Constructing a culturally anchored visual identity for traditional culinary SMEs in Makassar through design thinking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30998/jd.v13i4.3259Keywords:
Visual Identity, Design Thinking, Traditional Culinary SMEs, Makassar Culture, Zero-to-One BrandingAbstract
Traditional culinary SMEs in Makassar, Indonesia, face a critical challenge: competing in visually-driven digital markets while lacking a cohesive brand identity and legal business prerequisites. This study explores the "zero-to-one" visual identity development for a 20-year-old unbranded traditional culinary SME using a qualitative Design Thinking framework (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test). Empirical data were collected through semi-structured stakeholder interviews, visual ethnography, and structured questionnaires distributed to 135 Generation Z and Millennial consumers in Jakarta. The design intervention developed the "Tallu Nona Nona" visual system, featuring a minimalist logo that simplifies the traditional Walasuji (interwoven bamboo) and the classic Lontara border. Quantitative user testing indicated high agreement across all visual design dimensions, agreement rates ranging from 94.27% to 95.88% based on Likert-scale assessments. Results indicate that integrating local cultural semiotics into contemporary design languages enhances brand recognizability and supports digital market readiness. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that establishing a formalized brand identity facilitates business formalization by supporting the Business Identification Number (NIB) registration process. This research contributes to the cultural branding discourse by presenting a structured framework for reinterpreting local heritage into modern visual systems to foster SME resilience.
Downloads
References
Abolafia, J. (2025). A new structural transformation of the public sphere and deliberative politics. Contemporary Political Theory, 24(3), 584–587. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41296-024-00701-4
Abror, K. T., Zennika, T., Putri, E. P. M., & Yukuri, K. A. (2024). Peran makanan tradisional dalam menguatkan identitas nasional. Jurnal Budaya Nusantara, 7(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.36456/JBN.vol7.no1.8834
Agustina, E., Tirta, M. N. N. R., Azhari, R. A., Amanda, S., Alifiani Sekar Arum, Y., & Irawansyah, R. (2025). Membangun identitas brand lokal melalui strategi pemasaran digital: Studi pada produk Basreng Rasanusa. HUMANUS: Jurnal Sosiohumaniora Nusantara, 2(3), 407–415. https://doi.org/10.62180/wnr2zt37
Anugrafianto, T. R. (2025). Desain komunikasi visual dalam strategi branding di era digital: Pendekatan media dan komunikasi. Jurnal KomunikArt, 1(1), 1–11. https://ejournal.ump.ac.id/jkart/article/view/356
Balmer, J. M. T., & Burghausen, M. (2019). Marketing, the past and corporate heritage. Marketing Theory, 19(2), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593118790636
Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. Hill and Wang.
Brown, T. (2008). Design Thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6), 84–92. www.hbr.org
Celhay, F., Cheng, P., Masson, J., & Li, W. (2020). Package graphic design and communication across cultures: An investigation of Chinese consumers’ interpretation of imported wine labels. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(1), 108–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2019.07.004
Erlyana, Y., & Hanifah, R. D. (2024). Innovative packaging design: Enhancing the takeaway tea experience at TWG Tea in Plaza Senayan, Indonesia. JIEMS (Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems), 17(1). https://doi.org/10.30813/jiems.v17i1.8939
Erlyana, Y., & Jeremy, J. (2023).,”. Jurnal Pengabdian Dan Kewirausahaan, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.30813/jpk.v7i1.4301
Erlyana, Y., & Yi, L. J. (2026). Exploring generational differences in co-branding: The role of visual storytelling and symbolic design in The Mizzu x Khong Guan collaboration (pp. 71–86). https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-612-8_7
Ghorbani, M., & Westermann, A. (2025). Exploring the role of packaging in the formation of brand images: a mixed methods investigation of consumer perspectives. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 34(2), 186–202. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2023-4738
Ginting, K. I., & Erlyana, Y. (2025). Pemberdayaan UMKM Mama Ni melalui redesain identitas visual dan kemasan saset berbasis pendekatan partisipatif untuk memperkuat daya saing produk lokal. Komatika: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 5(2), 118–125. https://doi.org/10.34148/komatika.v5i2.1347
Gomes, N., & Malafaia, T. (2020). Ophelia and neo-Victorian readings: Cultural analysis of brand narratives. Anglo Saxonica, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/as.2
Hu, S., & Cong, Z. (2024). Paying for culture : Cultural factors in local speciality product packaging’s effect on buying behaviour. Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy, 9(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.69554/VYDB4068
Huang, Y., & Hands, D. (2022). Design Thinking for Branding. In Design Thinking for New Business Contexts (pp. 127–148). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94206-9_7
Huwaida, L. A., Yusuf, A., Satria, A. N., Darmawan, M. A., Ammar, M. F., Yanuar, M. W., Hidayanto, A. N., & Yaiprasert, C. (2024). Generation Z and Indonesian social commerce: Unraveling key drivers of their shopping decisions. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(2), 100256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100256
Indrawati, S., & Rachmawati, A. F. (2021). Edukasi Legalitas Usaha sebagai Upaya Perlindungan Hukum bagi Pemilik UMKM. Jurnal Dedikasi Hukum, 1(3), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.22219/jdh.v1i3.17113
Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (2020). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003099857
Lauretta, K., & Anggraeni, A. (2025). The influence of brand imagery and packaging on Gen Z’s Indonesian makeup brand purchases. Proceedings of the 2025 4th International Conference on Creative Communication and Innovative Technology (ICCIT), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCIT65724.2025.11167530
Lie, S., & Erlyana, Y. (2024). Pengembangan produk makanan lokal khas Wonogiri dalam bentuk identitas produk. SELAPARANG: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Berkemajuan, 8(3), 2175–2187. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31764/jpmb.v8i3.25226
Liedtka, J., Salzman, R., & Azer, D. (2017). Design Thinking for the Greater Good: Innovation in the Social Sector. Columbia Business School Publishing, Columbia University Press.
