Today, we would like to introduce the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of sign language paper clips, which were commissioned by the Japan Sign Language Training Center.
About the Japan Sign Language Training Center
The Japan Sign Language Training Center was established as a national hub for sign language, and is engaged in the research and promotion of the sign language.
Aiming to create a society where all people, including the Deaf, can live together equally, they engage in various activities such as training sign language interpreters and instructors, staff training, conducting national sign language proficiency tests, and organizing various events.
The initial consultation
The consultation regarding the production took place about a year ago. Initially, we were personally contacted by the person in charge. At that time, the concept was only to create a paper clip inspired by sign language, and the specific details had yet to be decided.
Considering the specifications
When considering the specifications of the product, it is important to first think about its ‘purpose.’ The specifications will vary depending on the intended use. For example, the following points are considered.
・To be used as an office supply on hand
・To combine with other items
・To distribute as a novelty item
・To sell as a product
As a result of the hearing, it was understood that this time they were envisioning ‘selling as a product,’ and were considering a specification where the clips would be inserted and secured on a folded backing card to clearly display the design.
Postponing the production
With the general specifications decided, we calculated a rough estimate and asked them to review it as a reference price. As a result, the proposal was brought up at a meeting of the Japan Sign Language Training Center, where the person in charge worked. Unfortunately, it was not approved during that meeting, and the production was postponed for further consideration.
A sudden turnaround from production cancellation
I thought that might be the end of the story, but six months later, I received a message from the person in charge saying, ‘I won’t give up, and will present it again this year!’ This time, as described below, we refined the specifications in more detail, and after recalculating the production costs, it was decided that the proposal would be presented again at the meeting.
As a result, it was successfully approved, and after about a year, the production was finalized! Throughout our discussions, I strongly felt the enthusiasm of the person in charge, so I was personally overjoyed as if it were my own achievement, and felt that a long-held wish had come true.
Finalized specifications and data preparation
olded backing card. The clips were made using 1mm thick red and gray fiber paper, and the backing card was printed in full color on both sides. Our company was responsible for creating the data for the clip shapes, while the design of the backing card was handled by the client’s in-house designer.
A design inspired by the Deaflympics
The paper clips being produced are scheduled to be sold at the ‘Kyoto Sagano Sign Language Festival,’ which will be held by the Japan Sign Language Training Center in September.
The theme of this festival is ‘Expanding the Circle of Sign Language and Deaf Sports’—Let’s Support the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.’ Using this theme as inspiration, we decided to design the clip shapes. We then came up with the idea of recreating the following hand signs and sign language in the form of clips.
・The ‘I love you’ hand sign, symbolizing the circle of sign language
・The sign for ‘Deaflympics,’ symbolizing the circle of Deaf sports
The ‘I love you’ hand sign represents ‘I’ with the little finger, ‘L’ with the index finger and thumb, and ‘Y’ with the little finger and thumb.
The sign for the Deaflympics is inspired by the symbol of the Deaflympics. You form a circle with your thumb and index finger, place your hands one above the other, overlap the circles, switch hands, and overlap the circles again.
Although we received a rough sketch, it was particularly challenging to balance the functionality of the clip with the representation of the ‘Deaflympics’ sign. We initially presented several shape patterns to narrow down the direction and ultimately proposed the final design.
However, the distinctive movement of switching hands, which is a feature of the Deaflympics sign, could not be fully conveyed through the clip’s shape alone. To address this, the client came up with the idea of incorporating illustrations of this movement into the backing card design, completing the sign language representation through the overall design.
Finished Product
The lively and cute design of the backing card, combined with the paper clips, resulted in a very attractive product! On the back of the card, there is an illustration of the ‘I love you’ hand sign, drawn by children from Kyoto Prefectural School for the Deaf and hearing children of Deaf parents. Inside the card, there is also a heartfelt message, making the design truly heartwarming.