Bingsu Playground (Concept)

Designer: Tracy J Lee
Project Type: Concept
Location: Chicago, USA
Packaging Contents: Iced snack

“빙수터” (Bingsuteo), which can be translated as bingsu playground is a fictional Korean café that sprouted from my love for patbingsu, a Korean ice dessert. To reflect the Korean culture and its historical roots, I drew inspiration from vintage photographs and traditional Korean architecture. The collages are made from the photographs that I took while I was in Korea, which I have manipulated through both traditional and digital methods. On these rustic textures, I incorporated clean, minimalistic aesthetic to add a hint of modernity to the brand.

The logo is in Korean Hangul, a custom typeface that I designed. The subtle flares on the type add playfulness that contrast with the overall calm and minimal design.

To add variety to the packaging design, I came up with main categories & flavors of bingsu, including rice cakes, fruits and indulgence snacks such as chocolate. Each packaging has a unique seal inspired by the traditional symbols in Korean architecture.

What’s Unique?
What is unique about the design is that it is a blend of western and asian aesthetics that is born out of my own experience as a Korean born designer working in the states. While researching for various packaging designs for food, I realized that it was rare to find a concept dedicated to popular Korean snacks. Hence, I decided to design one myself, with hopes of spreading the beauty that is within Korean culture & cuisine.