While focusing on sustainable packaging practices, I refreshed the Cup of Sea brand identity. I revived the logo, simplified the packaging, and designed a package that is good for the environment.
Being a designer, I am responsible for the creations I put into the world. I have become increasingly more aware that the things I create have an impact on the world. As I researched packaging design, it quickly became obvious that most packaging does not take the planet into consideration. This project challenged me to create a package design and system design that minimizes as much material waste, energy consumption, and consumer waste as possible. I explored the book Designing Sustainable Packaging by Scott Boylston to grasp the ideas and processes within the development of package design.
Boylston, Scott. Designing sustainable packaging. London: Laurence King, 2009.
“Paper & Packaging: Re-Nourish.” Renourish, n.d. https://re-nourish.org/design-strategies/paperpackaging/.
The redesign of Cup of Sea needed to maintain its devoted customers, yet feel fresh and familiar. It's important for this brand to keep the Maine aesthetic. The process of this project helped me learn how to balance good design with sustainability. I taught myself the intricate network of package design and how to think in a sustainable, end-of-life mindset.
Logo Redesign
I redesigned the logo by carving the design out of a linocut. My goal was to keep a handcrafted feel in the brand identity and hand carving the logo achieved this effect. Furthermore, I also cut the “Cup of Sea” word mark to carry over the handmade aesthetic. I did not change the imagery of the logo because it is important to keep the brand recognizable to the loyal customers and local target audience. I combined the wordmark and icon designs to create a logo that feels natural together, yet a design that can be separated for alternative uses.
Color Palette & Imagery
To pull in the nautical aspect of the company, I chose colors to reflect the Portland seascape. A bright sea green and lobster red are the main colors of the brand identity. The secondary colors are iconic Maine-based hues.
The illustrations are hand-drawn and then digitally altered to give the half-tone pattern. The illustration style is ownable to Cup of Sea and mimics the half-tone patterns on newspaper, evoking a nostalgic feeling.
The photography would ideally use local photographers showing off the seascape that inspires the tea flavors. The photography is both bright and moody, inducing a range of emotions from the target audience.
Packaging and Sustainability
One of the highest priorities of Cup of Sea is maintaining an ethical and sustainable process. We consider the labor of our supply chain, the health of our consumers, and the packaging of the packaged products. We aim to provide the best experience for all those involved with the Maine teas.
Research was a large portion of this brand redesign. Using a mindmap, I can identify considerations like brand competition, packaging material options, and current brand strengths and the product selection.
The final packaging design is a completely compostable sealable pouch with a vegetable-based or soy ink printed right on the pouch. There will be no adhesive stickers used because adhesive cannot be properly disposed of easily. These pouches are reusable and Cup of Sea would ideally create a refill program or buy-back packaging program to diminish the amount of waste all together.
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