VIBE: SOUTH
AFRICAN TEA
For this project, I wanted to create a brand that would appeal to consumers in South Africa and in California. After much research I decided to name the company "Vibe." Vibe means vibrant/vibe in both English and Afrikaans, but is pronounced "Vee-bah" to make it more authentic.
Going along with the “vibrant” theme, I chose bright, eye-catching colors and design elements that had a more casual look using hand-drawn illustrations and typefaces. To further the casual/hand-crafted design, I wrote the copy in a way that conveyed “good vibes” and relaxation.
Overall, I wanted the consumers to feel that after relaxing by using these products, they will feel rejuvenated and energized.
INSPIRATION
& DESIGN PROCESS
My audience for this project was consumers in South Africa and California. This tea would be produced and sold in South Africa and sold in California as a organic, fair-trade brand. To appeal to both audiences, the branding and packaging needed to stand out but also illustrate the quality of the teas being sold.
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To appeal to the South African audience, we included common ingredients found in that region like rooibos tea; a caffeine free tea leaf that has a mild, nutty flavor. We also named the brand from a common word in Afrikaans, which means vibrant. This also appeals to the CA audience because it is also a common phrase in the U.S. and drinking tea is generally associated with "relaxing" or "good vibes." Since it is named "vibrant," I chose colors to match this idea but they also correlate with the ingredients inside—lemon yellow, mint green, and rich red.
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For the packaging, it was necessary to produce artwork that portrayed the idea of organic ingredients. I hand-drew the logo and patterns on the box so they were literally "organic" in style and that care went into producing this product. I drew inspiration from tribal design and other packaging with handrawn elements to find the balance between the organic style but still maintained legible typography and a sense of upscale design.
