Today, I decided to brainstorm packaging designs for vegetables. Lettuce, cucumbers, and the recently harvested root vegetables didn’t really need it.
For now, the only one that needed packaging was tomatoes.
I set my phone aside and started the packaging proposal session. This was a live, viewer-participation event, where people could email their ideas directly to me.
Incidentally, the idea for this stream was decided just last night. Many people had suggested in the comments that we hold a packaging design reveal session.
Yesterday’s video also marked a milestone — our channel finally reached 1,000 subscribers. I hadn’t expected the numbers to grow so quickly, but yesterday’s live demonstration at the farm stand seemed to be a big hit with the viewers.
One thing that caught my attention was the gap between subscriber count and video views. Some of the videos had views that were dozens or even hundreds of times higher than the number of subscribers.
I figured there must be people re-watching the videos multiple times.
「Alright, let’s kick things off with the tomato packaging designs. Here’s my idea!」
I held up a paper with my design, making sure it was visible to the camera.
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Nameless Ordinary Person ・ Moments Ago
I feel like even an ordinary guy like me could do better.
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Scarecrow of the Field ・ Moments Ago
Is that just a bunch of squares and circles?
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Dog Bumps Into Utility Poles ・ Moments Ago
At this point, this is its own kind of talent.
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The comments flooding in were all about my drawing.
「This design represents the idea of discovering tomatoes like hidden treasures.」
My design was of a treasure chest filled with tomatoes. I simply thought tomatoes looked like red, sparkling rubies.
But clearly, my artistic skills didn’t convey that to the viewers. The comments slowly shifted to consoling words, probably out of kindness.
That just made it more painful, so I wished they’d let it slide without mentioning it.
「Okay, next up is Dori!」
「Ta-da!」
Dori proudly held up a drawing that looked like a spiky, black sea urchin.
「What’s this?」
「Papa!」
「You mean me?」
「Yeah!」
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Watcher of Little Girls ・ Moments Ago
Wouldn’t it be better to just sell it with that package?
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Gay Friend ・ Moments Ago
I’m sure the “onee” types would love it. After all, they could imagine doing dangerous things with Papa-san.
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Unmarried Mother ・ Moments Ago
Ah, this reminds me of my daughter’s childhood drawings. Oh wait, I’m still single and childless.
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It seemed that Dori really had drawn me. With that alone, she was the clear winner.
Her drawing didn’t convey much, even less than mine, but the comment section was full of kind words. Of course, a few unique individuals chimed in, but that was just the viewers’ personality shining through.
I wondered what kind of product they’d even make with a package featuring me.
「My turn now!」
When Grandpa showed his drawing, time seemed to freeze. The comments stopped flowing completely.
「Ehto… that is…?」
「It’s obviously a tomato!」
Was this really the tomato I knew?
What Grandpa had drawn looked more like a starfish. If it had just been a star shape, that would have been fine, but it even had patterns and little tentacle-like details coming out.
So this is what the power of old age can do.
「Honestly, you two really have no sense of art!」
Grandma sighed and held up her drawing. It was a hyper-realistic tomato. The level of detail left me speechless.
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Iron-Walled Saintess ・ Moments Ago
She captured even the sheen on the tomato…
Papa-san really inherited his artistic talent from Grandpa.
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Scarecrow of the Field ・ Moments Ago
Using this as packaging would make headlines, for better or worse.
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Dog Bumps Into Utility Poles ・ Moments Ago
That’s amazing!
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「Fufufu, you don’t have to praise me so much.」
Grandma looked pleased with the compliments. I hadn’t known she was such a talented artist.
「Granny!」
Dori, naturally drawn to the best artwork, clearly wanted Grandma’s design. Seeing this, Grandma smiled gently.
「Alright, let’s go through the packaging ideas everyone sent in!」
I scrolled through the submissions, keeping the names anonymous, as we reviewed the designs with the viewers.
Then, one message caught my eye.
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Farm Diary Lover ・ 10 minutes ago
Nice to meet you, I always look forward to watching Farm Diary.
I’ve never commented before, but I drew this in the hopes of being of some help.
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We were all surprised by the message from Farm Diary Lover.
「Oh, this is amazing」
「You can really feel how much fun we’re having」
It was a design depicting Grandma, me, Dori, and Grandpa in that order, all stretching with our hands raised high. It captured our usual “stretching spell” from the viewers’ perspective, showing us from behind.
「Stretch stretchー!」
Dori seemed to love the drawing.
「How about this for the package design?」
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Nameless Ordinary Person ・ Moments Ago
I can really feel the difference between an ordinary person and a genius.
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Solitary Samurai ・ Moments Ago
This gentle design is to my liking.
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Lady of Decay ・ Moments Ago
Hmph, seems they’re more talented than I am!
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Iron-Walled Saintess ・ Moments Ago
Please, use this design that introduced us to Dori-chan!
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Scarecrow of the Field ・ Moments Ago
Is there any way to include a scarecrow in there too?
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Dog Bumps Into Utility Poles・ Moments Ago
Can we fit a utility pole in there as well?
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It seemed unanimous – the “Stretch-stretch” design was the winner.
「We’ll get in touch with the person who created this design later」
We’d probably have to discuss the design fee directly.
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Farm Diary Lover ・ Moments Ago
I’m honored my design was chosen!
Please, use it for free.
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Nameless Ordinary Person ・ Moments Ago
↑A genius has appeared!
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Iron-Walled Saintess ・ Moments Ago
↑A true god!
Please make an art book featuring Dori-chan!
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Farm Diary Lover must be a little absent-minded. We’d avoided revealing the name on purpose, but the other viewers figured it out from the comments.
I tried to delete the comment right away, but since so many people had already seen it, it was too late.
And besides, I didn’t know how to delete comments.
Might as well turn this into a proper shout-out.
「Farm Diary Lover, thank you as always!」
「Tenks!」
When Dori and I expressed our thanks, the comments section exploded with joy.
Later on, this person would become famous as a designer of food packaging, but that’s a story for another time.
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