Responses by Bimo Tri, designer and creative developer, Studio Bamo.J.

Background: The purpose of the Saisei website is to showcase a unique architectural concept that blends sustainable design with traditional Japanese cultural values. As a personal project, Saisei serves as both a digital portfolio and a platform for exploring how modern architecture can honor and integrate cultural heritage. The target audience includes ecoconscious urban developers, design enthusiasts and architects interested in sustainable solutions that respect both nature and cultural identity.

Design core: The Saisei site’s core features are centered around creating a seamless blend of traditional and contemporary design. One of the standout elements is the use of Japanese kanji throughout the site, highlighting key themes such as sustainability, innovation and regeneration. This adds cultural depth and reinforces the brand’s philosophy.

The design is sleek and minimal, with a clean layout that lets the visuals and architectural concepts take center stage. Smooth animations and microinteractions elevate the user experience, providing a sense of fluidity and calm that aligns with the traditional Japanese atmosphere we aimed to evoke.

Challenges: The most challenging aspect of the Saisei site was balancing the integration of traditional Japanese cultural elements with modern, innovative web design. We wanted the site to feel authentic and rooted in cultural heritage without sacrificing the sleek, contemporary aesthetic that defines Saisei’s vision. Achieving this balance required careful thought and precision, especially in the use of kanji and the selection of design elements that reflected both tradition and modernity.

Time constraints: While this was a personal project with no external deadlines, we set ourselves a tight timeline of one-and-a-half months to complete the entire project—design, development and everything in between. This self-imposed deadline pushed us to stay focused and streamlined throughout the process. Although we had the freedom to extend the timeline, sticking to this schedule enabled us to make decisive choices and refine the core elements without getting caught up in unnecessary iterations.

Alternate paths: If we could start over, we’d dedicate more time to experimenting with the visual identity, particularly in exploring additional ways to weave in cultural elements in a subtle yet powerful way.

New lessons: This project deepened our understanding of how cultural storytelling can be elevated through web design. We learned how to incorporate cultural symbolism into a modern, interactive digital environment without losing authenticity. The technical side of implementing smooth animations that mirror the calm, meditative nature of Japanese architecture was also a valuable takeaway, giving us new insights into how subtle movements can significantly enhance user experience.

Navigation structure: The navigation structure for Saisei was designed to reflect simplicity and ease of use, aligning with the minimalist, fluid nature of the brand. We wanted the navigation to be intuitive, letting users explore the content without feeling overwhelmed.

Special navigational features: The full-page menu is one of the site’s defining features, inspired by the sliding doors of traditional Japanese homes. This menu opens smoothly and lets users explore different sections of the site without disrupting the flow, mirroring the quiet, deliberate transitions found in Japanese architecture.

Technology: The front end was built using Webflow, handling all the HTML, CSS and functionality seamlessly within the platform. Webflow allowed for rapid design iteration while maintaining the custom aesthetic and interactions we envisioned.

For the animations, we used GSAP to create smooth, custom-coded transitions. Every animation—from page transitions to subtle microinteractions—was crafted with GSAP to ensure a fluid, immersive user experience.