Bronze Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2018
Mrs T Corporate Design
by Julia Hell
- A' Design Award 2018 Bronze Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2018
- CLIENT: Mrs T
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 12,376
- Verification code 91A3DAF088 · Verify this award
About Mrs T Corporate Design
Mrs T is a corporate design for a fine food manufactory that uses tea as an ingredient in baked goods and delicacies. The visual identity has a clean and elegant look, with mostly white packaging supported by three corporate colors. The logo acts as a frame that marks every item made in the manufactory, and it is applied in golden hot foil on the business cards. The chosen fonts recall handwritten labels and underline the handmade character of the goods. Bags and glass jars are sealed and labeled on the outside to protect the food inside.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The corporate design for Mrs T states out through a clean and classy, yet distinct look and feel that mirrors the product behind the design. Sleek, mostly white packaging underlined by three corporate colors. The Logo is supposed to work as a frame, that literally brands all the goods produced in the Mrs T manufactory, like a golden quality label. the choice of fonts underlines the fact that all labels are made by hand. The Logo font has a similar look and feel to it.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Business card 55 x 85 mm; Big bag: 180 x 260 x 40 mm; Small bag: 140 x 200 x 40 mm; Big glass:70 x 70 x 110 mm ; Medium glass: 70 x 70 x 75 mm; Small glass: 70 x 70 x5 0mm ; Flyer: 105 x 210 mm
- Tags
- Corporate Design, Packaging, Logo, Tea, Delicacies, Graphic Design
- Production Technology
- For the business cards and perspectively also for the packaging, we used a golden hot foil for the logo. Since the product was launched last year and the current packaging labels are printed in 4/4C so far.
- Design Challenge
- while starting to designed I created three different ways to see the product. Each of them was not entirely wrong and I felt attached to them because in a way they all seemed to be right. Two of the drafts were focusing of the origin of the tea ceremonies and practices of the eastern and western cultures. In the end it was to much of an excursus and we chose to realize the third draft, that creates a brand for the products which does not necessarily need to tell a complicated story.
- Project Duration
- The project started in July 2016 and is ongoing. I am working from Berlin, my client is working from Hamburg.
- Operation Flow
- The bags can be sealed shut with a laminating machine, so the food inside is vacuum sealed, the glassed have a standard screw cap that also can be sealed shut via vacuum. All items are labeled from the outside to to guarantee food safety.
- Research
- At first I went online to get an overview on existing products related to the tea theme. I find pinterest to be a very helpful tool when it comes visual research. I created a pinbaord. according to that I did a tasting of my clients products. She provided me with a variety of her delicacies. That helped me a lot to get a hint of the world I wanted to create for the products.
- Inspiration
- I got to try the products of my client, Maren Thobaben at a friends wedding and she asked if I could imagine to create a corporate design for her products. The characteristic of her baked goods is, that she uses tea as an ingredient. The world of tea - packaging, accessoires, heritage and the ceremony of preparing tea in different cultures were the source of my inspiration. I read a lot about it an in the and came back to the source of all of it, the tea plant.
- Image Credits
- All Images: Photographer / Jannis Hell, 2017
Colors of Mrs T Corporate Design
Design Interview about Mrs T Corporate Design
My inspiration was the classy atmosphere of the British high tea. I wanted the look to be sophisticated and yet fashionable at the same time.
The products are made by hand with high quality standards. I wanted the vessels and corporate materials to transport that right away.
Mrs T will grow bigger in 2018 and I am going to accompany the brand as creative director. The corporate design will be developed and adapted mainly in the point of sale area to increase attention in stores.
It took me about a month from the first draft to design the concept.
I use to start designing by creating three different approaches for the look and feel of the brief. This design was not commissioned, we talked about my clients view on her brand and products in advance and then she gave me creative freedom. In general I try to pursuit my inspirations – considering the briefing of course.
The design was tailor made for a small Hamburg based company and is used by them as a branding for their manufactured goods.
I wanted to emphasize the special feature of the company, using tea as an ingredient – a spice for their products in the design. Plus they only use tea that comes fro the tea plant. This is why I integrated the plant into the Logo.
People who like fancy foods and are open to culinary experiments and people who like to have beautiful packaged goods in their kitchen.
The name was set before I started designing the concept. Since every product contains tea as an ingredient, and my clients last name starts with "T" – Mrs T is a good fit. She is the one creating the recipes and manufacturing the products. It makes sense to have her as a bran representative on the products themselves.
Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop.
In a way the design transports aspects of the taste. I find it fascinating that many people take a closer look because they like the appearance of the packaging but at the same time they want to try the products. The design seems to create an appetite.
My husband created the website. He is a frontend developer.
It is a rather traditional product. We have a website and a web shop to buy the products online but that is it.
I have participated in design competitions, both national and international, over the last three years. I think it is worth giving it a try, especially with projects oneself holds dear, to gain attention for my work and at the same time to receive neutral feedback for it.