A DVD box set for director Hayao Miyazaki’s films done for the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli. The set includes nine films, a shelf and planter, an instruction booklet, and setup and care supplies.
The concept is stained glass, representing windows into Miyazaki’s worlds and bringing the magic of his films into the home.
Hayao Miyazaki is known for his beautiful and imaginative traditionally animated films, which have earned worldwide critical acclaim. Most of his films feature a strong environmentalist theme, teaching the beauty and importance of nature. The set is designed to bring nature into the home by combining a DVD shelf with a planter. The shelf is made from natural and recyclable materials, and was designed and built from scratch by me. Each element of the box set was designed with Miyazaki’s values in mind. I wanted the set to feel like part of a film, without seeming arrogant or flamboyant. It brings a warm feeling into the home, and is designed to consider the person buying it as more important than the object; it allows you to create your own Ghibli world and enjoy it every day as a display piece, instead of something that gets stored away. Miyazaki also believes in respecting children in the same way as adults, so it is something that can be enjoyed by all ages.
The box set allows the customer to cultivate and care for their own miniature Ghibli world. The shelf has a recessed space in the top to be used as a planter. The setup and care of the garden is designed to be as simple as possible, and contains small, hardy plants that are very easy to care for. The box set comes with figurines of the three Totoro characters from the film, My Neighbor Totoro. Other figurines can be collected to customize the garden based on the customer’s favorite films.
The set comes with a water sprayer, plant shears, and a small bag of acorns filled with seeds, which is a reference to an item in the film, My Neighbor Totoro.
The small accordion foldout contains step-by-step illustrations to set up and care for their garden. The illustrations are hand drawn in a simplified stained glass style. The layout and typography are inspired by children’s storybooks. The character Totoro, one of Ghibli’s most iconic, guides tthe customer through the process.
Each film has its own slot in the shelf, resembling a series of windows. The nine films come together to feel like one unified world. Each film is easily identifiable without any text or labels.
The stained glass illustrations act as windows into the world of each film. The content of each illustration was considered very carefully; I wanted the distinct feeling of each film to shine through. Here, Kiki’s Delivery Service is the journey of a young witch discovering the world, and herself in the process. Flowers and fruit represent the character’s growth, and rounded shapes convey the nonviolent theme of the film, which has no antagonist. All of the imagery for the films is carefully considered, emphasizing an iconic scene that reminds the customer of a fond memory of that film. The logotypes are based on typography found in the environments of the films. Some are loosely based off of existing typefaces, while most are created from scratch. The color palettes are also carefully considered to suit the film, and are pulled straight from film stills. Inspiration was drawn from the stained glass work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, who also greatly valued nature’s beauty.
