Communication strategy: UMI•NO•HI brand
UMI • NO • HI is a brand of handcrafted jellyfish lamps made from recycled plastic, created for those who seek calm, wonder, and soft light in everyday life. Inspired by the ocean and the Japanese Day of the Sea, we combine sustainability, craft, and poetic form.
Reflection on the course material. Communication Theory in Sustainable Design
Design is fundamentally a relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response. In the context of the UMI NO HI project, we posit that the physical object—the lamp—serves as the primary communicative medium. Drawing upon the Semiotic Tradition, the lamp functions as a complex signifier. Its form (the jellyfish) and material (recycled plastic) engage in a dialectical relationship, transforming the «noise» of marine pollution into the «signal» of sustainable beauty.
Our approach integrates Robert Craig’s Seven Traditions of Communication Theory, specifically leveraging:
1. The Socio-Cultural Tradition: By anchoring the brand in the Japanese holiday of Marine Day (Umi no Hi), we tap into an existing cultural ritual of gratitude towards the ocean. This contextualisation allows the product to participate in the reproduction of social values related to nature conservation. 2. The Rhetorical Tradition: We utilise visual rhetoric to persuade the audience. The «re • jelly • f» lamp employs the Peripheral Route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), where aesthetic appeal and the emotional narrative of childhood crafts serve as cues to generate positive attitudes towards recycled materials. 3. Media Ecology: Following Marshall McLuhan’s axiom «The medium is the message,» we analyze how the lamp, as a «cool medium,» alters the sensory balance of an interior space, inviting user participation through the diffusion of soft, ambient light.
The project demonstrates that effective design does not merely solve a functional problem but constructs a «rhetorical vision» (Bormann) where the user becomes an active participant in the narrative of ecological redemption.
Presentation of a brand for General Audience
Respect the Sea. Reveal the Light.
re • jelly • f is a sculptural lamp made from 100% recycled thermoplastic. Its organic jellyfish-inspired form and crinkled texture softly diffuse light, creating a calm, underwater glow reminiscent of bioluminescence. More than a functional object, it is an atmospheric presence that slows time and brings a sense of quiet into everyday life. UMI NO HI is created for people who value conscious design, emotional experience, and a deeper connection with nature. By choosing this lamp, you take part in a cycle of renewal — turning waste into wonder and light into responsibility.
UMI NO HI is a lighting brand inspired by the Japanese Marine Day — a celebration of gratitude to the ocean and its life-giving power. We see the sea not as a resource, but as a living presence that deserves care and respect. The brand reimagines a traditional Marine Day symbol — delicate paper jellyfish — through a contemporary lens. Today, drifting forms in the ocean are often plastic waste. UMI NO HI transforms this problem into a new kind of beauty.
paper jellyfish
By choosing UMI NO HI, you are not just buying a design object. You are participating in a cycle of renewal. You are honoring the spirit of Marine Day every time you switch on the light.
Presentation of a brand for a professional audience
logo
UMI NO HI is conceived as an integrated brand ecosystem in which product design, material choice, and visual identity operate as a unified semiotic system. The project explores how recycled plastic can shift from a utilitarian, low-value material into a carrier of aesthetic, emotional, and cultural meaning. The conceptual foundation of the brand is rooted in the cultural symbolism of the Japanese Marine Day. Visual research revealed a contrast between the rigid geometry of industrial maritime infrastructure and the fluid, organic forms of marine life. This opposition became central to the project’s formal language. The traditional practice of creating paper jellyfish serves as a morphological and semantic reference, linking translucency, folding, and fragility to both childhood memory and material transformation.
Materiality functions as a key narrative element. The re • jelly • f lamp is produced from recycled thermoplastic (HDPE or PET) using a heat-forming technique that creates non-repetitive, organic textures. These surfaces softly diffuse light, evoking underwater bioluminescence and reinforcing the association between plastic, water, and living organisms. Each object is intentionally unique, emphasizing biological diversity over industrial uniformity.
To support the organic, asymmetric form, a custom structural component was engineered, allowing the «jellyfish» lampshade to securely balance on the stand. This construction resolves issues of stability and center of gravity while preserving the visual lightness and floating effect of the object.
The visual identity emerges directly from the product itself. Arranged and «disciplined» lamp forms generate a closed, self-sufficient graphic system based on repetition, rhythm, and translucency. This hermetic visual language references recycling as a process of circulation and transformation, where the same material continuously changes state while remaining within a closed loop. Rather than relying on illustrative symbolism, the brand’s graphics are constructed from the lamps’ silhouettes, textures, and light behavior, allowing the object to function simultaneously as product and visual sign.
From a positioning perspective, UMI NO HI occupies a space between collectible art objects and mass eco-products. The brand addresses an audience that values conscious consumption, narrative depth, and material honesty. Rather than presenting a fixed message, the project offers a framework in which light, form, and recycled matter communicate responsibility through experience.
The use of Communication Theory in the project
The communication strategy of the UMI NO HI project applies communication theory as a practical design tool rather than an abstract analytical framework. The brand translates cultural meaning, sustainability, and emotional experience into tangible communication channels — product packaging, social media, and post-purchase interaction.
Semiotics and Narrative Communication The foundation of the strategy lies in semiotic and narrative approaches to communication. The lamp functions not only as a product but as a cultural sign embedded in the narrative of Marine Day. By associating the object with the Umi no Hi celebration, the brand frames consumption as a symbolic act of respect for the ocean. This narrative is consistently reinforced across all touchpoints, allowing users to perceive the product as part of a broader cultural story rather than a standalone design object.
Persuasion and Emotional Engagement Persuasive communication is constructed through a balance of rational and emotional appeal. Functional information about recycled materials and production logic forms the rational layer, while visual softness, light diffusion, and the metaphor of the jellyfish operate on an emotional level. This dual structure allows the brand to address both conscious ecological responsibility and intuitive sensory perception.
Media Ecology and Object-as-Medium From a media ecology perspective, the lamp itself functions as a medium of communication. Its soft, low-intensity light encourages slowing down and contemplation, contrasting with aggressive artificial lighting common in everyday environments. This experience is extended beyond the object through its presentation and framing. Communication Through Touchpoints Packaging, social media, and the thank-you card form a unified communicative system. The packaging acts as the first narrative interface, presenting the lamp as a carefully preserved artifact rather than a mass-produced item. Social media platforms extend the story into a digital space, visualizing the ideas of circulation, reuse, and marine imagery. The post-purchase card reinforces symbolic convergence by thanking the user for participating in ocean protection, transforming ownership into a shared value-driven identity.
Conclusion
Taken together, these aspects show that UMI • NO • HI’s communication strategy is built on a thoughtful use of design and sustainability principles rather than purely decorative decisions. They inform the brand’s storytelling, visual and material language, and the way the user relates to the object on an emotional level. As a result, the brand forms a consistent communication system in which softness, contemplation, and ecological responsibility define its core values, presenting the lamp as an atmospheric experience rather than a purely functional product.
Course «Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice»
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Educational project «UMI NO HI: Integrated Brand Ecosystem» [Electronic resource]. — Available at: https://hsedesign.ru/project/1376d942f1ef47bb9756a82896257806. (accessed 14.12.2025).
Online photograph of paper jellyfish (Kurage) used for visual research [Electronic resource]. — Available at: https://kitteotte.com/story/7219/. (accessed 14.12.2025).
Author’s photographs from the production and research process [Electronic images]. — Source: personal archive of the project authors, (accessed 14.12.2025).
