store in one of Auckland's busiest malls — wayfinding that feels like part of the brand, not bolted onto it.
- Client
- Japanese-themed retail store (via Context Architects)
- Year
- 2023
- Role
- Designer
- Deliverables
- 50+ original icons · Signage system · Brand-aligned wayfinding
The brief
A Japanese-themed retail store opening in a high-traffic Auckland mall wanted to do more than be “another two-dollar shop.” They needed iconography that worked as wayfinding and as brand atmosphere — clear enough to navigate by, distinctive enough to remember.
The work
I designed over 50 icons for the store’s wayfinding system. Each icon was drawn to feel rooted in Japanese visual sensibility — bold strokes, balanced compositions, restrained detail — while staying functionally clear at signage size. Together they make the act of navigation feel like part of the experience, not a substitute for the brand.
Outcome
The store reads as a curated destination rather than a quick stop. Customers find what they’re looking for; staff don’t spend their days pointing.
Skills & tools
Iconography, traditional + digital illustration, wayfinding strategy, Adobe Illustrator.
Gallery
