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.
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.
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.
