From physical and digital products, services, and experiences to storytelling, we design unique and effective solutions for brands, people, and the planet.
We devise systems.
Shoukburger
We collaborated with our old friends at Shouk to come up with branding and a 100% compostable multi-functional packaging system for the now legendary pre-cooked frozen vegetable patties they refer to as Shoukburgers. Just in time for the meatless burger wars. Then again, we’re convinced that once you taste them there will be peace at last. Unlike meat-substitute or conventional veggie burgers, a Shoukburger is moist and beefy while made 100% from minimally processed vegetables, mushrooms, and other things you can pronounce, and with a satisfying flavor profile that is true to its Israeli street food roots.
The inspiration board.
The logo is derived from the Shouk logo but with a clear goal of communicating the nature and physical volume of the product. The idea of stackability is built into the visual language as much as into the form and function of the packaging system.
An actual Shoukburger. Yep!
Rather than wrapping each patty individually in an attempt to prevent the onset of freezer burn, we arrived at a delightfully simple solution inspired by frozen beef hamburgers.
Introducing a single membrane vis a vis a breathable paper wrapper allowed us to arrive at a solution that is elegant, on-brand, fast and inexpensive to implement at scale or in a more limited capacity.
The pulp cylinder system is durable enough to withstand direct to consumer shipping and stands out exceptionally in the retail display.
Green is the New Black
And by green we are speaking about a flower called Cannabis sativa. And then there is the green of cash. So this is just as much about methodically unlocking tremendous near-term future growth opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs and investors alike. The following Black Friday offering of thanks is to our past, present and future clients and is compiled as a basic conversation structure about early mistakes to avoid and successes to be had when developing your own cannabis offering. They are based on our learnings from the trenches while working on a growing range of cannabis brands in ever diverse industry and product categories as well as seasoned by several decades of experience as branders and designers at large.
The Stigma
Despite the virtually certain eventual complete legalization of cannabis in major world markets for a broad range of consumer applications the stigma of “criminality” and the negative associations formed in the collective memory over many generations by government propaganda need to be effectively addressed. Fortunately, this can be achieved rather methodically over time by a combination of clear and succinct messaging delivered through relevant and high resolution content, espousing operational transparency and accountability, enforcing the strictest safety and quality controls to ensure consistency, and investing in the best design money can buy across your brand’s touchpoints from identity through to product or service, visuals, content, packaging, merchandise, environmental, digital, as applicable.
The Soul
Most of the typical barriers for new brands entering a market are essentially functional not emotive. But it would be a mistake to not consider this to be the most fundamental consideration of all. It is as vitally important for a Cannabis product or service to effectively differentiate themselves as it is for any other highly competitive consumer product or service. In fact, almost definitely more so due to some of the unique challenges already mentioned above. Every successful brand inhabits a community much like a movement or a belief. It has a discernible voice and an identity as expressed in a coordinated, curated and uniform fashion across its ecosystem of touchpoints. It is embedded in the aesthetics but also in the operational practices and internal culture as much as in the outbound storytelling and customer relationship management. Who’s your target audience and what is your unique value proposition for them? A great place to start seeking what you sound and look and feel like, i.e., how your audiences experience you is after successfully defining your reason to exist.
Switzerland provides a convenient haloing opportunity when dealing with a controversial topic like cannabis while speaking to pharmaceutical integrity, precision and safety, ethical practices, and natural purity of the base ingredient as expressed through the fairy tale-like scenery.
A sure sign of relief. Enhanced in Switzerland.
Relief and relaxation along with sustainability goals embedded into a small batch organic cotton loungewear collection.
The Science
As much of the controversy around the topic of cannabis has to do with the popular misunderstanding of the chemistry, therein lies a clear opportunity to demonstrate leadership on behalf of your brand. The story of the various cannabinoids and their related effects may well need to remain in any cannabis brand’s mandatory communications arsenal for some time as an obvious and necessary way to inform the broadest audiences so they are able to make intelligent and confident choices safely. This matters to the consumer when it comes to choosing your brand over the competition but more fundamentally orienting themselves among the various delivery mechanisms, formats and compounds. Terminology matters crucially which is why the use of the word marijuana or any other colloquial references should likely be avoided in favor of the traditional Latin form. Hemp has been historically used as a more broadly acceptable term even if it is somewhat awkward due to its agricultural origins. The confusion over the science combined with ineffective messaging means that there is a pervasive lack of knowledge on behalf of the consumers on the broad range of applications of cannabis chemistry from recreational to pharmaceutical to personal care and cosmetics to food. This represents a huge missed opportunity for growth regardless of which category your cannabis brand belongs to.
Purity and transparency along with safety and reliability as expressed in packaging form for a pharmaceutical delivery method.
Explaining a 24-hour time-released CBD-empowered beauty routine through packaging graphics.
The Safety
When it comes to any consumer product or service but especially pharmaceutical, beauty and personal care, or food item safety is a vital baseline requirement. Closely related to the stigma and the science challenges, safety along with efficacy as measures of quality (or purity) has obvious implications on packaging design and delivery methods. But no less than on the supply chain and operations including internal culture, etc. In case of food products that contain psychoactive cannabinoids and are intended for recreational adult consumption even the flavoring becomes a central aspect of responsible product design and should be carefully considered in order to reduce the appeal to undesirable audiences and to further discourage accidental exposure while maximizing appeal and affording ease of use to the target groups.
ISO-certified production process and highest purity ingredients encapsulated.
