The article was about how cheap imitation Chinese electronics were invading Japan. Based on my rough sketches, illustrator Juan Alvarez immediately grasped the concept I envisioned. We both came up with a fun list of pretend knock-off names sprinkled throughout his illustrations, though I later found out that some of these names actually exist and appear on some of these products! I picked Juan to provide a young street vibe to the cover and interior layouts, because teenagers were the primary buyers of these imitation products, and they needed to appear perfectly happy enjoying these less-expensive - but just good enough to still be considered hip - electronics. I've included some of the initial concept sketches and assignment notes as a glimpse into the process that led to the final art.