The Look of Love
The Look of Love
Reframing love between parents and children in Asian households
ART DIRECTION
INTERACTIVE ZINE DESIGN
ILLUSTRATION
EDITORIAL DESIGN
ART DIRECTION
INTERACTIVE ZINE DESIGN
ILLUSTRATION
EDITORIAL DESIGN
Showreel
Showreel
ANIMATION by Yue (Tasha Kwong) with PREMIERE PRO and AFTER EFFECTS
Brand Identity and Art Direction: Yue
Storytelling and 3D lead: Reigne
Copy: Reigne
Publication Design: Harshithaa
Video: Harshithaa
Print and Formatting: Yue
Final year project group work with Lalo Reigne and Harshithaa
Background
Background
This project focuses on the unspoken love between parents and teenagers in Asian households, and highlighting the subtle and often overlooked forms it takes.
Parents and children in Asian households often misunderstand each other — Parents find their teenagers dismissive, while their children find their parents overbearing. This stems from the fact that the way they show and expect love fundamentally differ.
Love, in many Asian families, lies unspoken or expressed when nobody else is looking. This project seeks to give shape to that silence. By giving the love behind these small acts physical forms, this project aims to make love felt and seen.
In offering them this space for recognition and reflection, The Look of Love serves as a gentle mouthpiece for conversations often left unspoken.
This project focuses on the unspoken love between parents and teenagers in Asian households, and highlighting the subtle and often overlooked forms it takes.
Parents and children in Asian households often misunderstand each other — Parents find their teenagers dismissive, while their children find their parents overbearing. This stems from the fact that the way they show and expect love fundamentally differ.
Love, in many Asian families, lies unspoken or expressed when nobody else is looking. This project seeks to give shape to that silence. By giving the love behind these small acts physical forms, this project aims to make love felt and seen.
In offering them this space for recognition and reflection, The Look of Love serves as a gentle mouthpiece for conversations often left unspoken.
Ad Campaign
Ad Campaign
The Look of Love’s ad campaign redefines acts of love as emotional transactions, not for commodity, but for visibility.
Each ad features a ‘love bill’, inspired by receipts, that records a small, often overlooked act of love, with the accompanying quantity reflecting its frequency.
It then bills the viewer with how much they owe in return, that being small gestures of gratitude like ‘a simple thank you’ or ‘a kind word’.
They are each paired with a photograph of the same action, like the visage of a mother cooking a warm meal or a teenager writing on a post-it note meant for their parent - “remember to take your medicine!”. The images are shot with moody, dramatic lighting, lending a cinematic feel to what most would consider normal, mundane moments.
The Look of Love’s ad campaign redefines acts of love as emotional transactions, not for commodity, but for visibility.
Each ad features a ‘love bill’, inspired by receipts, that records a small, often overlooked act of love, with the accompanying quantity reflecting its frequency.
It then bills the viewer with how much they owe in return, that being small gestures of gratitude like ‘a simple thank you’ or ‘a kind word’.
They are each paired with a photograph of the same action, like the visage of a mother cooking a warm meal or a teenager writing on a post-it note meant for their parent - “remember to take your medicine!”. The images are shot with moody, dramatic lighting, lending a cinematic feel to what most would consider normal, mundane moments.
Exhibition: The Living Room
Exhibition: The Living Room
The Look of Love’s interactive exhibition consists of two rooms, designed to replicate a typical living room and dining room, mirroring an intimate home setting for the visitor. The theme of taking a closer look rings throughout the whole project -- every interactable feature has an element of there being more than meets the eye.
The living room exhibit peels back the layers of everyday misunderstandings between parent and teenager, revealing the true intentions and care often hidden behind the anger. This is explored through a TV video installation and interactive audio-visual phone piece.
The TV depicts a heated exchange, but the subtitles do not mirror this anger. Instead, they expose the vulnerable truths neither could say aloud.
Nearby, two phones lie waiting; one for the parent’s perspective, one for the teenagers. They are paired with visuals of another argument, but when the phone is picked up, they hear a softer truth: a private confession unveiling their true feelings and emotions beneath their agitation.
