Little Owl Cafe
The Café wanted professional packaging designs to increase brand recognition and consumer loyalty, that also align with their eco-friendly mission.
Deliverables:
Illustration
Packaging Design
Production Management
Outcome:
Increase in sales, noticeable high-quality product.
Before + After
Through a strategy session, we prioritized the challenges the Café faced with packaging thirteen different varieties of coffee and wanting to keep costs down.
The existing packaging consisted of blank, templated labels for staff to handwrite in the details. While this works well for having thirteen varieties, the client wanted to communicate quality and professionalism deserved of the high-quality house-roasted roasted coffee.
Two possible trajectories were outlined, which allowed the client to be involved in the decision making process, and choose an option that would work for the business and the staff.
Coffee Bags + Labels
Exploration + Process
Starting with sketches, I took the best ideas to a near-complete state, whether that was analog, digital, or hybrid - all were explored. These ideas were professionally presented using mockup graphics. This ultimately led to the selection of the design and creation of the final artwork.
The concept presented focused on the cafe's established branding, colors, handmade craft, and boreal forest aesthetics.
Strategy + Approach
With a single bag design, the cafe can keep a single bag design in stock for all varieties, and thus keep the production costs down. As such, I refined the label designs to be incorporated as part of the overall packaging design.
Thirteen different labels were developed, using different colors and iconography to display the pertinent information.
I worked directly with the product vendors for both the bags and the labels, through the entire ordering, proofing, and shipping process.
The Outcome
The new packaging and label designs have made the Cafe's house-roasted coffee more noticeable to customers, resulting in an increase in sales.
They even sold more than ever before, and had to place a second bag order ahead of schedule.
Hot Cups
Before + After
The owner next wanted take-away hot cups to match the aesthetic of the coffee bags, and build upon the cafe's brand recognition.
We worked with Alaskan business Loopy Lupine to print the new, fully detailed and fully compostable hot cups.
Exploration + Process
Starting with sketches once again, we explored various layout options as well as artwork options. The client chose the "logo flag" concept to pair with the owl feathers artwork.
This was hand drawn on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil, and then transferred to Adobe Illustrator to fully design. To help the owner make sound design decisions, the artwork was professionally presented using mockup graphics at various stages.
The artwork aligns the cafe's established branding, colors, handmade craft, and boreal forest aesthetics.
The Outcome
The new hot cup design has customers flocking to the cafe to get their hands around one!
Locals and local businesses alike are tagged the cafe in photos of them holding the new cups.
And, they're good for the environment! These cups are fully compostable.
"I did not have a solid idea of what I wanted. I was very impressed with how Brianna took my general ideas and transformed them into a beautiful and polished product."
Sarah Posma
Owner, Little Owl Cafe