Momimomew~*

Music experience for Mewmimewmo~*

Project overview

To celebrate its 10th year anniversary, local artist entity Mewmimewmo~* is looking to create a new and exciting way for its users to engage with its rich and vibrant world of many original characters both digitally and physically at Tomo Arts Mrkt. They have some ideas but are still missing the key solution to this new experience.

The goal is to create a high-impact, pivotal artistic experience focused on intellectual/ conceptual experiences rather than just a physical merchandise.

Role: UX / BX / CX / Art Direction / Branding / Marketting / UI Design / Music Production

Timeline: 1.5 months

Problem : Whats a new exciting way for users to experience and engage with the richness and vibrance of mewmimewmo~*, a 10 year artist identity and creative brand featuring lots of original characters beyond what’s been done before?

INSERT PHOTO OF PHYSICAL EP

IMPACTS :

business
fans
future of the brand + core values

Review:

Process:

Initial research:

Exploration / Discovery :

Initial Ideas from mewmimewmo~* :

01 Flagship T-shirt :

anniversary exclusive tshirt with newest iconic mewmimewmo character graphics

pros: apparel products sell well, graphics is very on-brand
cons: user interaction limited to wearability / wearing the shirt as part of their wardrobe + sizing and budget constraints = can’t pivot enough and conceptual impact + experience is not enough + added financial overhead

02 Mascot Plushie :

A plushie featuring the most iconic cat faerie character of the mewmimewmo brand.

Pros: Cute and attractive as a merch product
Cons: Production is expensive, process takes too long, needs a lot of physical storage space, plushies are market saturated so sales are not guaranteed, users cannot experience the backstory of the character, user experience mainly physical and lacks a more intangible experience of mewmimewmo’s artistic expression

03 Retrospective Art Book

A book that features the works of the past 10 years of mewmimewmo~*

Pros: a high value item with a lot of sentimental value + effective for showcasing past works
Cons: Users cannot experience the present voice of mewmimewmo~* + Creator cannot showcase their current creative abilities + future potential + takes too long, high production cost + MOQ

Product vision

After reviewing the initial solutions, I conducted a brainstorming workshop from the stakeholder to define the key needs for the new experience :

Pivotal – a new direction with high brand impact, future scalability and creative value for mewmimewmo as a creative entity yet still fits the existing mewmimewmo framework

Creatively engaging – allows creator to explore and hone a new creative direction using their new skillsets, not something done before

Doable – fits budget, timeline and production constraints, as well as mewmimewmo creator’s creative pivots and abilities

High conceptual experience value – goes beyond “just a purchase” – something that is timeless and “intangible” with a high cultural experiential value for users

Omnichannel experience – Users can engage both digitally and physically.

User Research :

Who are the mewmimewmo~* fans?

Small indie art market goers, art market patrons, enjoy finding and supporting indie artists
Care about the individuality and individual aesthetics and personality in a creative work
Love going to unique indie local markets featuring diverse creatives and artists
Value physical art events vs just online purchasing, appreciate interactivity
Many are young professionals who are artists themselves
Millennial and gen-z. = heavy Instagram and tiktok, youtube social media users who care about the visual aesthetics and an artists identity
Large about DIY culture, Y2k, vintage analog media like digital cameras and burning CD playlists
Appreciate custom, home made artistic creations
Many are kpop, pop enjoyers = have habit of buying / collecting physical album CDs.

ADD : links to articles or videos about CD revival trend and “walkman days ” on instagram

research links showing CD revival / music : ( remove if copyright )

https://www.bustle.com/wellness/millennial-walk-tiktok-playlist

Final Solution

After extensive trial and error of conceptualization, research of tomo fans / mewmimewmo fans and interviews with mewmimewmo creator and owner, we arrived at a new solution :

Momimomew ~* Mewmimewmo Music EP

Before we arrived at the final product :

We did a mock launch on Aprils’ Fools to test the waters and tease the new product : Many businesses make a joke to engage with fans or test out new ideas, since Tomo Arts Mrkt is in early May, April 1st was a good time to test the waters on social media.

“Please tell me this isn’t just an April Fool’s joke! I want to see it happen.”– follower on instagram

The post created lots of excitement for mewmimewmo amongst users, and stakeholder was very excited to pivot with a new experience for mewmimewmo users. This cemented the new direction for mewmimewmo to pivot into conceptual work and music production work.

Formal Launch : ( use this layout or convert to mobil/ web screen )

Mewmimewmo fans: whats the demographic?

