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My Role
Solo Graphic Designer & Researcher
Timeline
April 2024 - May 2024
Oct 2024 (Re-Design)
Oct 2024 (Re-Design)
Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Clip Studio Paint
Adobe Photoshop
Clip Studio Paint
Project Brief
About
Sweet Scents is a small, start-up business that creates dessert-themed, homemade candles that evoke a sense of calm and joy. When the client approached me, they had a vague idea of how they wanted their brand to look and feel. My role was to take their initial concept and transform it into a fully developed brand identity. This project involved creating the logo, brand colors, packaging design for boxes, and candle labels to visually represent the fun, cozy essence of their business!
Problem
The client had no existing brand identity or logo and only a basic concept of creating a dessert-themed candle business, requiring a complete brand and packaging design from scratch.
Goals
• Develop a playful yet professional brand identity that stands out from other candle businesses.
• Design packaging and product labels that are eye-catching, memorable, and on-theme.
• Design packaging and product labels that are eye-catching, memorable, and on-theme.
Design Solutions
Timeline
Design Process
Research
Starting this project, the only thing I knew from my client were that they were starting a new candle business and wanted their branding to be sweets-themed. I researched design trends within the candle industry, analyzing competitors and gathering insights into popular scent profiles, packaging designs, and customer expectations.
Ideation
During the ideation phase, I began by brainstorming brand directions regarding the logo, color palette, and typography. Deciding what theme and feelings my client want their business to evoke, like soothing, minimalism, colorful, etc. Along with the logo sketches, I compiled some color scheme and typography options to better understand my client's needs.
Concept Development
Finalized Brand Identity
Keywords: cute, candy, childish, upbeat, nostalgic
Insights & Challenges
We initially went with the light blue & hot pink color scheme, but we noticed that it didn't capture the playful feeling the brand should evoke. I updated the color scheme to be the primary colors - red, yellow, and blue. With these colors, the design is more eye candy and fun. Another issue with the May 2024 design was that it felt too flat, so I incorporated a subtle radial gradient for the background.
May 2024 | First Design
October 2024 | Re-Design
Finalized Design
For Sweet Scents, I designed their brand identity (logo, color scheme, voice), packaging boxes, candle labels, and stationery!
Reflection
Working on Sweet Scents allowed me to expand my skill set in brand creation. The project challenged me to design a cohesive identity from scratch, requiring a deep understanding and frequent communication with the client to ensure every design element - from the dessert candle logo to the packaging design - aligned with their vision. Overall, this project improved my skills in client management, brand identity, and packaging design.
Credits
Candle Mockups from creatoom.com.
Match Box Mockup from anagramdesign.graphics.
Match Box Mockup from anagramdesign.graphics.