Ligaraba, N., Cheng, J., Ndungwane, N. F., & Nyagadza, B. (2024). Brand authenticity influence on young adults’ luxury sneakers brand preference: the mediating role of brand image. Future Business Journal, 10(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00312-w
Liu, C., Samsudin, M. R., & Zou, Y. (2025). The impact of visual elements of packaging design on purchase intention: Brand experience as a mediator in the tea bag product category. Behavioral Sciences, 15(2), 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020181
Oktavianus, C., & Erlyana, Y. (2024). Perancangan Ulang Identitas Visual Emping Melinjo Enam Bersaudara dengan Kemasan Sebagai Media Utama. Jurnal Tanra, 11(3). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26858/tanra.v11i3.63661
Palimbong, S. M., & Pasulu, I. (2021). Program kemitraan kemasan untuk meningkatkan daya saing UMKM di Makale Tana Toraja. Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Indonesia (JPKMI), 1(2), 102–104. https://doi.org/10.55606/jpkmi.v1i2.2911
Pati, A., Pradhan, D., Moharana, T. R., Chaudhuri, H. R., & Rup, B. K. (2025). Forty Years of Brand Logo Literature: A Review and Future Research Directions. Journal of Business Research, 200, 115655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115655
Pertiwi, M. I., Wahyuningrum, I. F. S., Agustina, L., & Aji, T. S. W. (2025). Improving branding through product packaging. Indonesian Journal of Devotion and Empowerment, 7(2), 99–110. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijde.v7i2.32492
Pugra, I. W., Kencanawati, A. A. A. M., & Kurniawan, I. G. W. A. (2025). The cultural significance of traditional foods in shaping Indonesian social identity: Challenges and preservation strategies. Journal of Language, Literature, Social and Cultural Studies, 3(1), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.58881/jllscs.v3i1.318
Sammour, A. A., Chen, W., & Balmer, J. M. T. (2020). Corporate heritage brand traits and corporate heritage brand identity: the case study of John Lewis. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 23(3), 447–470. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-03-2018-0039
Shahwar, D. e, Ashfaq, F., & Khan, M. (2024). The Impact of Visual Packaging Design on Perceived Food Product Quality and Brand Preference with Moderating Effect of Gender. Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), 13(1). https://doi.org/10.61506/01.00260
Shukla, P., Singh, J., & Wang, W. (2022). The influence of creative packaging design on customer motivation to process and purchase decisions. Journal of Business Research, 147, 338–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.026
Suherlan, Y., & Widiyanti, E. (2021). The model of eco-friendly packaging center to increase the competitiveness of MSMEs’ local products. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 905(1), 012072. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/905/1/012072
Verity, J., & McCullagh, K. (2012). Design Thinking. In The New Strategic Landscape (pp. 52–68). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137283368_4
Wang, H., Ab Gani, M. A. A., & Liu, C. (2023). Impact of snack food packaging design characteristics on consumer purchase decisions. Sage Open, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231167109
Wang, L., & Naeim, F. (2023). Green Design Strategy for Lushan Yunwu Tea Packaging Design. South Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(5), 32–50. https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2023.4503
Wheeler, A. (2012). Designing Brand Identity: an essential guide for the entire branding team (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Wibowo, M. C., & Zainudin, A. (2024). The influence of minimalist design elements on visual preferences of Generation Z: A quantitative study. International Journal of Graphic Design, 2(2), 236–247. https://doi.org/10.51903/ijgd.v2i2.2133
Wijaya, M. P., & Erlyana, Y. (2022). Perancangan ulang identitas visual Yangko Pak Prapto dengan kemasan sebagai media utama. Ultimart: Jurnal Komunikasi Visual, 15(2), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.31937/ultimart.v15i2.2788
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Emerlin Chandra, Yana Erlyana (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Articles published in Jurnal Desain are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), unless otherwise indicated.
This license allows users to:
- Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
- Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material.
These permissions apply for non-commercial purposes and are subject to the following terms:
1. Attribution (BY)
Users must give appropriate credit to the original author(s), acknowledge the article’s original publication in Jurnal Desain, provide a link to the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, and indicate if changes were made.
Attribution may be provided in any reasonable manner, but not in a way that suggests that the author(s) or Jurnal Desain endorse the user or the use of the material.
Where available, users are encouraged to include the article’s Digital Object Identifier (DOI) when citing or redistributing the work to ensure persistent identification of the Version of Record.
2. NonCommercial (NC)
The material may not be used for commercial purposes.
Commercial use refers to use that is primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation.
Users wishing to make commercial use of material covered by the license must obtain separate permission from the relevant copyright holder(s).
3. No Additional Restrictions
Users may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from exercising any rights permitted by the license.
4. Third-Party Material
The CC BY-NC 4.0 license applies to the article unless otherwise indicated. Figures, photographs, artworks, illustrations, tables, data, or other third-party materials may be subject to separate copyright or licensing terms.
Users are responsible for determining whether separate permission is required before reusing material that is excluded from the article’s Creative Commons license.
Official License Terms
The complete terms of the license are available from the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