Small indie art market goers, art market patrons, enjoy finding and supporting indie artists
Care about the individuality and individual aesthetics and personality in a creative work
Love going to unique indie local markets featuring diverse creatives and artists
Value physical art events vs just online purchasing, appreciate interactivity
Many are young professionals who are artists themselves
Millennial and gen-z. = heavy Instagram and tiktok, youtube social media users who care about the visual aesthetics and an artists identity
Large about DIY culture, Y2k, vintage analog media like digital cameras and burning CD playlists
Appreciate custom, home made artistic creations
Many are kpop, pop enjoyers = have habit of buying / collecting physical album CDs.

ADD : links to articles or videos about CD revival trend and “walkman days ” on instagram

research links showing CD revival / music : ( remove if copyright )

Users: mewmimewmo appreciators, fans, followers and clients: ( b: after researching we found that….. using instagrams existing models for demographic data + in person market analysis from various markets / artist alleys )

Artist alley and small, indie artist market enjoyers and customers
Heavy daily use and consumption of social media such as Instagram, tiktok, youtube ( not facebook heavy. Tends to stay off fb )
Get their information primarily off social media / digital habitants
Appreciators of visual arts, artist alley culture but also HIGHLY VALUES self expression in creative ways – such as DIY, trinkets, thrifting, FASHION AND MUSIC
Age and demographic : millennials, gen-z , young professionals who have capacity to spend on aesthetically pleasing merchandise and artist creations.
Care about freedom of self expression, and using arts and fashion and music as a means of celebrating their individuality = values celebrating individuality creatively
Many are creatives themselves
Pop music enjoyers, many enjoy kpop, indie bands and viral Instagram music, aesthetic content
Animal and cat lovers
KEY : trend curious and seeks new ways to enjoy the arts.
KEY : keeps up with trends, is into DIY craft and fashion culture, vintage culture, thrift culture,
KEY: lots of digital interactions so they now also have a high nostalgia factor for “older” analog media like digital y2k cameras, stickers, trinkets, CDs, albums, tangible art and merchandise.
KEY: collection culture: users report a strong interest in collecting physical and tangible creative goods and merchandise.
KEY : music lovers who are curious about finding out new experimental indie music
gen z and millennials, some of whom grew up with Walkman trends or are social media users ( Instagram, tiktok ) who get their music online, multi-media art appreciators, people who are very interested in y2k, retro comeback trends
Drawn to aestheticality of an artists work
Tend to reject rigidity, minimalism and corporate aesthetics and opt for maximalism, trinketism, materialism
A desire for mindful, tactile experiences, a move away from mass-produced goods and focus on therapeutic benefits of engaging in physical creative outlets
A cultural re-appreciation of art and culture in mid-range, consumer friendly and creator-made, handmade tangible forms, such as handmade ceramics or learning to make ceramics, hand made beading,
Visual, musical culture driven, keeps up with pop culture
Grew up with analog things like CDs, DVDs, pocket digital cameras, pocket video games
Fashion savvy : like to invest in makeup, apparel and accessories to showcase their own personal style. Like to express through fashion and unqiue fashion pieces
Values slowing down in life and spending more time on pleasurable hobbies and activities.

https://www.bustle.com/wellness/millennial-walk-tiktok-playlist

Mewmimewmo users:
strong emphasis on a creative, aesthetic lifestyle that expresses their individual personalities
Artist alley and small, indie artist market enjoyers and customers
Heavy daily use and consumption of social media such as Instagram, tiktok, youtube ( not facebook heavy. Tends to stay off fb )
Get their information primarily off social media / digital habitants
Appreciators of visual arts, artist alley culture but also HIGHLY VALUES self expression in creative ways – such as DIY, trinkets, thrifting, FASHION AND MUSIC
Age and demographic : millennials, gen-z , young professionals who have capacity to spend on aesthetically pleasing merchandise and artist creations.
Care about freedom of self expression, and using arts and fashion and music as a means of celebrating their individuality = values celebrating individuality creatively
Many are creatives themselves
Pop music enjoyers, many enjoy kpop, indie bands and viral Instagram music, aesthetic content
Animal and cat lovers
KEY : trend curious and seeks new ways to enjoy the arts.
KEY : keeps up with trends, is into DIY craft and fashion culture, vintage culture, thrift culture,
KEY: lots of digital interactions so they now also have a high nostalgia factor for “older” analog media like digital y2k cameras, stickers, trinkets, CDs, albums, tangible art and merchandise.
KEY: collection culture: users report a strong interest in collecting physical and tangible creative goods and merchandise.
KEY : music lovers who are curious about finding out new experimental indie music
gen z and millennials, some of whom grew up with Walkman trends or are social media users ( Instagram, tiktok ) who get their music online, multi-media art appreciators, people who are very interested in y2k, retro comeback trends
Drawn to aestheticality of an artists work
Tend to reject rigidity, minimalism and corporate aesthetics and opt for maximalism, trinketism, materialism
A desire for mindful, tactile experiences, a move away from mass-produced goods and focus on therapeutic benefits of engaging in physical creative outlets
A cultural re-appreciation of art and culture in mid-range, consumer friendly and creator-made, handmade tangible forms, such as handmade ceramics or learning to make ceramics, hand made beading,
Visual, musical culture driven, keeps up with pop culture
Grew up with analog things like CDs, DVDs, pocket digital cameras, pocket video games
Fashion savvy : like to invest in makeup, apparel and accessories to showcase their own personal style. Like to express through fashion and unqiue fashion pieces
Values slowing down in life and spending more time on pleasurable hobbies and activities.

