Shu uemura
Cross-Brand Synergy & Capital Efficiency
Following the strategic groundwork of our advanced concepts, I led the commercial packaging development for the 2019 Asia launch of the Shu Uemura Unlimited Breathable Lasting Foundation Cushion. The project presented a complex dual-challenge: I needed to translate the foundation’s “weightless” and “breathable” chemical formula into a premium physical object, while strictly adhering to a highly constrained, minimum manufacturing budget.
Minimalist Execution for the ‘On-the-Go’ Consumer
With the internal mechanics secured, I designed the exterior to be the ultimate “fuss-free travel companion.” I stripped away unnecessary visual weight, arriving at the purest, simplest geometric design that perfectly visually communicated the “breathable” nature of the makeup inside. The resulting compact maximized functional density—housing the high-performance SPF 36 formula securely while maintaining an ultra-thin, minimalist silhouette.
Launched: Feb, 2019
Brand/Market: Shu Uemura, Japan and Korea
Playful & collectable
Before a physical product reaches the retail shelf, it begins as a structural hypothesis. In 2018, I led an advanced design study for L’Oréal Group’s premium brand, Shu Uemura, with the explicit goal of disrupting traditional cosmetic form factors. The objective was to move away from static, pre-filled palettes and design a system that catered to the growing consumer demand for bespoke beauty and hyper-customization. I wanted to create a packaging architecture that empowered the consumer to become the curator of their own product.
To achieve this, I developed a highly tactile, modular packaging system. The design allowed consumers to collect individual color pods and seamlessly assemble them into a single, unified stack. Moving away from standard hinge mechanisms, I engineered a central pivot point inspired by the elegant mechanics of a traditional folding fan. This allowed the stacked color palette to slide open dynamically, revealing the curated colors in a beautifully fanned-out display. This kinetic interaction transformed the mundane act of opening a makeup palette into an engaging, highly personalized daily ritual.
This concept successfully merged avant-garde aesthetics with a complex, interactive mechanical design. While it was retained as an internal advanced framework, its technical rigor and visionary approach to consumer personalization were recognized at the highest corporate level. The concept was awarded the 2018 Most Innovative Package of the Yearacross the entire L’Oréal Group. This milestone validated my strategic approach to interactive industrial design and set a new internal benchmark for how structural engineering can drive the future of bespoke cosmetics.
