Asial – Software Development
Global Japanese software company Asial commissioned us to design their international website presence. The project included the provision of a copywriter, information architecture & wireframing, UI/UX design, custom illustration & web animation, and quality assurance.
About Asial
With over 20 years of experience, Asial Corporation has served 200+ customers in Japan and globally. They pioneered Monaca and Onsen UI, Japan’s #1 cloud-based mobile app development tools with 300,000+ users. Their 60+ strong global team blends Japanese and international expertise, focusing on UX-driven development. Their skills span industries like software development and education, with specializations in AI, IoT, and Industry 4.0.
The Project
Asial commissioned Bento Graphics as Tokyo based graphic design, web design and web development studio to direct and design their international web presence. One of the primary objectives of the project was also to establish the brand identity of Asial for the international market.
Asial’s core aim for its website relaunch was to attract international clients and global talent in the IT sector while also creating a sense of pride among existing members.
After researching and selecting a new brand font and secondary color palette, we extended their branding throughout the UI design using elements derived from the logo.
We designed a clean intuitive UI design in a minimalist grid-based style. The generally black background of the website creates a strong contrast with the colorful visual elements using their orange brand color. We also made the decision to synchronize section background colors with the page scroll position instead of using static colors.
To generate eyeballs, however, we used storytelling and a visual concept to create a large range of custom illustrations and web animations throughout the site. Additionally, we created playful interactive sections such as the company history timeline or the animated process & workflow chart.
Information Architecture, Wireframing & UI/UX Design
Brand Style Exploration & Style Guide
As part of the project, there was a need to explore the Asial brand and figure out how it could be smartly incorporated into a UI design. This involved researching and selecting a new font for the brand, as well as developing a visual design system for navigation elements that were derived from its logo.
Visual Concept, Custom Illustrations & Web Animations
One of the most exciting parts of this project was the development of the visual illustration concept. Initially, we presented 3 directions:
- Portals
- Japanese Craftsmanship
- Impossible Objects
“Impossible Objects” came out on top as the winning concept, but details of the other concepts were also incorporated:
Impossible Objects: Technology is changing the world around us every day, this concept looks at how things might look in the future. Taking a sci-fi angle we can bend the rules of physics and peek in to the science-driven future.
In total we created 18 illustrations, 12 icons, and 8 animations for use on the website. The development of the illustrations and animations also involved drafting a compelling storyline for each of them.
An interesting detail is that most of the illustrations cleverly incorporate three orange orbs as a reference to the Asial logo. This is not only visually attractive but also an effective way to reinforce the brand’s identity.
Lottie/SVG Animations
Custom Illustrations
Screencast Walkthrough
Testimonial
Asial Corporation is immensely pleased with our collaboration with Bento Graphics for our corporate website development. Their team’s ability to conceptualize and execute a globally appealing website, while operating from Japan, has been particularly noteworthy. Their international perspective has been crucial in creating a platform that effectively communicates to both our local and global audience.
Bento Graphics stands out for their comprehensive design skills, innovation, seamless communication, and quick responsiveness. These qualities have not only met but surpassed our expectations, making them an ideal partner for any organization looking to develop a globally-oriented web presence without compromising on quality and efficiency.Masahiro Tanaka, CEO, Asial Corporation