( life style as a key word )

No AI – people want to see and feel the person behind the art, not theft and anti-creation ( demographic going against AI trends ) // show the “no ai / real artist drawing trend )

The brand/ identity + creator considerations

Experimental
Mewmimewmo: 10 year IP with a diverse cast of original cat inspired characters, each with their own backstories and personalities
Celebrates individuality and uniqueness
Brand : has produced work from prints, handmade totes, ceramics, stickers, apparel, enamel pins , to stationery ( multi product categories not unlike urban outfitters )
Value creative expression as a media to celebrate authenticity, individuality and unique artistic vision
Looking to expand beyond current engagement of art as physical merchandise at markets only, and only sharing visual snapshots on current platforms
Looking to redirect to creating works that are driven first by an intangible concept, and then making physical goods or renditions, instead of focusing on a sellable physical product as first step = expand into works that capture artistic vision that is intangible and conceptual
Want a bolder, more loud and authentic , holistic identity and more experiemental creative process that can be experienced freely and accessibly
To bring more richness to the users experience with the brand identity and creative vision
Investment in goods that have a longer “shelf-life”, holds longer timeless value.
Higher intellectual, spiritual value vs just material value
Work still needs to have relatability with user demographic / fits into their life style and consumption habits /// stand out but still familiar
Work needs to evoke strong emotional value and experience // in ways only material consumption of ready made products have limitations in
Work needs to fit into the larger framework of mewmimewmo // but a brand new experience that enhances the user / CX and BX
Financial constrains : need consideration because of a smaller budget
Needs to be something that the brand creator is truly excited and passionate about !
* tried to rebrand online store but the brand creator is finding the experience lacking and users are not getting a higher level engagement, still engagement focused on purchasing experience only. Need an experience that goes beyond just consumption of a practical good like stickers, washi tape.
Proposed timeline is around 2-3 months – execution is 1 month for creator.
Brand creator wants to use this opportunity to expand their current visual repotoire. Like the project needs to be inspiring and contains a component of the creator getting a chance to develop a new skill for artistic expression. New and exciting for the creator.
End product needs to be accessible, have multiple payment options / a free option and a paid option. Low barrier to engaging with the brand but also has a paid option to support creator financially.
Creator considerations : new work needs to focus on experimentation, novelty, freshness, a way to authentically showcase mewmimewmo vision, concepts and fully embody the mewmimewo diversity.
Goes beyond just e-commerce or market purchases
Creator mentioned being passionate about music and is learning singing and song writing
Creator mentioned being drained by only creating cute character merchandise
Creator expressed being inspired by music producers and the potentials of music as a creative medium
Creator has a strong interest in pop music branding and visual identities, kpop branding, y2k Instagram aesthetics
Creator is also millennial / gen z interested in self expression and analog culture
Creator is into photography as well
Creator wants a bold, vibrant aesthetic for the new work
Creator wants the new work to show a new bold identity for mewmimewmo to commemorate mewmimewmo 10 year anniversary
Creator is also frequent user of Instagram, youtube
Creator also likes DIY culture, and small handmade batched creations
For mewmimewmo to continue to thrive In both digital platform and market
Looking for a new work to bring to local market “ tomo arts market “ ( express that you researched their audience too ) new work needs to be omnichannel
Can be produced before May 4^th
Aesthetic and concept branding needs to be consistent across all channels – unified experience for users
Marketing needs to be doable, low cost, accessible
New work enhances the storytelling of “mewmimewmo” but in a way that’s not too obvious
Adapt to emerging social media / analog / diy trends
New work identity : branding is direct, bold, and reflects the brand clearly and impactfully for users
New commemorative project need to be launched for TOMO arts. Production limits.
Seeing limitations of markets and online shops // + US imposed import tariffs

