Aracari Chocolate Packaging
This project aims to design packaging for a premium chocolate bar brand, emphasizing ethical and sustainable sourcing of cocoa from a specific country. The packaging will be environmentally friendly and easily recyclable. The design must captivate the consumer's attention, resonating with our target demographic while conveying a sense of luxury and quality, setting our brand apart from commercial counterparts.
Moodboard
One of the first steps taken to come up with a brand and design concept was to choose a country, then conduct research to gain a better understanding of the culture and environment. My chosen country was Costa Rica, so I created a moodboard that reflects my goal for the chocolate bar look and feel.
Sketches
The next important stage in the design process of this project was to design the brand logo. At this point I had not yet decided on a name, but I knew I wanted the name and logo to relate to one of Costa Rica’s most fascinating animals, the Toucan. I took pencil to paper and began sketching out any explorations that came to mind.
Digital Sketches
I picked out the strongest logo solutions from my sketches and brought the ideas into Adobe Illustrator. In this stage I made necessary adjustments to the graphic and explored with typography.
Early Design Iterations
After establishing a logo, brand name, researching all necessary information for a real-world chocolate bar, and choosing a design aesthetic, I began to lay out all of the components in my packaging template. In the early iterations, I was still determining layout, typography treatments, and required information.
Final Design
The Aracari packaging was refined through several stages of peer reviews and feedback. The fern design and toucan logo convey the lush flora and unique fauna of Costa Rica. The chosen colors represent Costa Rica’s care for their environment, beautiful blue waters, and vibrant culture. It was important to include all relevant certifications on the front of the packaging so any consumer can quickly understand the kind of brand they are supporting. I also put the brand name and type of chocolate on the side of the packaging in case the store displays it so. Overall, this design successfully reflects a chocolate brand that values quality and sustainability, ensuring an indulgent experience that is both ethically and environmentally conscious.