The Selling
The last of the common issues to be addressed for most cannabis entrepreneurs but clearly not the least is transactional whether we are speaking of online or brick and mortar stores. Despite considerable advances in quickly and inexpensively establishing an online presence with e-commerce for just about any other consumer product by any number of popular hosted template platforms like Squarespace of Shopify, selling cannabis products remains as one of the key chokeholds along with banking, shipping and customs, and law enforcement. Due to restrictions by major payment processors that integrate with these platforms by default, and by outdated government regulations concerning interstate and international commerce. While there isn’t yet a patented cure for all of these ails there are dedicated payment processors ranging in reliability for cannabis transactions and a few different and creative ways to get your non-THC online store up and running with a little bit of expert coding help.
With regard to the physical store experiences it is equally important to understand the general learnings from decades of effective retail and merchandising design in terms of product placement, queuing, activities, and checkout as it is to have a nuanced understanding of the constantly changing consumer expectations with regard to what constitutes a delightful and meaningful high street shopping experience. The place must obviously stay true to the brand while still remaining flexible and scalable in terms of the underlying prototype kit of parts and to the geography and streetscape that it inhabits. And it should probably not look like a pharmacy or a dispensary unless that is exactly what it is intended to be.
A glimpse at an evolving non-psychoactive cannabis offering.
As holdovers from the pre-decriminalization era of cannabis, of outdated science and government regulation and propaganda and the related confusion of the cash crop for recreational consumption and cannabinoids as natural, non-toxic, non-psychoactive ingredients in pharmaceuticals, food, nutritional supplements, and beauty products, effectively addressing these core aspects will give your brand a fighting chance in the onslaught that is sure to continue to unravel exponentially in the coming months as more brands enter the cannabis space until mainstream brands acquire and aim to crush as much of the perceived competition as possible. We’d love to be a part of the conversation of making your brand succeed before the bubble bursts!
OX
Nanoxidil-powered hair styling and scalp care kit for men. Virility, vitality, volume. Stylish, professional grade tools for everyman’s bathroom. Not your dad’s hair club.
Excerpts from the design brief.
A name and identity system that speaks volume, speed, and professional power.
Bold, not bald.
Complete care kit.
Kannaswiss
Haloing off the Swiss school of modern graphic design we forged an identity that is at once accessible and inviting while also being reliably “pharmaceutical” in order to communicate the brand’s promise and the related value system and the premium price positioning of their expanding line of CBD-enhanced products.
An excerpt from the design brief.
Wellness is central to the brand promise.
The “plus” monogram device is loaded with meaning.
Subliminal promise of comprehensive lifestyle support implied and expressed.
The first SKU that launched the medicinals category.
An ever-expanding number of SKUs.
Bagasse fiber mesh molds echo the values of the brand.
Attention to detail is endemic.
A custom mold for the most Swiss of all chocolates.
Retail facade elevation prototype reinforces the underlying Swissness.
Modular expo system that packs flat for a life on the road.
Comfortable, functional and modern.
Reusable totes from organic jute.
Organic cotton tees.
Sheesh
Not another kabob joint! The mandate from the client seemed as clear as it did impossible: To create a unique, contemporary American fast-casual dining experience based on the Afghan-Persian culinary tradition that was not just inclusive of but also attractive to women and families, responsive to modern dietary needs and portion sizes, and distinctly non-ethnic in a way that defies negative stereotyping. Sheesh is launching in the fall of 2018.
The art of grilling is in the DNA of the brand.
Excerpt from the design brief.
A modernized take on the traditional menu.
The brand values of integrity, versatility and agility as represented by the interior finishes.
The logo meanders like a good fairytale from a campground on the Silk Route.
Exterior signage prototype.
Silk road culinary herbs and spices connect the dots between ancient heritage and the contemporary environmental context.
We use humor and attitude to deliver dietary education as part of brand messaging.
A modular menu and messaging wall.
Comfortable and casual, like the cuisine.
Serviceware inspiration.
NØBO
Fight odor causing bacteria with the help of your microbiome. No more B.O. Even less B.S.! All natural probiotic deodorant for all. The brief was about as minimalist as a designer could hope for in both its limitations and its possibilities in terms of being able to strip things down to the basics - an inspiration for the brand and the product from the formulation of all natural essential oils and ingredients with probiotics to how it will help expand the possibilities of probiotics as a platform for continued development for other personal hygiene and beauty products.
Secondary logo style for digital use.
Zero odor emission promise is embedded.
Qixo
Branding, UX, and UI prototyping for frictionless fantasy gameplay. Inspired by the love of the game, designed with global user base in mind.
The monogram puts everything into context.
Simplified, horizontal form of the brand mark.
Differentiation by color.
Brand elements used in a social media campaign context.
Logged in user.
Shouk
Picture an all-vegetarian Israeli market. We did. Marrying the din of an open air market pita stand with a reliable bag of found objects we created an environment that communicates the essence of the bazaar while providing for a delightful discovery of another side of the greater Middle Eastern cuisine that goes well beyond falafel. Try the cauliflower!
Excerpts from the design inspiration deck.
Functional signage built from scraps.
Window signage.
Keeping a low carbon footprint wherever possible is core to the brand.
A modular menu system built entirely by hand of found objects.
Dimensionalizing the brand.
Peter Coppola
Let's iron things out wit this new straightening iron from Peter Coppola - a Personal Brands brand.
And redesign of the entire line followed.
CHOPT
What had once been one of the most creative salad companies in the world and then lost their focus became whole again after their spiritual and visual face-lift. We brought back the wanderlust and “transportability” as expressions of the brand and the rational foundation on which to both simplify and expand their offering.
Revised logotype absorbed the 90’s throwback runaway chopper with the device user in mind.
A revised manifesto to advertise a renewed commitment to innovation.
Storytelling begins at the doorstep with a map of suppliers local to a given store.
Modular digital menu system that integrates with POS and brand website.
A prototype of an RFID-enabled reusable bowl.