Itās the Year of the Snake, and while snakes arenāt the most favoured zodiac signāoften associated with cunningness and deceptionāit might actually be my favourite. They symbolise wisdom, transformation, and resilience, which made me want to create something inspired by them.
The Initial Ideas
Idea 1:
I first thought of the classic Snake game from Nokia, a childhood staple. But that required coding (not my forte), and hiring someone to do it wasnāt within my budget.
Idea 2:
I then considered creating a å (auspicious) animation with the snake game concept, but it felt a little too forced.
Idea 3:
I turned to another snake-related gameāSnakes and Ladders. It is simple, universally familiar, and needs no explanation. However, I didnāt want to create just another board game that you could buy for $5 at a store.
Should It Be an Ang Bao?
Since ang baos (red packets) are a big part of Chinese New Year, many designers naturally turn to them as a medium for their festive projects. While I wasnāt particularly drawn to the idea, I gave it a shot.
I explored the following:
A foldable ang bao that transforms into a board game when fully opened.
Dice and tokens made out of paper, keeping everything self-contained.
But there were some risks:
Paper tears easily, making the game impractical.
Cultural considerationsāopening an ang bao immediately after receiving it is frowned upon.
Thatās when I realised I needed a medium that made more sense...
Finding the Right Medium ā Scarf
A scarf turned out to be aĀ goodĀ fit given how functional and versatile it is.
Apart from just being a board game, this scarf has the potential to also turn into a bag for oranges, a headband, and a bag accessory!!!
I've always wanted to create something of my own, and this project felt like the perfect opportunityānot just as a fun experiment, but as something meaningful and tangible. I figured that even if it didnāt sell, Iād be happy giving them to my friends too! So, I searched through Alibaba, contacted a few manufacturers, and ensured I could have a small batch produced.
The Process
Here are some thoughts and considerations:
Setting the Criteria
While keeping things practical in terms of budget, production time, and functionality, these are some criteria I have set for the scarf:
Looking good whether folded or unfolded
Maintaining a line of symmetry
Festive-looking at first glance
Compelling enough to be played with loved ones
Having easter eggs in the design
Potentially something that could still be used after Chinese New Year
Rough Draft
For the first draft, I photobashed different design elements to get a feel for the overall composition, colours, and layout. This was more of a quick exploration to see what worked before diving into the actual design and this is what I got:
Refinement
I liked the general direction, but I felt the colours could be a lot bolder. Moving into Illustrator, I set up the 10x10 gridĀ to form 100 squares, created my design, added details here and there, and selected brighter, more festive colours to enhance the look:
These are the two key changes I have made to the design that are retained in the final design:
Addition of Couplets
I wanted to frame setbacks differentlyāencounters with snakes shouldnāt feel like failures but rather redirections toward new possibilities. With that in mind, I worked with my trusty brainstorming buddy (ChatGPT!) to craft auspicious couplets that reflect this idea:
äøč First line
éčå·§č½éåč·Æ Clever snakes move nimbly through thousand routes.
äøč Second Line
ē¦ę¢Æē©©ę„äøä¹é Ladders of fortune ascend steadily to great heights.
ęØŖę¹ Horizontal Scroll
é”ŗåæčäøĀ Rise with fortuneās favour.
Intentional Placement of Snakes & Ladders
I also wanted the placement of snakes and ladders to carry deeper cultural significance with symbolic references drawn from Chinese idioms, folklore, and cultural beliefs, and these are the reasons for picking the numbers:
š The Snakes
36Ā (äøåå č®”ļ¼čµ°äøŗäøč®”) ā Sometimes, retreat is the best move.
50Ā (äŗåę„ē¬ē¾ę„) ā A reminder not to judge too quickly; we all make mistakes.
81Ā (ä¹ä¹å «åäøé¾) ā The 81 tribulations faced by Tang Monk in Journey to the West.
šŖ The Ladders
8Ā (ē¼) ā The go-to number for prosperity.
30Ā (äøåčē«) ā Confuciusā idea that by 30, one should be independent and established.
72Ā (äøåäŗå) ā A nod to Sun Wukongās 72 transformationsāadaptability is key.
There are more hidden meaningsāsee if you can figure them out!
Final Design
I found the border looking too distracting and taking up too much space. Hence, I had replaced it with a thinner border in brown, and expanded the size of the board game and that was it!
The Rush to Launch
I sent the final design to the manufacturer and I finally had this major thing out of the way! I found myself refreshing order update and the parcel tracking page at least 20 times each day (How obsessive HAHA). Shortly after, I was hit with a big problem:
šØ It might not arrive in time for CNY.
I knew I had more things to do apart from just waiting. Sure enough, more questions floated:
What tokens should I get for players to use?
Have I bought the dice?
How should the additional items be stored?
How should the scarf be tied?
What about the packaging?
While resolving these issues, I also needed to get photos up before the festive season. I urgently searched for a local producer, made two pieces at a higher cost, and paid the price for speed. No regretsāit was necessary to deliver these:
In a last-minute stroke of luck, the bulk order arrived on the eve of CNY!!!
The Final Stretch
To make sure they reached my friends in time, I turned into a one-person delivery service, travelling across Singapore to hand them out on the eve and day 1 of Chinese New Year. It was such a surreal moment seeing something I made out in the world...
The response? Better than I expected:
Where to Get One
If youād like to support, these scarves are now available on a pay-as-you-wish basis at:
Casual Poet Library
123 Bukit Merah Lane 1
#01-110
Singapore 150123
Shelf 129
Closing Thoughts
The biggest lesson? Start earlier.Ā The rush was intense, but every moment was worth it. Would I do it again? Absolutelyājust with better time management next time!š