nendo applies its signature refined subtlety to series of japanese adhesive products
the GLOO collection unifies various products such as glues and tapes, which have been produced under different brands with excessive packaging.
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in GLOO, nendo reworks the typically excessive appearance of stationery packaging in a series of uniform adhesive products complete with a matte white finish and subtle, non-distracting information printed on them. developed for japanese stationery company KOKUYO, the project seeks to unify various products such as glues and tapes which have been produced under different brands.
all images by akihiro yoshida
nendo has developed all products to solve subtle stresses that derive from a series of questions asked to users about their current experiences, such as ‘where is the cap placed when it’s off from the product?‘, or, ‘is the current shape really easy to hold and carry?’. packed in a limited edition GLOO box that includes a bird-shaped paper mobile object to be crafted using the products within, the collection includes: a square-shaped glue stick that can be easily applied to the corner edges of paper; a tape glue with compact head that can be swung into the body when being carried; an instant glue with red color that clarifies pasted area and fades after 15 minutes; and a tape dispenser whose body was made as light as possible to carry, and to prevent injury and damage from dropping.
the package design deploys different colors, along with subtle pictograms and brief explanatory texts
all four GLOO products have been finished in matte white, while the logo and other information are printed in small font with medium contrast so that they are not unnecessarily informative on the desk. colors are used both in the packaging and in the actual adhesive material, signifying each product’s different function, such as ‘grey = standard’, ‘red = strong adhesion’, and ‘light blue = re-stickable’.
the inside of the square-shaped stick’s round cap has a cavity in order to prevent the spilled glue from hardening
its square shape means that it can be easily applied to the corner edges of paper
the stick can be placed with the cap side down, and after pasting, the body can be easily clicked on to the cap with one hand
the square profile makes it less likely to roll off the desk and the knob to squeeze out the glue is easier to be held
the roller tape glue can be held with index finger pressing to the body, or with the whole hand
the lid slides and covers the head part when closed, which prevents loss of the cap and dirt invasion to the adhesive surface
a unique mechanism of dots pasting secures both a sharp cut of glue and strong adhesion
the tape can be held in two different ways
the instant glue feautres a cap that deploys a round-square shape to be opened easily and not to roll around
the red color that clarifies pasted area and fades after 15 minutes 
for both ‘dot’ and ‘line’ pasting, the nozzle tip is shaped as if cut diagonally
once docked on the bottom tip, the cap makes the glue stand on the desk to prevent glue liquid leaking while in use
the tape dispenser is made as light as possible to carry, and to prevent injury and damage from dropping
a suction disc of silicon resin was attached to the bottom for easy one-hand use
the dispenser can ‘stick’ itself on to the desk when put on the surface, and when pulled upward, it can automatically ‘detach’ itself
the designs avoid excessively stimulating expressions found in previous packages 
the first collection consists of four products combined into the limited-edition GLOO box
the box includes a bird-shaped paper mobile object that can be crafted up by using all four items