The Look of Love’s interactive exhibition consists of two rooms, designed to replicate a typical living room and dining room, mirroring an intimate home setting for the visitor. The theme of taking a closer look rings throughout the whole project -- every interactable feature has an element of there being more than meets the eye.
The living room exhibit peels back the layers of everyday misunderstandings between parent and teenager, revealing the true intentions and care often hidden behind the anger. This is explored through a TV video installation and interactive audio-visual phone piece.
The TV depicts a heated exchange, but the subtitles do not mirror this anger. Instead, they expose the vulnerable truths neither could say aloud.
Nearby, two phones lie waiting; one for the parent’s perspective, one for the teenagers. They are paired with visuals of another argument, but when the phone is picked up, they hear a softer truth: a private confession unveiling their true feelings and emotions beneath their agitation.
Exhibition: The Dining Room
Exhibition: The Dining Room
The dining room invites visitors to step into a familiar domestic scene where love is carried within everyday objects. It reframes these silent rituals of love as a mouthpiece of love in their own way.
The installation titled Hidden Messages showcases objects like the oranges your dad peels for you, or glasses your child always helps you to find. Each act mirrors the real-life experiences of interviewees and people close to us -- giving it a layer of authenticity.
As per its title, each artefact depicts a hidden form of love by parents and teenagers. Visitors are invited to interact with the objects whether by lifting them up or turning them around. Opening up a lunchbox uncovers a post-it note from a mother, writing “I wake up early everyday to make you lunch so you don’t go hungry at school”; or under a stack of bills written in a teenager’s writing says “I fill these out for you so you don’t get confused”.
The dining room invites visitors to step into a familiar domestic scene where love is carried within everyday objects. It reframes these silent rituals of love as a mouthpiece of love in their own way.
The installation titled Hidden Messages showcases objects like the oranges your dad peels for you, or glasses your child always helps you to find. Each act mirrors the real-life experiences of interviewees and people close to us -- giving it a layer of authenticity.
As per its title, each artefact depicts a hidden form of love by parents and teenagers. Visitors are invited to interact with the objects whether by lifting them up or turning them around. Opening up a lunchbox uncovers a post-it note from a mother, writing “I wake up early everyday to make you lunch so you don’t go hungry at school”; or under a stack of bills written in a teenager’s writing says “I fill these out for you so you don’t get confused”.
Love Bills + Love Wall
Love Bills + Love Wall
At the end of the exhibition, the love bills make a return as physical bills visitors can fill out. Visitors are prompted to describe what their parent’s or child’s Look of Love looks like to them.
It is intentionally open-ended, encouraging reflection on the small gestures of love often overlooked at home. After completing it, they are given an extra copy: one is for them to keep, and one is to leave behind on the Love Wall.
Over time, the Love Wall will slowly accumulate with completed bills, weaving a tapestry of the subtly expressed love between Asian parents and teenagers.
At the end of the exhibition, the love bills make a return as physical bills visitors can fill out. Visitors are prompted to describe what their parent’s or child’s Look of Love looks like to them.
It is intentionally open-ended, encouraging reflection on the small gestures of love often overlooked at home. After completing it, they are given an extra copy: one is for them to keep, and one is to leave behind on the Love Wall.
Over time, the Love Wall will slowly accumulate with completed bills, weaving a tapestry of the subtly expressed love between Asian parents and teenagers.
Publication
Publication
We end off with an interactive, dual-perspective publication that depicts both the teenager and the parent's side. In both sides, this publication paints a picture of the inner worlds of both parents and their teenage children.
It captures snapshots of their lives, from their own definitions of love, the unexpected moments they cherish, to their inner feelings when they fight.
In creating this book, we aimed to paint a broader picture of how there are always two sides to a story.
We end off with an interactive, dual-perspective publication that depicts both the teenager and the parent's side. In both sides, this publication paints a picture of the inner worlds of both parents and their teenage children.
It captures snapshots of their lives, from their own definitions of love, the unexpected moments they cherish, to their inner feelings when they fight.
In creating this book, we aimed to paint a broader picture of how there are always two sides to a story.