My Malaysian Pantone Bento is a self-promotional mailer kit that is inspired by Malaysian and Japanese cultures. The kit plays on the object of the Japanese lunch box, or bento; but the content of the bento is a Malaysian dish of rice and various condiments called nasi dagang. The kit presents the designer as an eclectic mix of Malaysian and Japanese influences: seemingly Japanese on the outside, but wholly Malaysian on the inside.
The bento is used as a visual metaphor to the process of design; as meticulous planning and a step-by-step process is necessary in crafting a bento, it is likewise with design. Pantone colours matching the hues of nasi dagang are identitfied to indicate the keen eye of the designer that is sensitive to colour. Besides being part and parcel of the graphic designer's skillset and knowledge, the almost homophonic words of 'Pantone' and 'bento' are playfully paired to create a pun-like name for the kit.
