Press Release
Burak Sahin - Istanbul French Fries Receives the A' Design Award for Blend 1601 Coffee Packaging Design in Packaging Design
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Burak Sahin - Istanbul French Fries of Istanbul French Fries for packaging design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 24, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Blend 1601 Coffee Packaging Design by Burak Sahin - Istanbul French Fries of Istanbul French Fries has been granted the A' Design Award in the Packaging Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Blend 1601 Coffee Packaging Design
Blend 1601 celebrates shade grown coffee through a packaging series that replaces industrial aesthetics with artisanal warmth, centered around a tree canopy motif. Using sustainable kraft material and a vibrant color system, the design creates an emotional link between barista craft and forest ecology. The result is a tactile, story driven identity that highlights the natural origin and unique character of each blend.
About Burak Sahin - Istanbul French Fries
Istanbul French Fries Creative Communication Agency is a creative studio based in Istanbul specializing in high-end brand identity, professional packaging design, advertising, digital, retail, and trade marketing. The agency offers a comprehensive range of services, including graphic design and creative copywriting, to help international brands achieve a sophisticated visual presence. Art Director Burak Sahin, along with the creative team at Istanbul French Fries, focuses on delivering elegant brand solutions that meet the highest aesthetic standards.
About Istanbul French Fries
Here, we craft the right message for the right audience, in the right context. Driven by ideas rather than mediums, we operate across packaging, advertising, digital, retail, and trade marketing, always grounded in clear strategy.
Award Record
Burak Sahin - Istanbul French Fries of Istanbul French Fries is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Packaging Design Award
The A' Packaging Design Award is an international packaging competition that recognizes outstanding packaging designs by talented packaging designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to packaging designers, graphic designers, branding agencies and product manufacturers from all countries. Entries typically include bottles, boxes, cans, pouches, tubes and cartons. Awarded packaging designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/packaging
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/183067
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/183067
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!183067
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/244940
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.instagram.com/blend1601/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Blend 1601 Coffee Packaging Design
- Function
- Coffee Packaging Design
- Category
- Packaging Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Packaging & Retail, Branding & Advertising and Manufacturing
- Colors
- White Smoke, Dark Slate Gray, Teal, Wheat and Black
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Burak Sahin - Istanbul French Fries
- Country
- Turkiye
- Brand
- Istanbul French Fries
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #183067
Credits
- Team
- Burak Sahin
- Image Credits
- Istanbul French Fries
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Blend 1601 is a premium packaging identity system that prioritizes storytelling over technical overload. Rather than overwhelming users with data, it communicates the essence of coffee through color, texture, and visual simplicity. The collection includes: Two signature 500g blends (Classic & Efso) Four 250g single-origin variants. Each product features a distinct color palette inspired by its flavor profile. For instance, the Efso Blend uses a bold teal tone to reflect its smooth opening and intense finish, creating a synesthetic link between taste and color. The packaging is built on eco-friendly kraft pouches, merging sustainability with a refined artisanal aesthetic.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the "Shade-Grown" cultivation method, this design translates an ecological philosophy into a visual language. Coffee beans that mature slowly beneath the protective canopy of forest trees embody patience, balance, and harmony with nature. This relationship is expressed through a minimalist tree-shadow motif, symbolizing protection and natural rhythm. The raw kraft surface reflects the soil and organic origins, while vibrant label colors represent the energy and character of coffee cherries thriving in shaded microclimates.
- Research
- This project explores emotional responses to specialty coffee packaging and the role of visual language in perceived quality. Research revealed a gap between technical packaging and the demand for warmth and storytelling. "Shade-Grown" emerged as a key narrative. The resulting strategy shifts from data-heavy communication to sensory storytelling, combining organic visuals and tactile materials to balance premium positioning with human connection.
- Challenge
- The challenge was translating a technical concept into an emotional visual language while balancing premium perception with warmth. This required precise control of typography, color, and illustration to avoid both oversimplification and technical overload. Another key task was creating a scalable identity system that differentiates blends while maintaining consistency. The result is a unified system that communicates complexity with clarity.
- Realization and Technology
- Production reinforces the tactile warmth of the "Shade-Grown" concept. Labels feature balanced proportions and softened 4 mm corners for an organic feel. Printed with high-resolution offset on textured paper, they combine clarity with tactility. Hand-applied onto eco-friendly kraft pouches, slight imperfections are preserved, reflecting artisanal authenticity and the balance between natural process and precision.
- Operation and Interaction
- The design uses an intuitive, icon-driven system to simplify interaction. A bean icon indicates whole beans, while a droplet represents ground coffee, enabling instant recognition. The front label introduces the "Shade-Grown" story through color and composition, while the back delivers structured information such as origin and brewing. This dual-layer approach balances emotional engagement with functional clarity.
- Specifications
- The system ensures consistency across formats. 500g pouch: 135 × 260 mm, label 100 × 153 mm. 250g pouch: 110 × 200 mm, label 90 × 120 mm. All labels have 4 mm corner radius. Material: eco-friendly multi-layer kraft with high-barrier lining. Printing: high-resolution on textured, sustainable stock. The system supports scalability, efficiency, and a cohesive brand identity.
- Keywords
- coffee packaging, specialty coffee, shade-grown, sustainable design, kraft packaging, brand identity, minimalist packaging, artisan coffee, eco-friendly packaging, label design
