BRAND DESIGN
Crunchcakes
Crunchakes is a concept business by me created as a branding project. The project consists of the company’s motto, visual identity, business systems, and marketing applications.
As a concept, Crunchcakes is a protein-full delicacy sweet treat that was baked to perfection. The signature cupcake is baked with dried mopane worms for that crunch in Crunchcakes. It serves to normalize the consumption of dried insects to promote a good practice for nutrition. I wanted to do a challenge of branding an edible item with stigma in a positive and delighting way - in the form of everyone’s guilty pleasure: dessert!
Below is the process and how I developed the project.
Logo Design
Preliminary Sketches
Originally, I wanted to go with a modernistic and simple logo that would mimic a mopane leaf. However, through renditions and a few fun sketches, I settled with a cupcake logo to represent the product to its maximum potential.
Digital Sketches
When drawing the logo digitally on Illustrator, it was quite simple to trace my pen sketches and alter some lines so it could look more polished. The leaf in the cupcake came from my biomimicry studies. As for the typeface on my logo, I tried out multiple styles ranging from sans serif to script, and settled with Yessy to tie in the bakery branding.
Final Logo
The final design of my logo is shown to the right. The dome frosting on top of the cake is drawn to illustrate the signature piped filling the product has, and the heart swirl represents our tagline of “Made With Love.”
Graphic Standard
Color Palette
The colors for the visual identity was inspired by contemporary startup bakeries and its pastel colors aesthetic. The green, beige, and grey colored palette represents its relevance to nature. The colors lightly reflect the shades of a mopane tree, with leaves that are vibrant green. Our company’s approach is a pastel palette of colors.
The colors of the logo cannot be altered to different shades or colors. Opacity can be adjusted only to 50% and above.
Typography
The company is all about consistency and unifying the identity. Therefore for the typography, there is a script font to match the bakery theme. In the master logo, I used Yessy for Crunchcakes, Avenir for our tagline, and Gobold Thin for marketing applications.
Business System
Letterhead, Envelope, Business Cards
Marketing Applications
Storefront
Packaging Design
Background
This product in the market fits the needs of millenials who need a quick boost of protein in their snacks. A Crunchcake is best defined as a baked good with edible dried mopane worms and topped with crushed pieces of it as well with the frosting. The nutritional source of this snack in a to-go form as a snack is the quick fix everyone needs, especially in daily life. The packaging of this product is designed to fit the visual appeal of teenagers and young adults, with brand representing logos and simple aesthetics. It is packaged into a cupcake shaped box that can be twisted open into a plate when ready to eat..
Project Strategy
When completed, the product will be an individually packaged cupcake in a cupcake-like box. The exterior is decorative in pastel bakery style graphics. Ideally, the packaged product itself should be recognizable to its audience anywhere, therefore the color combinations I would have for the packaging is going to be a signature seafoam green, bringing compromise from nature and favored pastel colors of the modern generation. The size of the container is about 3.5” by 3”. Crunchcakes has its original store in Downtown Davis, and will also be sold in stores like Safeway and Target in the packaged baked goods aisles.
Project Objective
My main goal of this packaging was to deliver a product to consumers that is a sweet snack or dessert with a valuable nutritional source. Edible insects have an intimidating aspect to it for consumers, and the goal in our packaging is to alleviate that intimidation in its inviting design.
Background
The Crunchcake packaging is meant to have an aesthetically pleasing look that will encourage consumers to purchase the food item from the shelves. The logo itself has a symbol of a heart to symbolize the “Made with Love” motto the brand stands for.
Message
Protein Cupcakes “Made with Love.” Crunchcakes is a protein-full delicacy sweet treat that was baked to perfection. We serve to normalize the consumption of dried insects to promote a good practice for nutrition. Our company values our customers first and has the ultimate goal of bringing you our best products.
Audience
The audience for this product will range from ages 5-30, for the kids, to the kids at heart. Anyone with a sweet tooth or craving can consume this product. Ideally, our primary consumers will be people in their young adult years that values the need for nutrition. The packaging is meant to attract all genders coming from a wide range of backgrounds.
Prelimary Sketches
Initially, I wanted to made a pyramid like top with a tent like shelter for the Crunchcakes package. However, after some trials, I realized it wasn’t the most efficient way because the cupcake would be too hard to grab out to enjoy. Another simplified design was a carton milk box since it could be opened up in an easier way.
Mockup
After prototyping the milk carton box, I realized it wasn’t efficient as well because it was too difficult to open without the chance of destroying the cupcake’s frosting at the top.
I then researched about alternative ways, and twist off systems for package opening.
Final Design
The final design of this packaging is fun, interactive, and functional. The twist off top allows for easy access, and also the option of wrapping back up your food for later consumption. Before it is opening, there is a melted seal under the twist off to preserve freshness.
The sides are also in a shape in which can allow a larger opening so the frosting will not be destroyed. And if desired, the box can be used as a bowl-like platter.
Label Design
I drew out the label design on illustrator and added graphics relative to the brand’s visual identity. There is also a clear window at the front of the box so customers can see what they may be consuming before making the decision of purchasing the item. This also helps promote out signature piped frosting.
