Sphyrn Tote Bag Idea & Design

In October 2021, we reached out to Big Dipper Creative for our first official merchandise— a Shark Girl Tote Bag.

Sphyrn Marketing is a brand that focuses on female empowerment, sustainability, and AAPI identity.

We wanted the graphic on the tote bag to depict and embody what we stand for— a girl wearing a hammerhead shark headwear holding a cup of boba tea and a grilled squid skewer, symbolizing the standard Taiwanese night market food. She can be anyone. She is you and also us.

The speech bubble containing the sentence “We don’t bite” playfully mocks the misconception of sharks. It is also our response to “Stop Asian Hate” and discrimination in the US. We believe that white supremacy is learned and also could be unlearned. Sphyrn fights for racial equality and diminishes the cultural barrier, one event at a time.

After specifying the direction of the illustration, Big Dipper Creative drafted several sketches for us to choose from. This included different character poses, outfits, and expressions on the hammerhead shark headwear. 

We selected the pose that is a mixture of “Asian squat” and “ sorority squat.”

It partly reminds us of the funny moments living in Taiwan and facing the public restrooms providing only squatting toilets (yep, start practicing Asian squats if you plan to visit Taiwan). The other half is a quick reminder of the sisterhood of Sphyrn girls. The majority of our collaborators and vendors are female small business owners who open-heartedly embraced us with warmth and challenged our marketing strategies and planning with insights behind those sharp pair of beautiful eyes!

Additional reading: Why Can’t Everyone Do the ‘Asian Squat’?

Many had asked if we would be releasing apparel for Sphyrn. Yes, that is currently in the pipeline. However, we wanted our first wave of merchandise to be practical and remind us of home. You would be amazed by how Taiwanese people take sustainability very seriously by reducing single-use plastic as much as possible. As a Taiwanese American marketing firm that hosts regular dessert box popups, we would like our regulars to start carrying their shopping bags to meet and work with us to reduce unnecessary waste!