Our Planning Notes provide an in-depth look at the planning process behind everything Wadizcreates, following the five Ws and one H.
If you’re curious about the thought process behind creating impact, be sure to check this out! Filled to the brim with thoughtful consideration and sincerity, the Planning Notes are being written right now✍
Please introduce yourself!
Hello. I’m Y, a brand designer Wadizwho goes by “Jin-gook’s Mom.”
Please tell us about the project notes we're featuring today.
'Jin-gook,' who has becomeWadizsignature character,Jinguk.’ He was born from the inspiration Wadizand has been growing steadily ever since.
Take a look around Wadiz—you’ll find hidden gems right nearby!
When was this character created?
Since that was around the time I joined the company, it’s already been five years since Jin-gook was born. If we go by when Jin-gook was officially introduced to the company, Jinguk was born in July 2018. (Laughs)
Jin-gook is peeking his head out.
It looks like it'll take quite a while to create the character.
How long did it take to create Jin-gook, from the initial concept to his final design?
If we had set out to create a character with the goal of “showcasing our company’s identity,” it probably would have taken a long time. We would have had to define a persona, find references, sketch concepts… and go through a lot of decision-making processes, so it would have been a lengthy process. But Jin-gook wasn’t created with the specific goal of developing a character. So whenever I get asked that question, it makes me cringe a little.
That's interesting! So, how was Jin-gook created?
When I first joined the company, the CEO mentioned that he thought it would be nice to have a specific term for addressing our team members. So, since I had joined as the brand manager, he took the time to explain everything about Wadiz team to me in great detail. During our conversation, he said, “Wadiz people… are the real deal,’” I could really feel his deep affection and confidence in the team, which made me feel so good. I jotted that sentence down and sketched a simple portrait of “Jin-guk.”
This is how Jin-gook was born
I put it in the corner of the slide to help people understand as we were defining ‘who we are.’ I drew it casually, thinking, “If it were Jin-guk, wouldn’t he look like this?” so it probably took less than a minute to draw.
But as we were leaving the meeting, one person actually said, “We have our own character now!” and seemed really happy about it. We first unveiled Jinguk internally Wadiz as an experiment, and the response was great. I heard “Thank you for creating Jinguk” so many times. Since it was such a simple sketch, I wondered, “Is this really okay?” But as we applied it to employee kits and various spots around the office, we gradually built out the character’s universe and established design guidelines. That’s how Jinguk gradually grew.
I'm also curious about the meaning of the name "Jinguk."
I was inspired by the phrase, “The people atWadiz are the real deal.”. When I read it out loud, I thought the pronunciation was cute, too, didn’t you? (Laughs)
While creating the Wadiz Culture Deck, we defined Jinguk’s identity as ‘“Excellence with Integrity”. While most companies pursue excellence, Wadizwe believe that excellence without integrity is not sustainable. That’s how central integrity is to Jin-gook. Just like the final principle of Wadiz 5 Principles: “someone who believes that the best results come from doing the right thing in the right way.”.
I heard that Jinguk is a character based on the motif of "tteok."
What’s the reason for that?
When you’re brainstorming ideas, what you see and hear at that moment tends to influence you. When you go through life with a certain thought in the back of your mind, there comes a moment when you just know, “This is it!” Jin-gook is a 19-year-old who dropped out of middle school driven by his passion for rice cakes and became a specialist in garetteok I was inspired by the story of the creator of ‘Hongguna Tteokbokki’.
Excerpt from the story of the creator of "Hongguna Tteokbokki"
This maker was truly dedicated to creating the rice cake of his imagination. Despite repeated failures, he never gave up and saw it through to the end—this friend is the real deal!
That’s why we decided to set Jin-gu’s origin story in a mill in Pangyo, where he was born amidst research to create rice cakes that are chewier than wheat cakes using a mixture of half water, half air, and three parts white rice.
