Interviews with Inna Kovalenko

Each logo element carries meaning: flowing lines symbolize thick, rich honey, while geometric forms represent the chestnut tree’s strength. The small bee unites the product and Kyiv’s spirit. The process was experimental and poetic; I refined lines and shapes until balance emerged between lightness and structure, natural and graphic, so the logo tells both the product’s story and the city’s essence.

I aimed to create simple, familiar packaging that conveys warmth and nature. Delicate watercolor, fine lines, and geometric forms balance the honey’s authenticity with premium gift presentation. This packaging is easy to perceive, evokes emotional connection, and highlights the product’s value and uniqueness.

During a walk in Kyiv, I noticed a beautiful tree near my favorite fountain, inspiring the idea to create honey reflecting the city and its symbol — the chestnut. The project combines love for Kyiv, nature, and warmth. I wanted the design to feel clear, contemporary, and convey the city’s spirit, serenity, and beauty through the Castanea Nectar Chestnut Honey packaging.

The small bee in the logo, created in my favorite engraving technique, symbolizes diligence and care. It highlights the process, like a tiny artist creating honey. The chestnut and bee add emotional symbolism, connecting the product with nature and Kyiv, forming a warm and meaningful story the consumer can relate to.

For the color palette, I chose a white box and a honey-colored jar with a yellow lid, a white label with a black logo, and semi-transparent watercolor elements. White flowers, delicate pink blossoms, and green chestnut leaves add lightness, transparency, and natural freshness. This combination conveys warmth, coziness, and the product’s natural quality, emphasizing the brand identity and the aesthetic harmony of Castanea Nectar Chestnut Honey.

Although my diploma is in interior design, I’ve always loved graphic design. My experience gives me a refined sense of composition, hierarchy, and spatial relationships. I apply balance, rhythm, and proportion principles, structuring projects step by step. This ensures elements — watercolor, chestnut, bee, typography — guide the viewer naturally and create a harmonious visual narrative.

The packaging is a simple cube of natural cardboard with a matte finish, highlighting the honey’s natural warmth. Inside, the jar is securely fixed for protection. A small square card serves as a symbolic reminder of the project’s idea — sincerity, care, and love for Kyiv. This packaging combines simplicity, aesthetics, and function, creating a harmonious gift presentation.

As a teacher at Kyiv Academy of Applied Arts, I share my experience, showing students how ideas evolve from concept to realization. I guide them in structuring projects, balancing creativity with functionality, and telling stories through design. Castanea Nectar Chestnut Honey demonstrates how to create emotional connections between product and audience, inspiring students to develop their own creative solutions.

Castanea Nectar Chestnut Honey shows how modern design can celebrate local heritage. Simple forms, warm colors, and symbolic details convey the region’s story, character, and spirit. I hope it inspires designers to find ideas in their city’s culture and nature, creating packaging that combines beauty, authenticity, and modernity, making products unique and emotionally meaningful.