Redefining the beauty of imperfection is the intention behind Richard Kim’s certified vegan skincare line Hyeja, which extracts the benefits of traditional Korean ingredients through industry-leading technology to offer genderless, minimalist formulations premised on environmental care. Richard approached us to create a brand vocabulary that concurrently catered to the Korean and international markets, including website design and development and a dual-language typographic system.

To enable a seamless transition between local and international industry paradigms while speaking to the specifics of each, we created an identity concept anchored in simplicity, supported by a harmonious pairing of typefaces – Marist for English and Arvana for Hangul. Imbued with ample breathing space in line with Hyeja’s minimalist ethos, our website layout has a poetic quality that borrows from the visual language of print, supplemented with a highly functional menu system to offer a streamlined navigation experience while honouring the brand’s duality.

The architecture of the traditional Korean Hanok informs the grid-based linework that subtly structures the website. Views through its windows and doors informed the presentation of imagery, which fades in and out upon scrolling. Appearing essentialist at first encounter, the website’s design language evolves as it is engaged with, inviting exploration of the brand’s philosophy, practices and product properties. Each of the four offerings in Hyeja’s tightly-edited selection is given plenty of attention in a hover-state grid system that renders clear the brand’s story, staying true to its Korean heritage while speaking a universal language.