Just like Wadizvision of “creating a world where anyone can take on a challenge,” I want to raise Jin-goo to be a friend who never stops taking on small challenges. (Laughs)
So, did you make Jin-gook all by yourself?
I drew Jin-gook’s face all by myself, though. (Laughs) Since then we’ve been collaborating with the People Team on various internal activities featuring Jin-gook. When we were building the Culture Deck, we even recruited a company-wide task force dedicated to Jin-gook. We engaged in intense discussions about our identity.
When updating WadizCore Principle 1, we actively incorporated feedback from our team members through a survey. It all started with a character I sketched in just a minute, and as a result, we had a wide range of people interested in organizational culture participate, giving us the opportunity to gain new perspectives.
Were there any ups and downs in the process of creating and developing the character?
In fact, I think if we had started this as a character development project, the current version of Jinguk might never have come to be. Since it wasn’t developed through any specific process or testing, at first I kept thinking, “Is it really this easy? Can we really just use it as is…?” I wasn’t confident in terms of polish or detail. But as we worked with the pros to define and develop Wadizexisting identity under the name “Jinguk,” my confidence gradually grew. There weren’t really any major setbacks.
Where is the Jin-gook character mainly used?
I use it most often for internal communications, such as new employee welcome kits, internal campaign posters, and office space content. We also make extensive use of Jin-goo. Even people who say they never wear company hoodies told us they wear the Wadiz hoodie outside because it’s so cute, and when we heard that people keep wearing Jinguk T-shirts at home, or when we received inquiries asking if they could buy Jinguk tumblers (since they’re not for sale), or when a former employee who left the company contacted us saying that what they missed most was Jin-gook and asked if they could receive the newly released Jin-gook merchandise... I feel truly delighted when I sense that Jin-gook is loved Wadiz. We’re also using it for external communications to enhance the user experience within our services, such as content like “Jinguk World” and “Wai-File,” as well as “Funding Receipts.”We plan to expand this further in the future.
Jinguk makes a surprise appearance in the new employee welcome kit and company merchandise!
I'm really tempted by the company merchandise. Are there any plans to release them?
I’ve been thinking about creating merchandise through crowdfunding, so I’m currently in talks with makers selected for Wadiz about potential collaborations. I feel that Jin-gook needs to build more name recognition before his IP can be fully utilized. To that end, I’m also planning to develop content that showcases the character’s charm.
Would you like to get some Jin-gook character merchandise? If so, everyone reading this! Tag #Jin-gook on social media and spread the word! (Laughs)
Such a charming in-house character!
When creating a corporate mascot, can you give me some tips on what to consider?
I believe that corporate mascots, in particular, closely tied to organizational culture—such as the company’s identity, the essence of its business, and its work style. If these factors aren’t taken into account, the result can feel out of place, and no matter how cute the character is, it may struggle to resonate with internal members. Setting aside the character’s polish or level of detail, I suspect the reason Jin-gook was so well-received is that he effectively captured the existing identity Wadiz.
What did you enjoy most about creating the character?
Characterscan be consideredpowerful brand assets that contribute to building a brand’s identity. Because they can be personified and imbued with personality, they help raise brand awareness and foster friendly communication with the public. Over time, as they become symbols associated with the brand, the characters themselves can serve as a basis for confidence in the brand’s quality. Since well-known characters can be leveraged for brand marketing (without the need for expensive models), I believe they can also yield significant financial benefits.
Finally, please help us promote please help promote Jin-gook and his “friends”!
That’s exactly the question we’ve been waiting for. Our next piece of content will be a project notebook featuring Jinguk and his “friends,” who were created after Jinguk. Now that Jinguk finally has some friends, we hope he becomes even more popular. Jinguk and his friends will be appearing more often on Wadiz, so please give them a warm welcome!
👉 Now that you’ve read this far, why not head over to Wadiz to find Jin-gook? Click here!
Hint: Jin-gook is hiding in the "More > Feed" tab!
View the entire "Planning Notes" series 👇
