DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
: The project was branding and packaging for an International coffee company’s single origin, premium Arabica beans from five coffee regions – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Colombia.
The goal was to appeal to a new generation of coffee drinkers: hipsters with old school style and a little extra money in their back pocket, interested in the complex, flavors of coffee, similar to a fine wine or craft beer.
DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
: These dapper monkeys imply quality, their ironic sophistication appealing to coffee drinkers interested in complex flavor characteristics. Their expressions playfully represent a mood, but also allude to the coffee’s flavor profile, mild, strong, sour or smooth. The design is simple, yet subtly clever, a coffee for every mood.
Create logo and packaging that would stand apart from the other coffees on the market and easily flow to other products.
DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
: The design can easily transpose to products like tea and chocolate as well as marketing items such as t-shirts and mugs, making everything cohesive.
DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
: It was very challenging to create monkey expressions that evoked a positive reaction in people. After more than a month of creating numerous illustrations, changing their eyes, expression or entire face, and constantly testing people’s reactions, we finally came up with illustrations that achieved positive results, a sophisticated character with a little sense of humor.
The hole project duration was four months.
DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
: I immediately thought of monkeys since they are a common thread among the five coffee regions represented. I was inspired by their expressions and behaviors, which seem to reflect their moods, much like us humans.
By using monkey illustrations with expressions that reflect their mood, it creates an impressionable and long lasting image, playful and a bit ironic, especially with a hat on their head.
DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
: These coffee packages produces my client "coffee24.lt".
DI: What made you design this particular type of work?
: I particularly enjoy designing packaging, branding and print design. For me, it's always challenging and helps me grow as a designer.
DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
: There were no other designs/ designers. I wanted to create something new and unique, that people will be talking about it and remember it.
DI: Who is the target customer for his design?
: The goal was to appeal to a new generation of coffee drinkers: hipsters with old school style and a little extra money in their back pocket, interested in the complex, flavors of coffee, similar to a fine wine or craft beer.
DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
: An unexpected and unique solution for using monkey drawings on coffee packaging.
DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
: Coffee elevates mood, so the name "The Mood" was chosen for the brand name.
DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?
: I used Mac computer and Adobe Illustrator.
DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
: The most unique aspect of coffee packaging is the characteristic and memorable monkey faces.
DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?
: I collaborated with an illustrator who drew the monkeys according to specific requirements.
DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
: Hand drawn, vintage inspired illustrations printed on kraft paper. Black ink represents the color of coffee and the monkey illustrations are playful, with facial expressions hinting at the coffee’s flavor profile such as sour citrus or smooth chocolate.
DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
: Intuition.
DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
: It was very challenging to create monkey expressions that evoked a positive reaction in people. After more than a month of creating numerous illustrations, changing their eyes, expression or entire face, and constantly testing people’s reactions, we finally came up with illustrations that achieved positive results, a sophisticated character with a little sense of humor.
DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
: When I created these packages, everybody liked them. I realized that this is a unique design and I should submit to an international design competition.
DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
: I learned that synergy between fonts and illustrations is key to a great design. I should dream big and take part in design competitions boldly.