Project Overview
CoFound worked with Octopopo, a craft yarn and weaving material brand, to develop its brand naming, brand strategy, IP character design, and visual identity planning.
In response to the highly similar visual and product expressions often seen in the craft materials market, we used the idea of “eight arms” as the core brand concept. Through the character world of Octopopo & Friends, we helped the brand build a more memorable, flexible, and approachable identity.
Introduction
Octopopo is a craft yarn brand centered around handcraft creators. The brand focuses on natural weaving materials that balance texture, color, and user experience.
With raffia yarn, cotton grass yarn, and related weaving materials as its main products, Octopopo responds to craft makers’ needs for tactile quality, color coordination, and creative freedom.
Challenge & Strategy
CoFound supported Octopopo in brand naming and strategic development. In the name Octopopo, the idea of “eight arms” represents the flexibility and multi-directional energy of the founder as a modern woman. It reflects the ability to move freely between different roles and life situations, while also echoing the open, layered, and flexible nature of the creative process.
Facing a craft market where many brands appear highly similar, the brand strategy focused on creating differentiation through communication and visual identity. By combining a minimal visual language with IP character design, we helped bring the material brand closer to its users, creating a clear and memorable brand identity while leaving enough flexibility for future brand communication and visual expansion.
Concept & Design
The design concept for Octopopo began with the creative process itself, rather than focusing only on the product or the final handmade piece. The IP characters were not designed to take attention away from the materials. Instead, they add a sense of companionship throughout the user’s creative journey.
The overall visual system is simple and clean, with intentional use of white space so that the materials and the maker’s hands remain the focus. Through character-based illustrations, the emotions and rhythm of making are translated into a friendly visual language, allowing the brand to be remembered not only as a material supplier, but also as part of the creative experience.
IP Design
The IP character design for Octopopo is built around the world of Octopopo & Friends, forming a character system with clear relationships and distinctive personalities.
Octopopo, the octopus, serves as the main character and symbolizes flexible, multi-directional creative energy. The other characters are inspired by ocean imagery and are designed to accompany different stages of the creative process in a light and pressure-free way.
The overall visual style uses contemporary, minimal lines and flat illustrations, paired with a pastel color palette. Compared with the cute, soft, and handmade-style illustrations commonly seen in the market, Octopopo uses cleaner lines, humorous expressions, and character relationships to build a more memorable and expandable brand IP style.
Key Result
This design project helped Octopopo establish a more distinctive brand name and IP character system.
As a craft yarn brand, Octopopo is now recognized not only through its materials, colors, and textures, but also through character companionship, visual memory, and a complete brand world. Together, these elements create a clearer and more differentiated brand positioning.