Tomo arts audience

Millienial, genz , young professionals
Instagram consumers
Alternative fashion appreciators
Reminiscing the old times through analog cameras, reviving y2k nostalgic tech like digital cameras, fashion trends,
DIY supremacy
Rejects AI and the motivations behind AI that steals from artists and impersonalize the artistic process
Medium budget for products
Like to explore new artistic creations by indie artists
Digitally savvy but also prioritize tactile products and experiences
Digital experience consumers
Trend savvy
Short attention span as market has a lot of indie artists and there is a crowd
Appreciates authentic creations that have a strong individual identity
Might rain that day

Market + Culture Research : looking for the perfect media pivot

With the data into the target user demographic, we proceeded to gather more market and content creation trends to define a design solution that hits the goals with maximum impact.

Key observations :

Revival of the Analog : Show example or quote about millennials, genz – being reinvested in analog cameras // sam and victor, polaroid shops, linh truong,
Need for Tactical Experiences : rise of ceramics, beauty is always , cross media artists like Garbo Zhu /
Value of Tactile Music Experiences : how gen z / millennials use walkmans to rejuvenate, distress ( the Walkman trend )

Vtubers and Cross media creators : new trends of self-expression digitally for creators that goes beyond one method of expression and blurs the digital and physical experiences

What if we made CDs?

Visual Identity :

More research:

To test to see if CDs would be a good choice? We asked if people still bought CDs.

Check 1 : youtube : do people still buy CDs?
Check 2: reddit : do people still value CDs?
Check 3: is it accessible to the creator to make CDs ? ( library – can omit )
Check 4: is it feasible to make CDs? Whats the upfront cost and can it pay for itself?
Check 5: does the CDs have the charm we are looking for ? youtube – people ( in the user demographic – expressing how they love making CDs with personal playlists … for friends etc )

Write everything u wana include and then – trim it for presenting ! for 1 min skimming online ( u can edit . )

The good news is that you don’t need to write essays for case studies. All it takes is around 500 words and some well-optimized visuals. You should never stretch your words because it’ll reflect poorly on your presentation skills.

Also, treat this number with flexibility: If the project at hand justifies it, feel free to go above or below that. Usually, when a case study is very long, it’s because the project itself was more complicated.

Testing // with EP drop?

Our design solution:

Music
Music EP with 3 original tracks
Tracks feature existing mewmimewmo characters + lore + backstories, and most of all the music concept needs to fit the over arching mewmimewmo values.

Visual Identity

research for visual voice to amplify the experience :

Artists like Sabrina carpenter – strong persona through specific fashion, art direction for discography // and strong costume design
Rise of Sabrina carpenter and eclectic, campy, bold DIY, theatrical artists like Chappel Roan, Olivia Rodrigo – imagery of fancy things and cake // aesthetics of music
Show kpop examples : Dream Academy too
Instagram Aesthetics

Features:

Research testing :

impact of design:

created a new way for mewmimewmo users to experience and engage with mewmimewmo as a creative entity
forged a new creative pathway for mewmimewmo to explore and build higher value intellecutual property that can be further cultivated / potentials to release online
blazed a new creative pathway for mewmimewmo that goes beyond physical e-commerce limitations ( + shipping tariffs )
excitement in users during seeing new work at tomo arts market
user feedback is very positive // Eps were sold out and there are people who are showing a new excitement
got to engage with new potential users at tomo arts market
online release posts brought a new reputation for the brand that is pivotal and ground breaking for the existing brand history
high fulfillment from brand creator / rejuvenated creativity and a necessary pivot away from markets ( sometimes undependable ) + unsatisfying e-commerce + merchandise driven production ( aka business owner is very happy for the creative fulfillment and pivotal change needed for a 10 year brand )
an excellent way to encompass and amplify the mewmimewmo experience.
The EPs caught attention
The EPs sold itself
There was people who regret not purchasing EP earlier

Evidence :

marketing of the music ep – feedback showed a lot of intrigue for the pivot for mewmimewmo music
seeing patrons feedback at tomo arts market : people were very excited to see physical CDs, and it sparked interest and immediate emotional connection with people who are into music. Many were asked about their excitement and many have expressed the nostalgia, tangibility and special, handmadeness of physical music Eps.
Further metrics: youtube views after posting

Tasks :

Write
Edit
Gather visuals
Include visuals
Clean up for web